ALBUQUERQUE, NM June 27 & 28, 2009

[TaosGlock]

This was Albuquerque's second Appleseed, and once again, what a success it was!
Lady Liberty rewarded us with an incredible 47 shooters, who up showed bright and early.

This great group of New Mexico shooters demonstrated the Appleseed Mission of returning America to a nation of Riflemen.
We are an American heritage program with an outstanding rifle marksmanship program.

The shoot was held at Shooting Range Park just outside of this busy city.  


The views from just outside the range gate are typical of the Land of Enchantment.    

Below, visible from the range, the Sandia Mountains loom over the city and make a spectacular backdrop for the city of Albuquerque.


Here ashrn03 (prone) and our newest IIT al smith demo the prone position, the most stable position to shoot from.
IIT al smith shares steady hold factors to 47 new Appleseed shooters!


The 6 Steps to Firing the Shot are demonstrated by devnull (R) with assistance from al smith.
BlueFeather's (L) new charts (very professionally done and for sale by atticus here on the forum) helped vastly with this large group of shooters all hungry for knowledge.


ashrn03 demos the standing position, the least stable position to shoot from.
His superb instruction resulted in many shooters, having excellent form and shooting scores in the difficult Stage 1 standing of the AQT.  
Note the Red and Green targets in the background. A question asked to New Mexicans is "Red or Green?" It's not just about chili anymore.


This young shooter, Josef, demonstrates perfect standing form on the upside down AQT.


The sitting position is the most varied and sometimes hardest position to master.
Stage 2 of the AQT demands mastery of this position and devnull's instruction assures they will find the steady hold factors.
BlueFeather models the position.


Standing to sitting transitions as demonstrated by the dynamic duo of SamD and ashrn03.
Our Mosin Nagant stock proved ideal for demos. These shooters were a most attentive group.

Cold rain and mud did not stop these New Mexico shooters one bit. What an incredible group of persistent shooters!


A small riverlet runs thru it...


And what a line it was! Just look at all those shooters!
A nation of Riflemen begins here. These folks demonstrated persistence despite the challenge!
No where in the world is this type of program happening and these shooters have helped the Appleseed Project expand.
Winning the "hearts and minds of the American people" as John Adams said, just got easier thanks to this great Albuquerque group.


A most attentive group indeed!


A team of Riflemen!


The BQT (Barney Qualifying Target) a New Mexico original, made it's debut with this group. And popular it was!
The younger shooters shot the BQT for a change in pace.
The AQT is shown next to it.


BlueFeather, Shoot Boss, gives sage advice to some our younger shooters, Claire and Josef, who listen intently about BQT strategy.
Neither Barney or the RedCoats fared well that day.
The Founders are counting on us to educate our posterity.


Congratulations to our newest Riflemen (with targets in hand)...who also took the Orange Hat!
Thanks for stepping up Ryan (L) and David (R)!  
Instructors are L-R: SamD, ashrn03, devnull, al smith and BlueFeather, far right, who was Shoot Boss.


Another Rifleman! Congrats Dale!  Great job!


After we shot the final RedCoat and with water in hand...
we acknowledge yet another Rifleman!... who also took the Orange Hat! Congrats David!


As the new Rifleman were being patched up, 3 jets flew over in a most divine ceremonial fashion.


A big thanks to the shooters who showed up! We look forward to working with you all again!
You were a great bunch!

A huge thanks to you dads who brought your sons and daughters!

And a big thanks to you families who showed up!

Kudus to Rick Vernon, director of Albuquerque Shooting Range Park for his assistance helping us with some challenging
last minute range set up details and the backers!

All of our Instructors were overwhelmed by the focus and determination of these gallant Americans.
Our Founders would be proud and our nation is stronger.
It was an honor to work with all of you!

[TaosGlock]

The American Heritage portion of the Appleseed Project was done at lunch.
I did the First Strike of the Match, devnull delivered the Second and Blue Feather finished up with the Third.

SamD, below, stirs the burning desire for freedom and liberty in the shooters during lunch at day 2.  
He reminds us of the sacrifices that everyday folks like us took to give us our freedoms.
And of those brave souls who on April 19th stepped thru the threshold into the unknown to face the worlds greatest army.
And who then, finally overcame adversity despite a hopeless outlook.
That is the spirit of a Rifleman and the source of our "adapt, persist and overcome" motto.
Today a rifleman is not just a person with a rifle but someone who understands the serious issues facing our country
and that ignorance, laziness and apathy are the true enemies.
Appleseed: restoring America's heritage by getting people to take responsibility for our Nation....The Appleseed 7th Step, pass it on.  


