Ramseur,NC 12/18-12/19/10 Winterseed/ Appleseed AAR

[7.62BBQ]

  This was the first official Winterseed at the RWVA home range. It was a cold weekend with snow falling mid-late afternoon on Saturday. Sunday was just cold and windy with temps in the 30's. 18 shooters on Saturday and 9 on Sunday.

 Lawrence performed all Shot Boss duties as this was his last SBIT Appleseed. We started the morning with the welcome/safety review in the clubhouse and a gas heater to keep everyone nice and toasty. After rifles were retrieved from vehicles and a Red Coat target and 4 MOA square targets stapled up we got the ball rolling. We covered the web sling, prone position, six steps to firing the shot, Natural Point Of Aim, Inches Minutes Clicks, and Rifleman's Cadance. Around this time it started snowing and we took our lunch in the clubouse for the history of 4/19/1775. It was still snowing after lunch so we took a "class picture" in the middle of the 25 yard range(someone please post that pic). Back to the firing line and on to the standing and sitting positions. The chill did not get to us all day Saturday because we were taking our breaks in the heated clubhouse. Lawrence told the rest of the history lesson and then we had them set up the AQT. We only shot one AQT on Saturday but did have one shooter score Rifleman(a new Orange Hat). The last Red Coat target was engaged and then we called it a day.

 We started Sunday in the clubhouse. We don't start shooting until after 12:00 so we had a review of all things covered on Saturday. Lawrence remembered a few Dangerous Old Men and then Hawkeye gave an M1 Garand break down/info class. We started shooting Sunday like we always do... at Red Coats! After a quick 4 MOA square we started with AQT's. Ball and dummy was exercised and then a few more AQT's. One shooter and a few Instructors went to the 500 yard range to confirm zero's and shoot pop-ups out to 460 yards. The rest of the shooters had their eyes on obtaining that Winterseed Patch! Two more shooters made Rifleman. The high scorer of this weekend's shoot scored a 244 with a 10/22 and NO sling(just needed a sling swivel). I thought I had seen it all....now that's just great shooting!

 Everyone that came back on Sunday saw alot of improved scores, tighter groups, and an understanding on how to adjust sights, slings, and attitudes. I'd like to thank all the Instructors: Lawrence, Hawkeye, Law Man, len1459, RIP, and our newest Orange Hat CplTurner(awarded with Ramseur's 1st Winterseed Patch). This has been another great year of Appleseed's down at the RWVA range.

[CplTurner]

Thanks for the great write-up 762BBQ

It was a truly epic Winterseed this weekend and conditions really tested all the attendees. My wife and I had a great time and want to thank all of the instructors for their professionalism and dedication.  Got to meet Fred as well.. What a treat!! 
We are counting the days to the next event 



Image courtesy of Is

CplTurner

[Is]

This is my writeup at NCGunOwners.com for those not familiar with Appleseed, reposted here.
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I attended the Appleseed event at the Revolutionary War Veterans Association this weekend in Ramseur, NC.

The range there was really great. They had targets out to 500 yards, concrete pads, tables, covered, and some nice camping space.

There were 19 people on Saturday, and about 10 of those people didn't come back on Sunday.




I borrowed a Ruger 10/22 from a friend and ended up shooting it for maybe 30-60 minutes. I probably put about 20/30 rounds through it before I gave up. The problems were:
A. the sling was a crap sling that wouldn't tighten around my arm.
B. The sling rear attach point was up at the receiver because the rifle has a folding stock. This made the rifle pull hard and swivel if I put any pressure on the sling and without a snug sling, I couldn't be stable.
C. The stock was just a metal arm and I couldn't rest my cheek on it at all.
D. All my friend had were curved 25 round mags that blocked my arm from being able to properly support the gun.

