Appleseed Program

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Appleseed Program

“Appleseed” is a volunteer program run by an organization called Revolutionary War Veterans Association. They run two-day clinics on rifle traditional marksmanship. By traditional I mean sling supported from offhand (standing) sitting and kneeling. Emphasis is placed on the elements of good shooting. These are; sight picture, breathing and trigger squeeze. In this article I will briefly discuss the outline of an Appleseed event so you would know what to expect and talk about the reasons you (as a new shooter or experienced) should attend.

One of the things that was a little surprising for me was the emphasis placed on history. The date “April 19th 1775” with the subheading “When Marksmanship met History.” In case you didn’t know this is the official date of the beginning of the Revolutionary War, when the Massachusetts Militia stood against the British regulars who had marched out of Boston in an effort to seize their arms. During the breaks at an Appleseed event the instructors tell the story of that very eventful day. Point being, you should also know the reason for learning these skills. For me it was an interesting diversion, and everyone should know this story.

To begin with the emphasis is, as it should be, on safety. The Appleseed safety procedures are rather specific and geared to the new shooter. All shooting is done from a line and in between shooting strings safeties are placed on with chamber flags placed in the gun. Before heading down range instructors clear check each weapon for compliance.

After the safety brief, the basics of a good shot are covered. (Shown in addendum at end.) Then the basic shooting positions are demonstrated. The idea of “natural point of aim” or NPOA is discussed. NPOA is the position where you are relaxed to aim at the target and you are not using muscle to get a sight picture. Then you are allowed to practice these steps and confirm your rifle’s zero at 25 meters. A lot of folks scoff at the distance, but you are shooting at a one-inch square, and that is a hard target. The skills that apply to long distance shooting also apply at 25 meters, and at the short range you are able to work on the basics with more rapid feedback. Speaking of feedback, during these drills the instructors are moving up and down the firing line and correcting any mistakes you might make.

After a day of shooting drills you begin shooting the “Quick and dirty Army Qualification Target.” The AQT has 10 down sized silhouettes, scaled at varying ranges. They are shot in three strings of 10 shots each with things like magazine and position changes thrown in against a time limit. On day two you get to see how much your shooting has improved and you can shoot the AQT until you shoot expert or until the sun goes down (I guess.) If you shoot expert, 210 points out of a possible 250, they give you a patch and you have something to be proud of… because darn few folks can do it.

I will be the first to say that Appleseed is not about what I consider “combat shooting.” The skills are not directly applicable to civilian self-defense situations or the rapid close in engagements that dominate modern battlefields. Nevertheless I recommend this program highly. Practical marksmanship is a skill set that requires a firm rooting in fundamentals. Many of the shooters I encounter have never been properly taught the fundamentals, and even experienced shooters need to be refreshed in them periodically. I am not aware of a program that will introduce a person to these as efficiently or in as positive an environment. The course can be shot with any rifle you own, and .22 rifles are encouraged… the same skill that allows you to shoot a one inch target at 25 meters will allow you to shoot a man at 400. I would suggest that you head over to the Appleseed website (http://appleseedinfo.org/) and find one of their shoots near you and make plans to participate.

The firing line at an Appleseed clinic

Addendum…

Six steps to each shot.

1. Sight alignment (once you get into position to check your NPOA)
2. Sight picture (once you find your NPOA adjust your body onto the target)
3. Respiratory Pause (pause to shoot at maximum exhale)
4a. Focus your eye on the front sight
4b. Focus your mind on the front sight
5. Squeeze
6. Follow through