Why not- how about we start a Project Appleseed thread for 2024

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It was a really fun Appleseed. I learned there is a new Rifleman patch coming out, the Caleñteseed…..it’s the opposite of the one they give out when it’s “freezing cold” out.


And for the Woman on the patch; a true Patriot.

Born in Dunstable, Massachusetts,[2] she was the daughter of Prudence and Samuel Cummings. She had two brothers who pledged allegiance to the crown (Samuel and Thomas) while her youngest brother Benjamin) was a Patriot; also two sisters (Mary and Sibbel).[2] Her father was the town clerk. Prudence was a patriot, but many of her family members were loyal to the British crown. In 1761, she married David Wright, a private in the American militia, an ardent Whig, and strong believer in independence.[2]

The two had eleven children—David, Prudence, Cummings, Mary, Wilkes, Caroline, Liberty, Deverd, Liberty, Artemas, and Daniel.[3] Mary and the first Liberty did not survive childhood. She joined the Congregationalist church in 1770.[4]

According to a legend printed in 1899, Wright was elected by the townsfolk to command a women's militia known as the Mrs. David Wright's Guard, based in Pepperell, Massachusetts.[3][4] The group consisted of about 30 or 40 local Patriot women, whose husbands were mostly members of the regular militia ordered to march towards Boston after the Battles of Lexington and Concord. The women dressed in their husbands' clothes and carried "anything that would serve as a potential weapon", including pitchforks.[3] Wright appointed Sarah Hartwell Shattuck of Groton, Massachusetts, as her lieutenant[1]and began organizing patrols of the town and the surrounding area.[4] The two directed the arrest of loyalist spies (two of Wright's own brothers) at Jewett's Bridge over the Nashua River in April 1775.[3]

Wright and her group apprehended Captain Leonard Whiting of Hollis, New Hampshire—a noted Loyalist—as he passed the bridge on horseback. He was held prisoner overnight in a Pepperell tavern before being moved to Groton where he was taken into custody.[1]Based on a family legend, Wright's brother, Samuel Cummings, was with Whiting on the day of his capture, but he turned back once he sighted his sister in arms at the bridge.[1][5]

Although women were not to be paid for militia service, in 1777 the town convened a committee to compensate Mrs. David Wright's Guard (whom they called Leonard Whiting's Guard) for their actions.[3] Leonard Whiting was a British Army officer and a friend of the two arrested spies.[3]

On March 19, 1777, Prudence Wright's guard was paid 7 pounds, 17 shillings, and sixpence by the Town of Pepperell's Committee of Estimation. The Town Meeting Minutes referred to her guard as Leonard Whiting's Guard because women could not overtly be paid for services performed during the revolution.
 
Re: teaching at Appleseed (and elsewhere)

In high school I encountered the worst teacher of my life. It was in a calculus course. One day the class, including me, wasn’t understanding what the teacher was explaining.

Exasperated, she turned from the chalkboard and in an irritated tone she said to the whole class, “I just don’t understand why you are not getting this!?”

Parenthood has taught me one of the hardest-to-accept lessons that I have ever learned (and forgotten, relearned, over and over). A lesson that math teacher above had not yet learned.

This lesson is summed up by a quote attributed to Confucius:

“In archery we have something like the way of the superior man. When the archer misses the center of the target, he turns round and seeks for the cause of his failure in himself.”
 
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Was anyone able to knock out an Appleseed for a Patriots' Day weekend?

-LD
Me.

I celebrated Patriot's Day by attending Sunday only. That's a different experience and I would not do that again nor would I recommend it. It's like showing up to a movie 3/4's of the way through and after the sex scene. It took me most of the day to get into the shooting and the Appleseed groove.

I struggled with major feeding issues all day. I had replaced the ruger receiver with a Feddersen and had only shot it to get a zero. With it's tighter tolerances, it needs to be broken in. Plus, I need to learn how to properly seat a mag for that receiver. There were times the frustration was so high that I wanted to go home.

A rifleman persists and I did (that was my win of the day). Fate smiled on me on the 2nd AQT of the day. I had feeding issues on the 2 prone stages and that I was able to resolve in the time cap, including loading rounds back into the magazine. Being able to find my NPOA and generally correct it quickly saved my keister. I scored a 249.

I'm sure that the instructors were losing their mind with me. I kept hearing my name for safety violations. That's one of the big problems with just showing up on Sunday. I was still in a CMP Service Rifle competition mindset and hadn't adjusted to the Appleseed safety protocol. Add onto that I was futzing around extracting rounds, loading them in the mag, and doing all sorts of rifle and magazine remediation during the course of fire.

Then, there is my speed. NPOA is one of the greatest gifts that Appleseed has shared with me. Once I get my NPOA, I'll trust it completely and shoot very fast. I'm sure it looks like I'm doing a mag dump but my rounds are on target and very often right on top of each other. The Appleseed NPOA process is a powerful tool.

