Hot Springs, AR - AAR – October 16, 2026 (One Day Pistol Clinic)

[Captain]

Breezy cool weather welcomed us back to the awesome Mountain Valley Sportsman's Association (MVSA) range in Hot Springs, AR. This range is one of the best and always goes the extra mile to support Appleseed. Thank you MVSA for hosting us on your incredible facility and for your support of the Appleseed mission!

Bright1 set up our event and we had shooters driving from miles away to attend – seven shooters from out-of-state including 5 from Texas! Some of the shooters had heard about the special Pistoleer patches that would be available to any shooter with a qualifying score in the month of October. I'll just say that I'm glad I ordered enough! After four shooters cleared the first Red Coat target, I knew I would need them.

Morris and Michelle drove down from Kansas. They've been down a few times and Morris still has the skills. He made a Pistoleer score early in the afternoon. Michelle gave him a run for his money. She was one of the top shooters during the morning session but was getting a little tired by the time the PQT targets came out. They are both the kind of shooters that make an Appleseed event so special.

Brandon and his mom, Deborah, drove up from Texas hill country! It was obvious that it was not Brandon's first rodeo and he just missed his patch by a few points. Miss Deborah had an incredible day. She was a brand new shooter on a new (to her) centerfire pistol. As she went through the morning her groups/improvement were nothing short of amazing! I can't wait to see her shooting at a future event.

Miss Margret is a local to the MVSA range and her husband is a range regular. He couldn't make the shoot but that didn't stop Margaret from coming out! Although she considers herself as a newer shooter, her skills and confidence improved throughout the day.

Scott and Kathryn drove over from Amarillo, TX! They are both Appleseed volunteers in Texas, but made the trek to Arkansas to try to get in an October pistol clinic. Scott qualified right away and even switched pistols to get in some extra practice. Kathryn seemed on the cusp of patching out but the score she wanted just eluded her efforts. It is a challenging course of fire!

Our top shooter of the day drove all the way from Houston, TX! David kicked off the day clearing the Red Coat and went on to shoot a qualifying PQT on his first attempt. He had the high score of the day at 236! Great shooting!

We were also able to cycle some instructors onto the firing line. BuddyLove and Motoman both requalified and I was able to borrow a pistol on the last PQT to requal.

Really, it was a great day to share some liberty, visit with old friends, meet some new ones, and work to improve our abilities with the pistol. A perfect event to commemorate our ongoing 250th Birthday! A big thanks to the MVSA and to everyone who came out to spend the day with Appleseed!

Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. – Benjamin Franklin