March 6,7 events. SIGN UP.

[Appalacious]

Hey guys,

After our first IBC, I believe we are doing pretty good on IITs at this point in GA.  Of course, its all point-less if nobody signs up.

Note:  please disregard if you go by the name of son of martha, sanderman79, Appalacious, jollymeister, jollynator, Flathead, bagel, or friedenmeister.  You've already signed up for a shoot that weekend.


To the rest of you.  CLICK HERE
http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=8859.0

pick a shoot you want to help with, and start down the trail.   Toccoa won't be the same with just 1 red hat and 1 IIT.  Hawkinsville is probably ok with who we've currently got, although we'd welcome another red hat.  (If there are any)

J

[franklinfarmer]

I had already committed to (and now have mostly organized) a mini-appleseed (or appleseed-style clinic) in Northwest GA before the schedule came out.  If I had known about Toccoa before, I would have been there.  The up-side is that I'll be spending my time attempting to prepare 30+ guys who are all supposed to attend the April shoot in Toccoa.  (I'm afraid I have to plead guilty to dragging DrJohn into helping me as well.)

[Col Barrett]

I sent Sanderman a pm yesterday regarding this, I am sure he has been busy and hasn't gotten a chance to see my message. If my help is needed, I would be glad to attend the Tocoaa shoot as an IIT, but I thought there may be too many IIT's that weekend in Toccoa. I was hoping to shoot one more Appleseed as a shooter since I have only been able to attend one at this point. I can certainly act as an IIT that weekend if needed tho. Please let me know if someone needs my help and what role I will need to fill.

[Flathead]

it looks like we may have Toccoa taken care of Bama and Darrell have volunteered to come over and help. I will have Alex helping out and a couple more coming out to give a hand. col bBarrett if you want to come and help or shoot we will be happy to have you either way.
Jim

[Appalacious]

But if you IIT its free.  If you shoot you gotta PAY 

(I think, right?) 

J

[sanderman79]

Nope he should shoot for free too.

[DrJohn]

Fellow Appleseeders,

I opted out of the "mini-Appleseed" franklinfarmer organized for the Mar. 6-7 weekend, in order to lend a hand at Toccoa on that weekend (my thanks to franklinfarmer for graciously offering to forgive my commitment when he learned Toccoa needed some help).

So I posted Instructor Scheduling and Nickle to schedule me to help assist in Toccoa Mar. 6-7.  My name should show up on the roster of the instructor corps today.  I look forward to again seeing some of my fellow Georgia patriots in a few weekends and to meeting some with whom I have not worked before.

DrJohn

[benafrye]

Hey guys,
I am new to the Appleseed project, which I just found out about a few days ago. I signed up for this event 3/6 & 3/7 in Toccoa and I have a few questions I was hoping ya'll could help me out with. I have read the "What to bring" forums and I still have a few concerns about my rifles.

I have the following :
A Winchester 290 Semi-Auto .22LR with no scope, and factory iron sights.
A Marlin 30-30 with factory iron sights, no scope.
A Ruger .338 Win Mag with Scope (I think I read that this caliber is to large for Appleseed)

I don't think I am allowed to use the .338, which I wasn't planning on using anyway because ammo is ~$59.00 per 20rd/bx. The Winchester 290 is a decent little .22 but the factory sights are not very good for any distance shooting and non adjustable and I cannot find any tech-sights for this model. Does anyone know where I can get a decent set of peep sights for this gun (that I can actually aquire and install by next weekend) ? Same question for the 30-30...or is there a better way to get this one ready for the Appleseed shoot this weekend.

Any help for this newbie would be appreciated.

Ben
Flowery Branch, GA

*Updating Post*
Below are pictures of my 30-30 and 290. As you can see, the factory iron sights aren't great. There are some grooves on top of the Winchester 290 I guess for rimfire scope rings, but I could not get the little cheap 4X scope with 3/8 rings that I have to hold a zero at all with the grooves on top of the rifle. It finally took it off and used the iron sights when I was shooting it this weekend. Does anyone know what kind of scope rings are good for this mounting application? I think I would rather just get a new scope and rings/mounts for this thing this week so that I can get as much out of the shoot this weekend. Ya'll let me know what you think...