Here's my target .....

Appleseed 249.jpg
 
Another Bump...

Anyone able to hit up an Appleseed this (awfully hot) summer? I had every intention myself to chase after the silly 'Rifleman' patch since I missed it so narrowly last year but have had to refocus my attention elsewhere this year for 'higher priority' family things.

-LD
 
In 2024 thus far I have attended two out of what will likely be three Appleseeds, all of them my first experiences with the organization. I did the 25m course with my 10/22 back in June...and learned a lot. I am not new to shooting by any means, but this was my first time getting any form of organized marksmanship training. I am competent with innate skills and understandings, but quickly found out that's not enough to earn the Rifleman patch. I came close in my first AQT with a 197, but ironically never improved on that score throughout the weekend. I kept having extractor issues and would lose time/shots during subsequent AQT's as the weekend progressed. Overall, I would say that internalizing the steps, slowly at first, then more quickly as skill increases, is the ticket to eventually earning a Rifleman score. A week later I took my AK to the range, applied what I learned, and shot easily the best groupings I've ever had with that rifle at 25 meters. I thought about taking that to my second Appleseed, which was a Known Distance...but I opted for my main go-to rifle, the Robinson XCR-M. I was told by other experienced shooters who already had their patches and shoot competitively elsewhere, that I was doing the KD on "hard mode" with this rifle. In reality they were right: it's a 12+lb setup with a loaded mag, and a 20" barrel, and .30cal. Other than one guy running an AK and another with an M1, nearly everybody else had ARs. Though my top AQT of the weekend was only 30/50 (ironically under rapid fire rules), on the morning of the second day my cold bore shot hit the 250-yard shingle, earning my first Appleseed patch and getting inducted into "Morgan's Rifles". It was a very rainy, but fun weekend.

My next Appleseed will likely be in November, a 1-day cold weather 25m event. I am probably going to run an AR for that one, for reliability's sake over my 10/22. We'll see how that pans out.
 
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Things do change. When I shot my first Appleseed (2006) the line of 50 or so had maybe a half dozen AR 15's and the rest of us having a 30 cal. Mine was an AR 10 but most were M1As. The 30 cal men derided the "mouse gun" pretty much for a few years and then Appleseed allowed 22lr on the line and once they took over an AR 15 was a welcome "real" rifle on the range.

Appleseed is only 4 moa and as such, I always tell folks to bring what you want to be good with to the KD events, it's good enough.
 
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I've got KD patch and did it with an AR. I think an 18-20" AR with good ammo for distance like 77SMK and a decent optic of at least 6x is the best way to go. I've got a Seekins SP-10 in 6.5C that shoots great, but the better ballistics don't justify the weight. Those are long days with miles of walking back and forth.
 
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What are the rules regarding someone like me that has had cataract surgery and had distance lenses implanted? I can not see iron sights well at all, but would like to try this.
 
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What are the rules regarding someone like me that has had cataract surgery and had distance lenses implanted? I can not see iron sights well at all, but would like to try this.
Talk to the local group. If you can use a RDS or optic, there is no reason to use iron sights. I would expect that as long as you are safe they will find a way to make it work.
 
Talk to the local group. If you can use a RDS or optic, there is no reason to use iron sights. I would expect that as long as you are safe they will find a way to make it work.

I can use a prism with an etched reticle, it's what I use on every AR or PCC, never considered one for a 22 bolt gun.

Thanks
 
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Things do change. When I shot my first Appleseed (2006) the line of 50 or so had maybe a half dozen AR 15's and the rest of us having a 30 cal. Mine was an AR 10 but most were M1As. The 30 cal men derided the "mouse gun" pretty much for a few years and then Appleseed allowed 22lr on the line and once they took over an AR 15 was a welcome "real" rifle on the range.

Appleseed is only 4 moa and as such, I always tell folks to bring what you want to be good with to the KD events, it's good enough.
The cost of ammo is a factor as well. Shooting .308 at a KD costs 3-4 times the registration fee. One benefit we all had at our range was the use of electronic targets connected to wifi, so far less walking (in pouring rain), and instant feedback on our shot placement.
 
The cost of ammo was cited as Appleseed's reason to accept 22lr. I opposed it at first but now I shoot more 22 lr in my backyard than anything. I also got talked into suppressors and so I built up an LTR. A Ruger 10/22 in a Midwest Ind stock with an Athlon mil scope, USgi sling, suppressed, UBR stock, and using CCI standard velocity it is real close to a 1/4 scale 308. A group of family I'm in does a monthly postal match. We take turns making a COF and the winner gets beer.
 
We did an Appleseed class as a family. Our daughter was 10 years old. It was a very good experience.
I attended both days. The girls did not come for the second day,as it was supposed to rain.
 
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