Ok this will be sorta quick as I am pretty tired and I got to be up early for day #2 but I know people like hearing about there experiences on AS.
First let me say thanks to all who contribute to the program in one way or another wither as a coordinator, shoot boss, instructor, or instructor in training.
I am not a slouch when it comes to shooting (this is before) and have killed many a bird, and wasps either with the BB gun when I was young and running around town, to the time I killed a jack rabbit high tailing it away from me and zig-zagging with a .22 revolver (3 shots got it at maybe 25 yards [seemed longer to a 12yo kid]). Recently I have been able to hit a bullseye with my 308 at 100 yards (averaging about 1 to 1-1/2 inch groups), and could get ragged targets at 25 yards with my 10/22 for the most part.
While I looked into some of the techniques used in AS nothing compares to having a instructor with between 100-200 hours of training helping you learn instead of by yourself. I was one of the better shooters at the shoots today and was able to get both the "head" shot (barely) as well as go 2/3 at 400 yard target and 3/3 at the 300 yard target. On all of this I was either the only one, or one of a few (3 or so) people to do this. Yet I still kept a very open mind because I knew I had more I could learn and I knew I could do better.
The instructors were very friendly with the exception(with good reasons) when a safety rule was broken, or going to be broken. AS sadly isn't for everyone and I did see one person (I actually think a couple) go home early because it wasn't there cup of tea. I think this is mainly due to the aspect that not everyone is "ready to learn" and some think they "know it all".
We put down range about 150 shots and we actually didn't get to do any AQT's because 90% of the people were on the beginner end of the scale of shooting. Though you could see the bright faces of one of the women when during the first shooting she was one of the best shooters. Also I had a women next to me who seemed to have zero experience and I saw her get a lot of one-one instructor help both from a women instructor as well as one of the male instructors. She went from missing the paper all of the time accept a lucky hit to actually getting on target a few times.
I saw many of the people improve there groups from hazy almost spray and pray type groups to smaller more manageable groups that were about 1/2 dollar size (again this people for the most part were either young and inexperienced, or even older and inexperienced).
On my end of the line I had 2 other experienced shooters and both went from ok groups to very fine groups (one person had almost perfect ragged groups on many of the targets by the end of the day but it was his 2nd seed).
A few questions I would like to answer for some people...
1. Is there a lot of politics? Yes and no... Yes the is politics but it's historical politics that is spoken of. It's made to show you the context of what people gave up (there lifes, or families lives, or at least had the chance of it) to give you what we have today (and some would say is slipping away bit by bit off a cliff).
2. Can I learn something even if I "know how to shoot? Yes! I would say just about anybody accept maybe the top 1% of shooters in the world (and maybe even them) will learn at least one thing if not a dozen to improve there shooting.
3. Can a new shooter learn a lot from Appleseed? Yes, the instructors care very much about the project in my experience and are there to help people. The might get there expenses partially, or fully paid for but the real pay for there time and effort is seeing people improve there shooting and understand what people gave up to give you the ability to go out and do just what we are doing.
4. Is the historical information interesting? Yes! As someone who has studied a bit into the founding father, the war for revolution, the constitution, etc... I can tell you that it gave me a good context of what I had read into but never really "felt in the heart". I knew people died for the liberties we have in America but I never really understood how much they gave up, or risked.
Last but not least remember you don't have to do anything at the AS shoot you don't want to accept let the instructors talk when they are saying something and obey the safety rules. If you don't want to shoot the way they are telling you to you don't have to but your defeating some of the purpose of being there by doing so. Keep a open mind, keep safety first and try and keep your heart open to the loses of our forefathers and mothers to give you what you have today and you will have a new respect for both yourself, your historical heritage as well as your fellow American who is willing to work with you to keep what we have today.
Let me sorta repeat...
Now with that all said my groups/shooting got worse but was improving near the end of the day about back to were I was with some groups and shooting coming out better (again) I was 3/3 at 300 yards (one of only 2 or 3 of a 25 person group) on the first red coat lineup. But by the end of day one I was the only person to be 3/3 at 400 yards where at the start I was only 2/3. So if you go and your shooting actually gets worse for awhile it's understandable you prob practiced those techniques (which were most likely flawed in some way) for years. Can you expect to switch to a new way of driving a car and be just as good as you are now in a day or two? Nope.. That goes for anything and especially for a precision skill such as long distance shooting.
