It sounds like a decent group, and they seem to be well intentioned, but I just have trouble believing everything I read on a website. So for those of you that "made contact" what was your impression?
I'm an instructor with Appleseed and can tell you it's the most cost-efficient (inexpensive) American heritage and marksmanship program you'll find. Every instructor is a volunteer and our mission is simple: Saving Our Country. We believe this can be done by teaching the heritage of our country's founding and telling people the stories of the great men and women who pledged their lives, treasures, and sacred honor so that we would have the freedom that so many take for granted today - plus we've got a really fun marksmanship program.
As far as the marksmanship instruction, we teach basic rifle marksmanship to a 4 MOA standard (1" @ 25 yds... which translates to 20" at 500 yds). We'll also teach bullet drop ballistics, come-ups, and windage if a longer, high power range is available. But all we really need is a 25 yd range - if you can't keep all of your groups in a 1" square at 25 yd, then there's no reason to be shooting longer distances and wasting time walking 100s of yards to the target line to check/swap targets when you could be spending that time on the trigger practicing the basics at 25 yds.
Rich is also correct that you don't need a $6000 rifle. We teach software, not hardware. Run what you got. Many people do end up bringing Ruger 10/22s, Marlin 795s, AR22s, or other rimfires because we'll easily go through 400 rounds in a weekend and everyone's on a budget. To get you to the 4 MOA standard, we teach the 6 Steps to Firing the Shot, Natural Point of Aim, 3 positions (standing, sitting, and prone - no sandbags or benchrests, just you, your rifle, and your sling), and how to zero your rifle and calculate Inches, Minutes, and Clicks.
Regarding the politics of Appleseed, we only talk about 2 political parties: the Tories and the Whigs.
How people want to apply the American heritage stories we teach to modern day is up to each individual.
So Rich, how much time do you need to spend in the sitting position. I am wondering if I am limber enough to spend a long time in that position as my legs go numb...
The program is flexible to the individual. If you have trouble getting into a sitting position, for example, then you can fire that stage from another position. You were pretty close on the course of fire for the Army Qualification Target (AQT):
Stage 1: 1 mag, 10 rounds, no mag change, standing position no transition, 100yd simulated target, 2 min.
Stage 2: 2 mags, 2/8 rounds, mag change, sitting position transitioned from standing, 200yd simulated target, 55 sec.
Stage 3: 2 mags, 2/8 rounds, mag change, prone position transitioned from standing, 300yd simulated target, 65 sec.
Stage 4: 1 mag, 10 rounds, no mag change, prone position no transition, 400yd simulated target, 5 min.
There's also target shifting required on Stages 2, 3, and 4. Rifleman is a score of 210+.
For more info on the program, check out the
Appleseed Site then look around - and if you really want to jump in, check out the
Appleseed Forum. Nebraska started a little later than the other states, so we've got some fast growing to do to catch up with our neighbors. Currently, I'm still living in Colorado and I'm not sure when I'll actually get moved to the Omaha area (hopefully in the next few months), but once I do, I'd like to start having regular Appleseed shoots near Omaha. So I'll be looking to talk to anyone who has a range, or farm land, where we can safely set up a 25 yd range. In fact, if you currently have a range (or land suitable for a short range) and want to get an Appleseed set up, send me a PM so we can talk and then I can start on the paperwork to get a shoot there even before I get moved - as has been mentioned, we bring our own instructors and our own insurance. Plus women and under 21 (and active military) are free, so ranges tend to like us and invite us back because we draw people to the range who otherwise may not have chosen to spend their entire weekend listening to stories about April 19, 1775 (when marksmanship met history and the heritage began) - and throwing 400 rounds at targets.
Zombie