Turn out!" Turn out!" The Regulars are out!" That famous cry of Paul Revere alerted the town residents to arms as well as sending a flurry of
other riders on their way throughout the colonies.


14,000 everyday folks just like your selves turned out on April 19th in about 6 hours without the internet or cell phones.
How many folks could you muster up today? Could you get even a 1000, just a 100? Perhaps 10?
Well ask yourself, how do you measure the value of you liberty? Is it your willingness to turn out to defend it?
The Minutemen of Concord did not just simply stand on Punkatasset Hill quoting John Locke to the Regulars.
They had "men who were not afraid to go". They embarrassed the worlds greatest army that day with April 19th 1775 performance.
Do you realize the choices, the sacrifices and performance they made to give us our Liberty?

[AZRedhawk44]

I love the BQT!

Do you just staple some Barney printouts onto a regular AQT?  Got electronic versions of the Barney cutouts, if so?

That HAS to add some levity and attentiveness for the younger shooters that HATE that stinking fuzzy lizard.  :-)

[BlueFeather]

Here you go: the  BQT

Next up: Sponge Bob or Teletubbies for 4MOA squares.

[Mark D]

Here you go: the  BQT

Next up: Sponge Bob or Teletubbies for 4MOA squares.

Teletubbies?!   I wouldn't mind taking a few shots at Tinky-winky! 

[LayloPro]

Barney simply -MUST- DIE!!!

Thank you again, BF ....these make -great- attention getters for the kids....and when sibling rivalry is at stake, can make for some rather intense shootin' matches between the kids.....  

Maybe some 8-10MOA sized "cookies" around a smaller Cookie Monster....then tell the kids they have to hit the cookies to break them up, so Cookie Monster can eat them....obviously, hitting Cookie Monster would hurt him, and he wouldn't want to play or eat anymore.......
Maybe 4 - 5 cookies in an arc above "Cookie M's" head, which would help with the target detection, shot placement, and NPOA shifts.....

I'll have to see who I can con get to do the artwork up on this one....

Thanks again, and I do enjoy the picture & story format here as well.....I'm so computer challenged, I'm doing good just to get captions on the pix......

LLP

[MeanStreaker]

Here you go: the  BQT

Next up: Sponge Bob or Teletubbies for 4MOA squares.

Awesome. 

I know for a fact that at least 25% of my next line will be under 14 years of age.  Thanks for the download!!!

[SamD]

This was a fine shoot.  A privilege to work with BlueFeather, TaosGlock and ashrn03 again. A privilege to work with Al Smith and Devnull for the first time.  Colorado and Abq are gaining some great instructors.  Congrats to Simply Advantageous on his rifleman score of 243 and I hope the hat fits nicely   Don't get used to it you need to get a red one. Start your PC now.

That BQT is a big hit with the young people, they loved it. Even had a couple of the "grownups" that felt it was worth their ammo.  
The real kick with these young people was that they wanted to learn and they worked at it.
A levergun is not easy to start with, what with breaking position to operate it but Willow did that and shot well.
Josef  ran a boltgun, learned to manipulate it and has a solid start on his shooting skills.  Claire came with a Cricket.  She worked that little rifle hard. She can slap a bolt with the best. Had those empties flying and is a solid 6 minute shooter.  I want to see all three of them on the range again. A real pleasure. The young folks are what it's about and there should never be any doubt in your mind where to spend any spare teaching time.

Congratulations to our new riflemen, you done good and I appreciate you stepping up to answer the call. All want the orange. Lots of solid 180 shooters banging on the door and and new shooters with an understand of the rifle,  good feeling and newfound knowledge about America.

The range staff were a little hesitant when they saw the big crowd.  A slight miscommunication, they were talking relays and we were talking a line.   Targets went up, we adapted the environment to suit our purpose, professional instruction was given and all went safe and smooth. They were watching with the binox and the crew showed them how to do it right    we have credibility with ABQ Shooting Range Park.

Sam

[BlueFeather]

Maybe some 8-10MOA sized "cookies" around a smaller Cookie Monster....then tell the kids they have to hit the cookies to break them up, so Cookie Monster can eat them....obviously, hitting Cookie Monster would hurt him, and he wouldn't want to play or eat anymore.......
Maybe 4 - 5 cookies in an arc above "Cookie M's" head, which would help with the target detection, shot placement, and NPOA shifts.....

Like maybe...... this?

[Johnnyappleseed]

Nice format TG loved the pics +commentary . Iwould love to attend a BF TG shoot ! 
Lots of innovation in New Mexico I could learn lots .
Great job EVERYONE!!!
Semper Fidelis
JA

[The Machine]

Beautiful pics, great description, and Barney ate some lead  ...looks like you all had another good one in NM. 

