Hartford, CT November 14,15 - 2009

[ItsanSKS]

"Leaving, on a jet-plane, don't know when I'll be back again..."
Those lyrics somehow stuck in my head as I headed home after one of the best Appleseed events I have had the pleasure of working.

A few weeks ago, an SOS (Save Our Shoot) was sent over the wire, requesting a Shoot Boss in CT- I just knew that I couldn't possibly sit on the couch and let patriotic Americans miss the opportunity to be immersed in the History, Heritage, and Traditions of the Founding Generation, so I made the necessary arrangements and started planning my trip to Connecticut- no small journey, being as I'm currently living in Florida...  

Knowing that the NE Appleseed program is renowned for its liberal use of the Rapid Fire AQT, I realized that I would have my work cut out for me- I worked hard to come up with a modified program of instruction that would appease the hard-core shooters and new-to-shooting attendees alike, and I think the event worked out more or less as planned.

Saturday started damp and dim, with temps in the low 50's and rain forecasted to last all day- unfortunately, the weather men got it right.  We were kept hydrated by mother nature all day long, and 21 shooters stuck through to the bitter end, showing much the same grit and determination that their forefathers hath shown.  

Only one Rifleman revealed on Saturday, though many attendees showed a marked improvement in their scores- the Redcoats tell the tale, with zero people qualifying at 400 yards on Saturday AM, improving to 4 by the end of the day.  Kevin, our only Rifleman on Saturday, alluded to taking up the Orange Hat, but wanted to be certain that the score was not a fluke- I think he just wanted another go at the Red Coats on Sunday...  

Our sole female attendee, Kay, was completely new to rifles, and went from shooting a shot-gun pattern on target to keeping a solid six MOA group by the end of Saturday- proof positive that Appleseed works.

Sunday's forecast seemed to be a bit better, with projected highs in the low 60's, and bright, clear skies- a great day to be at the range, and we were not disappointed.

12 of our Saturday shooters returned on Sunday, and 2 border raiders were caught sneaking in to try their hands at the AQT for a second time, for a total of 14 rifles on the line.  

CortJestir opened the morning with his rendition of the 3rd Strike, Thor ensured that the attendees remembered the safety rules, and Smithy reminded the attendees what the Line Commands were going to be for the day..  Morning briefing completed, shooters were asked to bring their safe rifles to the line so that we could unleash the FireHose of Marksmanship Instruction at a fast and furious pace.

After a brief recap of the previous day's instruction, shooters were introduced to the 'ball and dummy' drill- an exercise designed to reveal, diagnose, and cure, the common firing line errors, such as flinching, blinking, bucking, and jerking.  


After a brief admonishment to all the men present for not bringing their wives, girlfriends and children (all of whom would have participated for FREE!) our shooter were introduced to the 7th step- passing on the heritage to everyone you meet.


More to come, including pictures... Too exhausted to think!

[DragonWood]

Thanks for helping out and stepping up to the plate for CT.  We missed you at the FL IBC but understood your abscence.

Glad to hear it went well and looking forward to hearing more about the weekend. Geez, you got a taste of what I get to do alot of, leavn' on a jet plane! But I do get to go all over the country and meet lots of great instructors and AS'ers!  CA and FL being two of my favorite places.

DW

[CortJestir]

Thanks for helping out and stepping up to the plate for CT.

A big +1 on that. ItsanSKS did a masterful job running the show and the folks in CT are much better for it.  Special thanks also to VietVet for border raiding from New York to IIT the event. It was nice to meet you and I look forward to working more events with you. Actually, I look forward to working more events with everyone on the line - ItsanSKS, Thor, smithy, VietVet - we had a good crew of fine Americans...

And a good crew of shooters as well. These guys (and gal) toughed out the rain on Saturday to be rewarded with sunny skies and dry cardboard on Sunday. kfish (Kevin) did indeed take up the Orange Hat. And hopefully, we'll have one more Orange Hat out of this weekend. And wow, Kay! From rifle newbie to 6-MOA shooter, all in 2 days. Talk about natural talent. I see a patch in your near future!

A big thank you also to Tom D. and the Hartford Gun Club, whose fine facilities are among the best in CT. He provided the "rescue" cardboard on Day 2 after the steady stream of wet melted our target line on Day 1 (note to self: invest in coroplast  ). The HGC is taking memberships, so all you northern CT folks who want a membership, do yourself a favor and get in while you can.

Now...who's got the pics? My camera battery died - like really died, as in won't charge anymore, so I couldn't take pics. 

