Monticello, MN, AAR - August 15, 2026

[MN Ward]

 We had 9 students on the line. We had three youth shooters and a family representing 3 generations. It was a great mix of returning and new Appleseeders.

 The weather was pleasant. A little bit of rain, but not enough to affect our persistent shooters. After laying down the safety foundation and core fundamentals in the morning, we transitioned into focused instruction and steady improvement.

The group stayed motivated, engaged, and steadily advanced. Everyone showed heart, and several shooters made impressive strides in marksmanship and mindset.

Alex earned Rifleman with a 210 — steady and consistent!
William earned his Distinguished Rifleman patch with a 232 with iron sights. Then he repeated it with a 237!

Huge thanks to the Monticello Sportsman Club for their ongoing support and hospitality. The facility was clean, well-maintained, and a great venue for the weekend. I want to thank every instructor who contributed their time, energy, and dedication—this shoot would not have been possible without you.

And most importantly, thank you to the shooters. Your grit, positive spirit, and commitment to learning made this a memorable event. We hope to see all of you again on the line!

 Photos to follow.

[ProudPapa14]

It was great to see the new and returning Appleseeders this past weekend.  Thank you for the safe, fun event.  I look forward to seeing each of you at future events.

Well done to Alex on your first riflemen patch. 

William - well done.  Now lets see if we can get you in the 240's.

Mark - it was good to catch up as always
Brynne / CJ / Rick - thank you for taking the long drive over.  We really need to figure out how to get one closer to you.
Cody / Carson - thank you for the great attitude.  First time shooting a rifle and Carson did an awesome job.  Cody, I look forward to seeing you at the end of September.
Emma - way to go on improving throughout the day.  Get dad to adjust that rifle to fit you a bit better and you should continue to make strides toward the rifleman patch.

[MN Ward]

[Sfcmarkc]

Using that snow fencing worked nicely IMHO. It allowed shooters to choose the height of their target to avoid getting a crick in your neck.