Sam, I know you sent out some invites to those "critters", but did any show up? I didn't see any mention of them.

[walker]

I just wanted to tell you folks that I had an OUTSTANDING time at this event, as did the other 4 shooters I brought along.  My daughter, Willow (age 11), has been asking me every day since "When are we going again?".  Our friend Clair (10), has been telling everyone about how much SamD helped her out, and her dad is already planning his first Appleseed as soon as he gets back from Iraq in 18 months.  
My co-worker Dr. Carmen, who had never shot a rifle before this event, has gained a new hobby to share with her son Josef (10).

I am not typically a "joiner", but you folks embody the life-long values I have shared with my family and close friends for many years.  You can count me "in" for any help spreading the word about future events, and I would be very interested in continuing my training further to become an instructor.

When you hold the next Albuquerque Appleseed, I pledge to bring along 10 new shooters to the event.  Feel free to contact me for any needed support.

Regards,

Dale
AKA "Walker"      

[LayloPro]

Like maybe...... this?

Girl, you are AWESOME!!!

Exactly what I had pictured in my head........#2 is the first one, but your #1 looks like a really good alternative as well.....

For some SAR, -some- kids -like- Barney....and don't want to shoot him.....my 4 yo grandson comes to mind......so the "help out Cookie Monster" story would probably fly well with them.....as well as teach the other things we want them to "get", like NPOA, etc..... Then the bell targets won't be so "intimidating"......

And your BQT in place of the redcoats is a stroke of genius as well.. ....looks like we're gonna have to do some Staples color copies here shortly....... <

Now, how did TG get the pix in with the text? That makes for a really nice story line arrangement, which I think raises the bar for AAR's here.....TG, great job!!

BTW, the IAAR format looks really cool too, another thing worth emulating.....

Another great thing about this AS is that you connected with some more like minded Americans, who can easily see the direction we are aimed in, and want to help....Walker, glad you noticed, and are willing to step up & help out....I guarantee you will not find a kinder hearted group of folks on this planet.

Machine, I believe you, AZRedhawk & I all see the value in putting some lead in a certain purple dinosaur......AZ, next time we're at a shoot together, we'll have to break these out, & see how they look with "large holes" in them......

Great shoot guys, you are definitely stepping it up out in the SW......I am proud to serve alongside you.....

LLP

[BlueFeather]

We have fun.  And you know its rewarding... just to read the post before yours, from walker, makes it all worthwhile!

Walker: thank you so much for coming!  I didn't realize that you brought Carmen and Josef as well!  Clair and Willow were both fantistic... and I am so happy they had a good time. I vowed I was going to make sure Clair got the attention she needed.  I can see both Willow and Clair as instructors a few years down the road!

As for Albuquerque, we're working on getting something in the fall at the Founders Ranch on the east side.  In the mean time we DO have events in Raton  July 4-5, Aug 14-15 and Sept 18-19.

It was a pleasure to meet you all!

Gill

[SamD]

Thank you Walker.

My first Appleseed was spent next to a bright, responsible 10 year old who drove from Kansas to Raton with his grandfather.  It all struck home real fast. 
Young folks are my #1 personal priority, nothing motivates me like making sure  learn and enjoy. New shooters are #2, and ladies #3, so we had Carmen, Willow, Josef and Claire covered from moment 1, and enjoyed every single moment of it.  I couldn't be more proud of Willow, Josef and Claire if they were my own.    We ALL had a great time working with each of you. 

I'm going to hold you to that commitment of 10.

Appleseed is sort of funny in one way. You couldn't "join" if you tried.  No papers to sign, no membership application. Just common Americans teaching other common Americans about how to shoot rifles and about the Uncommon Heritage that we have in common.

Be careful though, before too long you are going to shoot a "Rifleman" score, you'll be happy and proud and then you'll realize that it has much more to do with living than shooting. Next thing you know someone is going to plop a bright orange hat on you and say "come on, I need some help."



Tell Claire's dad we all thank him, to be safe and we'll keep him in our prayers

Sam

[walker]

I'm going to hold you to that commitment of 10.

Be careful though, before too long you are going to shoot a "Rifleman" score, you'll be happy and proud and then you'll realize that it has much more to do with living than shooting. Next thing you know someone is going to plop a bright orange hat on you and say "come on, I need some help."

Sam

Sam and all,

Thanks for the encouragement.  I won't have too hard a time wrangling up 10 Americans who want to learn a little more about our history and a lot about rifle shooting!  You can put me down for at least 10, as I already have about 6 in the chute.