[VietVet]

First let me begin by thanking the entire crew at this shoot.
"ItsanSKS" who as stated flew in from Fla is a master as a Shoot Boss. A true professional and a great person. "CortJestir" gave the History portion in such a way you felt as if you were there. He really captured the shooters attention and held it. He also took over the line and in the end was awarded his "Red Hat" and truly deserved it. "Smithy" from the very beginning you could tell he knew his stuff. Not only did he get the target line up quickly but he designed it. He also impressed me doing some gunsmith work for some of the shooters right there on the spot. The package was completed on Sun when "Thor" jumped in and put the icing on the cake with his presentation and guidance.
This was the first AS I had the honor of being an IIT at. I was very fortunate. This team gave me so much knowledge that I will hopefully carry with me as I head for my Red Hat someday.
  A great big thank you goes out to the shooters. Sat was not easy, rained all day but they hung in there. Not an easy task in that weather.
  Once again I have to go back to the team I had the privilege to work with and it was a privilege. OUTSTANDING!!!! Job well done!

[smithy]

It was great shoot in Hartford. For me especially was beneficial to observe work of yet another SB, I was privileged to work with - ItsAnSKS. Thanks for saving our event.
Your commitment to AS is exceptional. To come from worm Fl to our corner of the woods tells volumes about your patriotism. 
Interesting twist with POI to. One day I will incorporate the best I can learn from observing SBs and your POI will be in there in big part.
This was first time since my involvement in AS when I did not need do much of "smithing" - all shooters were prepared with fully LTRed rifles and they new what they were about. At next AS every of participants has the great chance to score at AQT 210 minimum.
We somehow fired up enthusiasm and interest in heritage - more than I ever saw. It seemed,  shooters were more engaged than I recall from other shoots. Good work ItsAnSKS, CortJestir and Thor. Also VietVet performance was outstanding for his first time in the public and wearing orange.
Running SSAQT allowed some center fire shooters shoot their rifles without getting bankrupted.
Shoot was safe in good pace and we did not have any issues.

Now, Vietvet, you were the only photographer. Post your work

[crak]

Man, this "border raider" thing better not catch on around here.  Every time I hear it I cringe.

We're Instructors Without Borders.   

[Thor]

My only regret for the weekend is that I couldn't be there for the whole thing.  There is just no substitute for time spent with true Americans on the firing line learning and carrying on the Heritage of our founders.
I sincerely echo the thanks we all owe to Eric for traveling up to run this shoot.  A self sufficient CT instructor crew is not far off, especially with folks like Kevin and Fred stepping up to help carry the load, but for this weekend Eric answered the call in outstanding Appleseed fashion. 

Congratulations are due also to our second Rifleman of the weekend, Andy who hit the magic number right on the nose on Sunday afternoon and was duly baptised with North Bridge water.

There were several other shooters who were very close to making the grade with repeated scores in the 190's and 200's.  Stick with it, practice with some dry fire at home and the next shoot should surely be the one.

I'd like to also personally commend the outstanding grit and determination shown by Kay.  She toughed it out despite painfully raw elbows and turned in some really excellent groups.  Truly remarkable progress for her first two days with a rifle.

Thanks again to all the attendees and instructors, hope to see you all on the Appleseed trail again soon.

[The Log]

Well, I've got to say I had a heck of a good time at the shoot, despite the soggy conditions (better weather on Sunday, but the range was still soaked, as were my boots after the first Redcoat of the day). I kept all my targets, and looking at the difference between Saturday and Sunday is amazing. I started not being able to keep a group in even the 100 yard target on Saturday to a nice tight group on the 400 yard target on Sunday, and if there was a .50 caliber rule, my headshot would have counted. And I finished out the weekend with a 195 on the AQT - so close!! When I got home on Sunday I immediately logged on an signed up for the Colebrook shoot in December, and I'm hoping to get some dry-fire and live-fire practice between now and then so I can get those extra 15 points. But I'm very pleased with the results, especially since my sum total of rifle experience to that point was maybe 50 rounds and a little sighting in from a bench rest.

I can't say enough about the quality of the instruction, and the instructors. A huge thank you to ItsanSKS for coming all the way up to Red Sox Nation to get us trained. That really means a lot to me, and really hammers home the point that this is not something to be wasted. Your sacrifice is appreciated, and I intend to return the favor with deeds, not just words. To that end, the family has already been regaled with tales of the three strikes and the DOM, especially that tough old coot Samuel Whittemore (in looking into his story more, I discovered that the doctor who treated him was Dr. Cotton Tufts of Medford - I thought maybe he was related to Tufts University, but the important point is "Cotton Tufts"). So I'm well into the seventh step, and I'm also trying to get as many people as I can to attend an Appleseed.