A young marine instructor-in-training, named Ian, lent me a basic Ruger 10/22 with a regular stock, no scope, and some 10 round mags. I got up to 128 points the first day with that gun. Today (Sunday), I was going to borrow a scoped gun because the 400 yard scale targets were so small, the front sight post was the same size. While the instructors were talking, they said that the goal of the program that any "rifleman" would be capable of picking up a rack grade rifle with iron sights and shoot a man-sized target at 400 yards. I decided then that I would get my Rifleman patch with iron sights and not a scope. We shot 6 AQTs from around 12:30pm to 4pm. I shot with a different 10/22 without a scope borrowed from the same instructor in training. In that time I improved up to 218 from 128. I finally had the moment where the NPOA (natural point of aim) clicked for me. I started hit all of the targets 99% of the time with the aperture sights (tech sights). Another guy (Phil) got it in the same AQT round as me. He was shooting his scoped 10/22 and scored 244 (!). Nice shootin!. Three people became "Riflemen" over the weekend out of the 19 who showed up (Allen, Phil, and myself). Because of the weather, we were also given "Winterseed" patches, which was an unexpected and welcome bonus.



They were passing around 30-06 M1 Garands to shoot. My buddy, John, brought his Springfield M1-A (.308). That was fun to shoot. I got to shoot John's new Rock River Arms AR-15 (.223) Nice gun. He could never get his new scope sighted in, unfortunately. A guy down the line was shooting a FAL copy made by some company in Illinois in .308. That thing really boomed. Cool looking gun. He must have spent a fortune shooting 300-500 rounds over the weekend.

Over all, there were 3 ARs, the FAL copy, 2 M1-As, 2 M1 Garands, and a bunch of Ruger 10/22s.

Just in case you're reading this and you don't know about the Appleseed program, I highly recommend you check it out. For the events, women, children, armed forced, and LEOs get in free. The instructors are good people (all volunteers) who bend over backward to help you understand how to shoot a rifle. They will work on your gun all day, and are real patriots.

The AQT is the "Army Quick Test" where you shoot a total of 40 rounds in 4 timed stages. The distance is 25 yards, and the targets are gray and scaled to man-sized at 100, 200, 300, and 400 yards.
First stage simulates 100 yards, standing; 10 rounds in 2 minutes.
Second stage is 2 separate targets simulating 200 yards. Start standing, sit, load, fire 2 rounds, change mags, fire 3, switch targets, fire 5; 10 rounds in 65 seconds.
Third stage is 3 separate targets simulating 300 yards. Start standing, go prone, load, fire 2, change mag, fire 1, switch targets, fire 3, switch targets, fire 4; 10 rounds in 55 seconds.
Fourth stage is 4 separate targets simulating 400 yards. Targets get 2, 2, 3, 3 rounds from left to right; 10 rounds in 5 minutes. This is the target where the front sight post of an iron sight is the same size as the target.

It's pretty tough, but addicting. The instructors teach all of the detailed methods of predictable and consistently shooting where you point.

http://www.appleseedinfo.org/

I plan on going to another one, possibly around April 19th (in honor of 4/19/1775). They'll be holding hundreds of Appleseeds around the country on that weekend, and I'd like to try again using a higher caliber rifle. I know my buddy, John, will go, and I plan on bringing some other friends. You're welcome to come around and get in on the action. It's a lot of fun to spend real dedicated time shooting and tweaking instead of just an hour or two of mostly pistols here and there.

[Is]

No sling, CplTurner? Amazing.

It was great meeting you guys and you proved to be just what I've always seen in Appleseed, selfless and generous people who believe in liberty and will go the extra few miles for those who come to learn.

I enjoyed this Appleseed and I will be back and bring some new people.

[CplTurner]

Hi Is,

That was not me without the sling... I'm too old and shakey to not use one    

Great shooting again Is 

[Larmm9]

I had a blast learning to shoot at Appleseed! I enjoyed the history lessons also. I'm looking forward to more Appleseeds in the future!

[Lawrence]

Larmm9,

John found you missing magazine the next morning on the berm near where you were parked. I'll have it at the Jan. 15-16 Appleseed at Ramseur or you can pm me with your address and I'll mail it to you.

Thank you sincerely for posting the photo of CplTurner who earned the first Winterseed patch this year. If plans work out He will be working his first AS the 15Th.

All of us at Ramseur hope to see you and the rest of your family soon!

Lawrence