QST de N7GMT

I attended an Appleseed Project shoot a few weeks back. I was very impressed with the program and with the ability one can learn to shoot accurately, consistently, and quickly. To that end, a buddy and I went out to the range to practice what we’d learned.

I wanted to practice with something that had decent iron sights on it (i.e., not the stock Ruger 10/22 sights), so I took my AR-15 defense rifle. I had never really sighted it in, so that was the first order of the day. After a few “squares” at 25-meters, I was starting to feel very good about the capabilities of my little rifle.

We put up some AQT targets and took turns shooting and timing. You have to get forty rounds off in 4 minutes: 10 rounds shot from a standing position at the 100-meter equivalent target; 10 rounds sitting or kneeling at 200-meter equivalent target; 10 rounds each from prone at 300- and 400-meter equivalent targets. You have magazine changes and position changes, all within that four mintues [sic]. (Oh, and don’t forget to count the number shots for each target on the bottom rows! 3,3,4 and 2,2,3,3)

After a morning of leisurely sighting-in, the AQT didn’t seem that bad, even with the time pressure. I managed to squeeeeeeze off the last round about three seconds before the clock ran out at four minutes. And this was the result:

236/250 points!

Needless to say, I was quite pleased with my score. At the regulation twenty-five meters you can just barely make out the gray fuzz of the 400-meter equivalent targets when focusing your eye on the front sight, as you’re supposed to, but it can be done.

Thanks to One-of-Three for the encouragment … and for the use of his loop sling!

—Two-of-Three

Note to self: order enough loop slings for all rifles.

[Yes, I know that's improper Title Capitalization; so sue me, it looked better that way to my {ahem} unprejudiced eye.]

This last weekend I participated in a little grass-roots patriotism and history lesson. I attended a marksmanship training taught by the Appleseed Project, which was started (if I understand correctly) by the RWVA. The aim of the group is to wake the sleeping rifleman in each American, to take them back to the roots that got this country its start.

Pretty much anyone can shoot a gun; there’s really not much to it. The Appleseed Project teaches you to shoot well, accurately, and at distance. Along the way, the introduce you to many details behind the famous stories of the Revolutionary War. You remember Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride, with the “one if by land, two if by sea”, right? Well, that’s one small part at the end of quite a long story of concerned citizens watching out for each other and trying to make a way for themselves in this new land. We also learned about the Minutemen and the three age categories; we learned about a little old woman, collecting dandelions for her meager dinner who is credited for single-handedly capturing eleven British grenadiers.

And then there’s the shooting. Lots of shooting.  (I think we went through about 650 rounds the second day alone, and about 400-450 the first day.) They recommend that you bring a .22 LR rifle, with good sights (not necessarily a scope). You can learn the techniques for accurate shooting and perfect them with inexpensive .22 ammunition and then apply what you’ve learned to other rifles.

The first day we went through all the basics (see below) and learned to sight in our rifles (”Inches, Minutes, Clicks”). The second day we practiced, practiced, practiced. And then we practiced some more. As long as I remembered all the steps (respiratory pause and “dragging wood” were my biggest problems) I did well, getting a little bit tighter groups each time. If I forgot to focus on the fron sight, or if I didn’t pause, or if I tried to muscle the sight where I wanted it, rather than relying on NPoA, I got garbage.

Hopefully I can encourage you, dear reader, to try an Appleseed shoot. Learn a little history; learn some marksmanship.

Well worth the time and the small fee.

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And just so CRak, SavageShootr, and One-of-Three know I really was paying attention this weekend (and I did not look at my notes, or look anything up online):

The Four Rules of Safety

1. ALWAYS keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
2. Do no load until given the “Load” command.
3. Keep you finger off the trigger until your are on target.
4. Everyone is a safety officer and responsible for those around him.

The Six Steps to Shooting Accurately

1. Sight Alignment
2. Sight Picture
3. Respiratory Pause
4. Focus …
   1. … your eye on front sight
      (”Hard focus on the front sight” – Front Sight)
   2. … your mind on keeping front sight on the target
5. SQUEEEEEEZE [sic] the trigger
6. Followthrough: trap the trigger to the rear, call the shot

Somewhere in there belongs NPoA, natural point of aim, which is mostly a combination of 1, 2, and 3 … or at least that’s where you wind up, if properly relaxed at the tail end of number three.