A couple of technical points:

• A Marlin 795 is not an optimal training rifle for Appleseed. I'd much rather have a 10/22, but being able to attend more Appleseeds will be impossible with the broken arm I'm likely to get if I try to sneak that purchase past my wife.
• Somewhere on the website I saw a recommendation of what to bring, and I swear it said 2 or 3 magazines. That's obviously not going to work for the rapid-fire AQTs, A big +1 for CortJestir for the generous loan of 3 Marlin mags, too.
• I would have liked more time for sighting in, and time for instructions on how to do it right. I know there's a lot to cram into a short time, so the luxury of fiddling with everyone's rifle just isn't there. And thanks to Smithy for getting my scope relief set properly on the second day, and his help figuring out how many clicks to adjust by.
• Touchy subject, and I don't want to come across as a whiner, but I had a really hard time controlling my breathing at some points, in part because of the smoking on the line. Not sure what could be done about that, but I know it effected my shooting, since there were times I was just trying to slap out as many shots as I could while holding my breath so I could get off the line and get some fresh air. Yeah, I'm a wuss, but I'm just saying that it made things harder.

Minor points, given the quality of the instruction and the genuine passion for the subject matter that was plainly evident on the part of all the instructors. And I really appreciate the total lack of "gun-snobbery", both in terms of shooting hardware and general attitude toward shooting. I find gun clubs and ranges to be lousy with gun snobs and I find it very off-putting. I guess the good attitudes on the line are just a reflection of the higher-quality American that is attracted to Appleseed.

Again, thank you for this opportunity to do the right thing and live up to the responsibilities our Patriot forefathers laid before us when they forged a country out of a wilderness. See you in Colebrook in a couple of weeks!

[CortJestir]

Thanks for relaying your experience and feedback, 2paranoid. Some good stuff contained in there. We're always looking for ways to improve the program and the feedback from Appleseeders is extremely valuable. So thanks again.

Regarding Cotton Tufts:  I thought he was related to Charles Tufts as well. He was born in Medford, MA and lived around the same time as the fellow who set "that light upon the hill" (can you tell I'm a Tufts grad?). How could he not be? However my Google-fu is not strong enough to dig up the connection.

195! And progressing from being a 100 yard shooter to a 400 yard shooter in 2 days. Excellent! Just a few dry fire sessions away and an Appleseed from the mark. I'll be at Colebrook to help you get there.  I have a good feeling, though, you won't need my help. 

So I'm well into the seventh step, and I'm also trying to get as many people as I can to attend an Appleseed.

Ah, but this is what it's really about, now isn't it? Tell your friends, family, everyone you know. The CT crew is trying to line up a few Winterseeds early next year and I know CT patriots won't disappoint in filling up those firing lines. They just need to know. I'm grateful for your help in spreading the word.

See you in Colebrook!

[ItsanSKS]

Now that I've had some time to catch up on sleep and other duties, time for The Rest of The Story (AND PICS!)

Again, I would like to reiterate that it was an honor to work with the attendees and instructors from the NE- as '2paranoid' so aptly put it, you run into a different breed of American at an Appleseed.  Tough as nails, determined to persist, and willing to give their best, even with raw elbows and a heaping dose of humility- certainly not the couch-sitting, American Idol watching, do-nothings that are Americans in name only.  You find modern day Patriots at Appleseeds; from 9 to 90.

These classes aren't easy, especially for those with flexibility issues, but the determination I saw on the line this past weekend reminded me that we *are* the posterity of the generation that wrested this nation from tyranny, and the blood of determined New England shopkeepers, farmers, blacksmiths and tanners runs through us all. 

While the names of the people I met may be a little cloudy, I will always remember clearly this group of patriots- willing to hazard the weather to spend a little time in the company of fellow Americans, being steeped in the History, Heritage and Traditions of the founding generation.  Learning about the Ideals that made this nation the most prosperous nation in the world.  All with nary a contrary a word spoken all weekend. 


Now for PICTURES!!!!

CortJestir presenting the First Strike:


Thor demonstrating the proper Prone Position:


Attendees doing their best to emulate Thor:


Getting some One-on-One coaching from Smithy: (in the Red Hat)


CortJestir instructing on IMC:  (how many MOA is 3 inches at 250 yards?)