Sam, I shot a 223 on the second or maybe 3rd AQT.  I thought I made "Rifleman", but maybe in your book I need to do it again for you and bring along my EIB for good measure?  Ha-ha!

You folks are great, I will check the work schedule to see if I can make one of the Raton shoots.

Regards,

Walker

[SamD]

I confuse easy 

Now I need to get hold of Nickle and get you setup.
I apologize for that.  Wasn't quite myself Sunday

Sam

[walker]

That's alright Top, no need to apologize, I know you had alot on your mind.  You guys just feel free to F(ire) me a call and I will be L(oad)ed and ready!

Walker

[AFTERMATH]

Sounds like an excellent shoot!
I need to get myself down there sometime.
Maybe take a break from instructing to shoot some Barney's.
As far as the cookie-monster goes...As a kid, I'd have been just as inclined to shoot him as well, so maybe leave that option open to them.
They can save the cookies from the monster.

Keep on going 'till New Mexico is New America!

I'll see you on the Trail!

Aftermath

[BobABQ]

I want to express how much fun I had at the Appleseed here in Albuquerque. The instruction was first rate and I came away with a better understanding of how to shoot properly. A big thank you to ashrn03 for helping get the 1907 sling on my little Marlin bolt action sorted out and how to use it correctly!

The rifleman patch was just icing on the cake!

[SamD]

Welcome aboard Bob,
Glad to see you caught up with us here on the forum.
Check your PM adn email tomorrow evening.

Sam

[Kathleenie]

My husband & I really enjoyed and learned so much at the Albuquerque shoot, even though we could only be there on Saturday. We are very much looking forward to participating in an entire weekend soon.

Speaking of which...

BlueFeather, you mentioned planning for an Appleseed at Founders Ranch. I don't see it on the schedule yet. Is there any news in that department?

We're trying to get our autumn organized!

Looking forward to more good shooting and good history,

Kathleenie

[BobABQ]

I'm not Bluefeather but she posted that it was still in the works.

I don't believe it has been finalized.

There is an Appleseed coming August 15,16 at the NRA Whittington Center. In addition Sam D. posted an Appleseed down in Alamogordo on the weekend of August 29,30.

Keep an eye on the schedule since events seem to get added occasionally.

[BlueFeather]

Kathleenie, Thank you so much for posting.  I am so glad you enjoyed your experience.  We do this because we believe in it and we are excited, and we want to convey that excitement and understanding of our heritage to our students.  You missed an incredible event when Sam was struck by divine inspiration when he talked history at lunch on Sunday. He held everyone in the palm of his hand for an hour, as he talked about 'normal people' doing courageous and abnormal things and connecting that to what that would be like in today's terms. 

My understanding is that we will have an Appleseed in Albuquerque either late October (Halloween) or within the first two weeks of November.  I think it is just a matter of pinning the right people down to a date. Regardless, I can assure you there will be an Appleseed within 3 hours of you every 4 to 6 weeks.  We have Raton scheduled for August 15-16 and Sept 19-20.  There is an Alamogordo event scheduled for August 29-30.  When it gets cool enough, we will be having them again in Las Cruces and/or Deming in the winter.

So between now and the next Appleseed, try to get out to the range and practice, or just do some dry firing in your home, along a hallway.  Its hard to accept that it is really doing anything, but your body just recognizes the routine, it doesn't know the difference between real live fire and pretend.  So you can actually get a lot done right in the comfort of your own home.  You now know most of the techniques, so with a little bit of practice, you will be amazed at how well you do next time on the range.  We have a lot of new excited instructors from the Albuquerque area, and they are eager to help in any way they can... plus they are plain good people!

BlueFeather (Gill)

[SamD]

Welcome Kathleenie,
It was a pleasure to have you with us in Abq. We will be there again, just need some scheduling/negotiation. twh731 our state coordinator is handling that for us.    New Mexico is Appleseed friendly, we will be having lots of shoots 

Thanks again for coming, It was a pleasure.

Sam

[Kathleenie]

Thank you, Blue Feather & SamD. Please forgive me for being slow to reply. Around the time of my previous post, I took a bad fall & messed up my ribs. Good news: they must only have been bruised, not much pain now. SO I can get back to work on prone!

See you all at the range (somewhere in NM) soon!

Kathleenie

[SamD]

Hope to see you real soon.
Heal up good for that next Appleseed.

Sam

[MedicOni]

Awesome pictures and good to see that range being used for such a purpose. I'm doing my first shoot down in Socorro on the weekend of my birthday (Nov 7-8)

[BobABQ]

Awesome pictures and good to see that range being used for such a purpose. I'm doing my first shoot down in Socorro on the weekend of my birthday (Nov 7-8)

Looking forward to seeing you there.