Friday, August 22, 2008

Rifle(wo)man

Tomorrow at 6AM Mike and I will be on the road attempting to mainline coffee while heading to our first Appleseed event, where I will be taught how to shoot a rifle accurately.

I'm a little nervous.

9 comments:

JD said...

I am sure you will do fine. My 12 year old love shooting rifles. She is good with .22 and my AR, she tried my AK but did not like the kick on that one. . .

Have fun and remember, too much coffee and you won't get a good grouping. . .

I wish they would do an Appleseed around here that I could take her to.

I trust a full report will be available after the shoot = )

Dustin said...

I bet you'll love it. I took one of my boys to one this past Spring & we had a lot of fun. I also enjoyed the revolution history they went over - I learned some really cool details I had not even been aware of.

Rustmeister said...

Rifles are easier than pistols, for what it's worth.

Anonymous said...

Oh man, you are going to an Appleseed?

After that, you have GOT to actually shoot at least one match at Camp Perry for the National Mathcs next year.

You mentioned just planning to go out and observe, but I gotta tell you, watching the matches is like watching paint dry.

After the Appleseed though, you'll be more then qualified to shoot in a match. I recommend one of the matches during CMP week like the M-1 Carbine Match, M-1 Garand Match, or Springfield (mil surp bolt gun) Match.

There's also the Small Arms Firing School which now includes shooting in the M-16 EIC Match on the second day. That would be a perfect compliment (sp?) to the Appleseed. The nice thing is the Army Marksmanship Unit supplies the instructors, M-16's, and the ammo.

Have a good time at Appleseed and hopefully I'll see you on the line at Camp Perry next year.

Earl said...

As always, pay attention, go slow and smooth, find target, aim at target, let half your breath out, squeeze the trigger -- then remember the weapon is still on safe and start over. You can't be nervous - the Ninja Reference Librarian answering a question for the caller, and it would have been right on the money. Wasn't a bar bet was it? Happy hours some where.

Turk Turon said...

Oh, I want to do an Appleseed SO BAD!

Blog it when you get back. Please!?

West, By God said...

That sounds like a huge amount of fun! Wish I could go... take it easy on the coffee though, it makes it hard to shoot straight when you are vibrating.

Anonymous said...

You are going to have a tremendous time at the Appleseed. I shot my first one in May (and took my patch home), another one in July, and I'm instructing at one in September.

You may not see this comment in time for it, but here's the recommended "what to bring" list in my world:

- RIFLE! .22LR highly recommended due to ammo cost and no recoil. If you have a second rifle, definitely bring it. Malfunctions happen.
- Magazines! Make SURE you have sufficient magazine capacity to shoot 40 rounds without having to refill a mag.
- Sling if you've got it. Nothing fancy, a plain web sling is best.
- Ammo! Plan on 250-300 rounds on Day 1, and another 300+ on Day 2.
EYE and EAR protection - both are required.
- Shooting mat or old blanket or carpet remnant. You will spend a lot of time on it.
- Elbow pad or a sweatshirt to use as one (trust me, you'll need it).
- towel to lay over the rifle when not in use. Keeps sun/rain/dirt off things.
- Sunscreen/bug spray
- Water. Lots of water.
- bag lunch unless other arrangements have been posted.
- snacks - keep your energy up.
- staple gun with extra staples
- camp chair if you have one.
- Most important: A positive, teachable attitude.

Your day will start slow; and you won't be doing a whole lot of shooting. That's OK. They are going to grind the essentials in hard. Focus on the six steps, remember to acquire and adjust NPOA, and you'll be fine. (They'll cover it all tomorrow!)

You're going to meet some hellaciously fun people, I think. Enjoy it, and I expect you to bring home a rifleman patch!

PS: If you're packin', please leave your sidearm in your vehicle on arrival. Appleseed/RWVA forbids handguns on the line because of the liability and the number of position changes you'll be making.

Home on the Range said...

With your husband as your Instructor you will soon be as good with a rifle as you are with a handgun.

Have fun!!!