Our first Rifleman of the weekend- Huzzah for Kfish! (it gets dark early up in CT!)



More pictures to come.

2Paranoid:

First, the best way to convince your wife that you should buy a Ruger 10/22 is to convince her to come to an Appleseed- then she'll WANT you to buy HER a 10/22!  Win/Win

You will find that those last 15 points are the hardest to get, and you will probably get 20-30 of them when you do...  The key being following the six steps for EVERY shot, and having a rock-solid NPOA for every target.  These come with practice, and you don't need to spend a dime to do it- DRY FIRE!!!! (by the numbers) If you would like some suggestions regarding a proper dry fire regimen, send me a PM- I'll be glad to help.

I sincerely apologize for your experience with smoking on the line.  I know that as a smoker myself, I probably contributed to your discomfort, and that is unacceptable- in the future, I will work to ensure that it is kept to a minimum, by other instructors, attendees, and myself.  Everyone deserves to have a pleasurable experience, non-smokers included.  Thank you for bringing it to our attention!

[Kay in CT]

Hi Folks!
I really enjoyed all the posts and the pictures here, and I want to thank everyone for helping me survive my first Appleseed weekend!!!

I especially want to thank:  Fred who loaned me his wife's 10/22 rifle which allowed me to participate in the program, Eric and Todd who inspired me with their instruction and story-telling, and Smithy and Thor who kept me safe and kept me going with the program.  And I apologize if my "newbie" status was a distraction to some, especially on the first day, I knew absolutely nothing about rifles, and I really didn't understand the whole AQT qualifying aspect of the program, to be honest I didn't read much on the website, and in a funny way that was probably a good thing, because I probably would have been too intimidated to sign up.

It was a pleasure spending the weekend with you all, and I look forward to another Appleseed program, in fact, yesterday I went to a local gun shop to check out their rifles, and I'll be buying one of my own soon.
Cheers, Kay

[vernic82]

What a great shoot....my only regrets....not hitting another 5 pts....205 is just the 1st looser.

I want this so bad I can taste it.

Anyhow.  Being my 2nd AS I can say, "I've got the message"  which is way beyond the 210 but predicated on it.

5 years in 82nd and LRSU and several years in Central America in the early/mid 1980's never toought me how to "hit" anything, just "volume of fire".

Thanks to Courtjestir, ItsanSKS, smithy and VietVet things have changed.

Ordered many items off the AS "store"....I WILL learn these stories and help this "Project" when I'm able and however I can!

[The Log]

5 years in 82nd and LRSU and several years in Central America in the early/mid 1980's never toought me how to "hit" anything, just "volume of fire".

Thanks for posting this. I meant to ask some of the vets and active-duty guys how military training related to what we were learning . I suspected that the military would emphasize quantity over quality, and it looks like "spray and pray" is how they go. Maybe it's different now, and it's probably always been different for Marines - at least I hope so.

[vernic82]

perhaps, but "hitting what you aim at" probably left with the bolt-action rifle....

[freedomwon]

A great thanks to all the instructors! Especially SKS. You are a very deticated person to which we are most gratefull. Sat was the best day in the rain I could of spent. This was my 1st AS and the longest time I had spent with a rifle since the Army NG in the early 70's. The shooting was great but the stories and history of those that made this country are most humbling. If I could be a quarter as brave and tough as those young men (and old 55!!) and women who took on the British Regulars to make this country free, I would be lucky.
I would be proud to stand by all of you in field of battle, especially you Kay, you got grit!
Let's hope we never have to.
Now to reality, good thing the targets weren't shooting back!
Yea, I was ready, had my MNI RUGER 14 and my backup 10/22 and loads of amo. How could I miss!
Oh I missed plenty.
No problem hitting the ground though.
I'm guessing I made shooting mistakes that had'nt even been invented yet.
But all said and done, thanks to fantastic instruction, luck (laboring under correct knowledge), and lots of shooting practice, I was able to bring home targets with bullet holes in them.
All kidding aside, the AS shoot is a real riflemans training program and I'm going to promote it everywhere I go.
Not to scare anyone, but I'll be back!
Oh, a little more equipment adjustment time and pee break here and there would be helpfull.
Just saying.
Thanks again
Phill

[CortJestir]

Welcome to the forums, Kay and Phill. Glad to see you chime in. You are all proof positive that Project Appleseed works. A big thanks to all of you that are taking that 7th Step and spreading the word. We cannot grow Appleseed in CT without your help! Thanks again.

CJ