Hope this helps some people as earlier summaries helped me! Thanks again.
First let me say thanks to all who contribute to the program in one way or another wither as a coordinator, shoot boss, instructor, or instructor in training.
I am not a slouch when it comes to shooting (this is before) and have killed many a bird, and wasps either with the BB gun when I was young and running around town, to the time I killed a jack rabbit high tailing it away from me and zig-zagging with a .22 revolver (3 shots got it at maybe 25 yards [seemed longer to a 12yo kid]). Recently I have been able to hit a bullseye with my 308 at 100 yards (averaging about 1 to 1-1/2 inch groups), and could get ragged targets at 25 yards with my 10/22 for the most part.
While I looked into some of the techniques used in AS nothing compares to having a instructor with between 100-200 hours of training helping you learn instead of by yourself. I was one of the better shooters at the shoots today and was able to get both the "head" shot (barely) as well as go 2/3 at 400 yard target and 3/3 at the 300 yard target. On all of this I was either the only one, or one of a few (3 or so) people to do this. Yet I still kept a very open mind because I knew I had more I could learn and I knew I could do better.
The instructors were very friendly with the exception(with good reasons) when a safety rule was broken, or going to be broken. AS sadly isn't for everyone and I did see one person (I actually think a couple) go home early because it wasn't there cup of tea. I think this is mainly due to the aspect that not everyone is "ready to learn" and some think they "know it all".
We put down range about 150 shots and we actually didn't get to do any AQT's because 90% of the people were on the beginner end of the scale of shooting. Though you could see the bright faces of one of the women when during the first shooting she was one of the best shooters. Also I had a women next to me who seemed to have zero experience and I saw her get a lot of one-one instructor help both from a women instructor as well as one of the male instructors. She went from missing the paper all of the time accept a lucky hit to actually getting on target a few times.
I saw many of the people improve there groups from hazy almost spray and pray type groups to smaller more manageable groups that were about 1/2 dollar size (again this people for the most part were either young and inexperienced, or even older and inexperienced).
On my end of the line I had 2 other experienced shooters and both went from ok groups to very fine groups (one person had almost perfect ragged groups on many of the targets by the end of the day but it was his 2nd seed).
A few questions I would like to answer for some people...
1. Is there a lot of politics? Yes and no... Yes the is politics but it's historical politics that is spoken of. It's made to show you the context of what people gave up (there lifes, or families lives, or at least had the chance of it) to give you what we have today (and some would say is slipping away bit by bit off a cliff).
2. Can I learn something even if I "know how to shoot? Yes! I would say just about anybody accept maybe the top 1% of shooters in the world (and maybe even them) will learn at least one thing if not a dozen to improve there shooting.
3. Can a new shooter learn a lot from Appleseed? Yes, the instructors care very much about the project in my experience and are there to help people. The might get there expenses partially, or fully paid for but the real pay for there time and effort is seeing people improve there shooting and understand what people gave up to give you the ability to go out and do just what we are doing.
4. Is the historical information interesting? Yes! As someone who has studied a bit into the founding father, the war for revolution, the constitution, etc... I can tell you that it gave me a good context of what I had read into but never really "felt in the heart". I knew people died for the liberties we have in America but I never really understood how much they gave up, or risked.
Last but not least remember you don't have to do anything at the AS shoot you don't want to accept let the instructors talk when they are saying something and obey the safety rules. If you don't want to shoot the way they are telling you to you don't have to but your defeating some of the purpose of being there by doing so. Keep a open mind, keep safety first and try and keep your heart open to the loses of our forefathers and mothers to give you what you have today and you will have a new respect for both yourself, your historical heritage as well as your fellow American who is willing to work with you to keep what we have today.
Let me sorta repeat...
Now with that all said my groups/shooting got worse but was improving near the end of the day about back to were I was with some groups and shooting coming out better (again) I was 3/3 at 300 yards (one of only 2 or 3 of a 25 person group) on the first red coat lineup. But by the end of day one I was the only person to be 3/3 at 400 yards where at the start I was only 2/3. So if you go and your shooting actually gets worse for awhile it's understandable you prob practiced those techniques (which were most likely flawed in some way) for years. Can you expect to switch to a new way of driving a car and be just as good as you are now in a day or two? Nope.. That goes for anything and especially for a precision skill such as long distance shooting.
Hope this helps some people as earlier summaries helped me! Thanks again.