[Col Barrett]

Ben,

I would suggest the .22, just based on the price of ammo. I am not familiar with the model you mentioned, but you might give tech-sights a call and see if that have something that will work for your rifle. If you can afford to shoot the 30-30 and the sights are a bit better you may want to bring that one along. Expect to shoot between 400-500 rounds over the weekend. Hopefully someone will chime in with some more advice.

[didactic]

Time is short, so you might be limited in what you can do with your rifle.

I'd favor the .22, especially for your first go-round. 

In this order, here's what you can do to have the easiest time:

1.  If your Model 290 has detachable magazines, get at least one extra one.

2.  Fit it with a sling, preferably one that uses 1 1/4" swivels.  If you've never used one, they'll teach you there.

3.  Fit it with a set of aperture sights, or a low-power scope.  Unless you have young eyes and do well with open sights, in which case they'll do.  I think there is a Williams aperture (peep) sight that will fit onto most .22's, and might be available to you locally.  It's not as easy to adjust as Tech Sights, but is still better than open sights.

Of course, Appleseed isn't a competition or a "Pass/fail" test.  The benefit is in what you learn.  And ANY rifle will do for that.  Calibers bigger than .32/8mm cannot be used to qualify for the Rifleman badge, but that isn't the biggest reason for avoiding using your .338 WM.  The ammo costs are really high, and several hundred rounds from prone over a single weekend might bruise you up pretty badly.

My recommendations above are only to help you have an easier time absorbing all the info that will be presented.

[didactic]

Reply to your edited post:

You might be able to get an aperture sight locally, that will fit into those grooves, which are called "tip-off" scope mount grooves.  If you decide to go with a scope, forget the 3/4" tube ones.  Get a low-end (low price and low magnification) 1" diameter scope, certainly no higher than four power, and some 1" tip-off rings to mount it.  I like low-power variables, 1-4 power or 2-7 power.  I've also had good success with 1.5-4 power shotgun scopes on .22's, and they are often available below $100.  But your call.  Whatever you bring, you'll have a good time and learn a bunch.

Welcome aboard!

[franklinfarmer]

sights and scopes:

That first sight pic, looked like the rifle was aimed at the house from the outside in the snow, and I was about to give some advice on safety, but I see from the later pic that the snow was actually a kitchen counter.   

I think the crucial question (at least one crucial question) is:  Can you comfortably get your eye down in good alignment with those stock sights on the .22 (with good cheek weld---note that if the stock seems too low, i.e., you're getting good sight alignment with some sort of chin weld, then you can build up the stock with an ace bandage and some foam wrap).  If you can do anything to get a good cheek weld and align the stock irons, then get a few mags and a sling, a shooting mat etc., and you're ready to go as per the post above.

If the stock is too high, so that you cannot easily get your eye down in alignment with the iron sights (which is the case for me, for example, on a ruger 10-22 with stock sights), then probably the easiest quick fix for this appleseed shoot is to pick up a cheap scope, as per the post above.  Later, you might want to get some kind of aperture sights or (if you learn enough with the scope to be comfortable with the subsequent ammo outlay) move on up to a larger caliber rifle and work on your set-up there. 

[benafrye]

Thanks for the help guys.

Ben

[Appalacious]

I'd find a scope for the 290 that works for you.  The 1" variety is definitely better than the 3/4".  I think the 290 is tube-fed.  So bring a bunch of drinking straws (I think McDonalds straws are the best) to speed load the rounds in.  Also, the instructors should ask if anyone has a tube fed rifle to give you more instruction on line commands.  If they don't, make sure you bring it to their attention before the line goes hot.

J

[benafrye]

Dr. John, Flathead, and Jesse :

I had an incredible time at my first Appleseed shoot. I am bummed I didn't make the second day (truck wouldn't start). I will be back to shoot rifleman in the future. Hopefully next time with a magazine loading rifle instead of the tube-fed. I think I left my fold up chair at the range so if anyone has it, they can keep it. I just wanted to say thank you very much for the great time and bearing with me and my little squirrel gun. See you all in the future.

In Liberty,

Ben

[Flathead]

I found your chair and will keep it until next time you come shoot (that way it gives you an extra reason to make to the next one) I am glad you had a good time and learned some fundamentals out there.