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Appleseed

Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2016 5:02 pm
by dingode
I attended the Appleseed in Gibsonburg over the weekend and it was a blast! I'm sure everyone has read reviews of Appleseed events so I won't go into a long rambling post but will say it is worth every cent for what you learn about shooting and about American history.

I few things I'd consider mandatory for anyone going to one.

A small pair of binoculars to check your target. We were trying to get as many AQT's in as possible so we skipped going downrange a few times, the binos came in very handy.

Water and chap stick. It was kinda cold this weekend, but very windy. It was pretty dehydrating and my lips got pretty chapped with the wind.

More than one mat. I used a small tarp, ground blanket, and a cheap foam sleeping pad. I ditched the elbow pads early on as my setup didn't require them.

Get the GI sling. I figured the sling I had would work, and it did, but the GI sling would have been so much better.

A teachable attitude and don't get frustrated.

BTW, got my rifleman patch with a score of 215! I used iron sights (tec sites) and the factory barrel on my 10/22 I think switching ammo to a better quality on Sunday really helped. Plinker ammo just wasn't cutting it.

I'll attend again and continue with iron sights until I score 210+ again, then I'm going to try it with a scope.

Re: Appleseed

Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2016 6:10 pm
by JustaShooter
Huzzah! And congratulations in joining those Americans "who know what they are about"!

If you have one and are inclined, take an AR with you next time. It is a wonderful feeling to score Rifleman with a center fire rifle.

Re: Appleseed

Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2016 7:28 pm
by Javelin Man
Congratulations! I've been to the Appleseed at Gibsonburg three times and have learned everytime. I've not received a Rifleman Patch, but I haven't tried hard either. My Mossberg M44 with iron peep sights was the most accurate of all the rifles there (I nearly had a perfect score on the tiny squares) but the bolt action kept me from reloading and regaining the sights quickly enough. I used my Swiss K31 when we went to the 500 yard range and that was Super FUN! Hopefully you got to play long ball.

Re: Appleseed

Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2016 8:15 pm
by WY_Not
Another Huzzah! Been a couple years since I've been to Gibsonburg but when I lived up that way I was there quite a few times as an Instructor. Are they still camping/shooting at the "cowboy town" range?

Re: Appleseed

Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2016 8:09 am
by TSiWRX
Congrats!

And thanks for the tips!!! :)

Re: Appleseed

Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2016 10:38 am
by Morne
EXCELLENT!!! :mrgreen:

Re: Appleseed

Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2016 6:36 pm
by dingode
The course was on the cowboy range, not sure about the camping though I don't think anyone spent the night. I took my AR, but the stupid front sling stud hole was too small for the swivel pin to go through, so I'll have to drill it out a bit. They did go over to the 500yd range, but I skipped it since I didn't have a sling for the AR.

I really think a good trigger helps also. My 20+ yr old 10/22 had a TERRIBLE trigger even after tens of thousands of rounds. I recently put a Volquartsen kit in it and wow what a difference! I really don't think I could have shot near as well with the factory trigger.

Re: Appleseed

Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2016 6:53 pm
by Javelin Man
dingode wrote:The course was on the cowboy range, not sure about the camping though I don't think anyone spent the night. I took my AR, but the stupid front sling stud hole was too small for the swivel pin to go through, so I'll have to drill it out a bit. They did go over to the 500yd range, but I skipped it since I didn't have a sling for the AR.

I really think a good trigger helps also. My 20+ yr old 10/22 had a TERRIBLE trigger even after tens of thousands of rounds. I recently put a Volquartsen kit in it and wow what a difference! I really don't think I could have shot near as well with the factory trigger.
You should have tried the range with your AR anyway. My Swiss K31 doesn't have a sling and I hit the target. With the excellent instruction you received, you may have surprised yourself.

Good for you for putting a quality trigger in your rifle and recognizing the need.

What was the biggest item you brought home from the weekend as in knowledge or experience?

Re: Appleseed

Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2016 8:05 pm
by JustaShooter
dingode wrote:I really think a good trigger helps also. My 20+ yr old 10/22 had a TERRIBLE trigger even after tens of thousands of rounds. I recently put a Volquartsen kit in it and wow what a difference! I really don't think I could have shot near as well with the factory trigger.
I know what you mean. I had carefully polished the trigger and sear before my first Appleseed but it was still the original factory pull weight with all the creep it started with. I was able to shoot Rifleman with it but installed a Volquartsen hammer & spring kit soon after getting home - and yes, a night & day difference. I thought I'd be shooting it again at the next Appleseed but decided at the last minute to run my Rock River the whole weekend and I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed it - the Rock River two stage trigger was just about perfect for that type of shooting, and the rifle and I really worked well together.

Re: Appleseed

Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2016 7:40 am
by WY_Not
No one camped? Ouch. That was one of the fun parts, sitting around that big fire ring under the silo roof in the evening and students and instructors shooting the breeze.

Re: Appleseed

Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2016 6:51 pm
by dingode
Javelin Man wrote:
dingode wrote:The course was on the cowboy range, not sure about the camping though I don't think anyone spent the night. I took my AR, but the stupid front sling stud hole was too small for the swivel pin to go through, so I'll have to drill it out a bit. They did go over to the 500yd range, but I skipped it since I didn't have a sling for the AR.

I really think a good trigger helps also. My 20+ yr old 10/22 had a TERRIBLE trigger even after tens of thousands of rounds. I recently put a Volquartsen kit in it and wow what a difference! I really don't think I could have shot near as well with the factory trigger.
You should have tried the range with your AR anyway. My Swiss K31 doesn't have a sling and I hit the target. With the excellent instruction you received, you may have surprised yourself.

Good for you for putting a quality trigger in your rifle and recognizing the need.

What was the biggest item you brought home from the weekend as in knowledge or experience?
Though I learned a lot about using the sling for stability I really, really like the history, and I'm not much of a history guy. We all learned the generic history in school, but to hear the stories of individuals and their bravery was pretty darn inspiring.

Re: Appleseed

Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 8:30 pm
by Aesinsp
The wife and I are strongly considering attending an upcoming Appleseed shoot.
I'd be curious to know what attendees have used as far as brand of 22LR ammo in stock barreled/triggered Ruger 10/22 take down or carbine models?
Thanks for any previous experiences - Carry on.

Re: Appleseed

Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 8:48 pm
by JustaShooter
I found that Federal Champion 40gr lead and Blazer 40gr lead shot really well in my 10-22s. If I had to choose, I'd give the Blazer a slight edge. Short of buying match grade ammo, I couldn't do better.

Re: Appleseed

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 9:22 am
by cwcdl79
I'd second the cci blazer. The big thing is a Project Appleseed shoot will definitely ring out your equipment. make sure it's cleaned (specifically the chamber and receiver) with just enough lubricant to keep it running. You will most likely need to clean it again Saturday after finishing up for the day.

Re: Appleseed

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 10:59 am
by Aesinsp
Thank you both for the info.