For people who have NOT been to an Appleseed

[Twangbanger]

I wanted to start this thread because I'm a "non-Appleseed" person who went to my first one this weekend, and wondered why I didn't do it sooner. I'm betting there are others like me. So, I have two questions for everyone, and I'd really like to know your viewpoints:

1. If you have not been to an Appleseed (like me), why not?

2. Do you ever read the Appleseed sub-forum?


My answers were, 1) I mainly thought it was a 4-H type basic safety and marksmanship class taught by old history buffs, so I wasn't too interested (and am not generally just going to send an email out of the blue asking questions to a stranger about something that doesn't sound interesting), and 2), No, I never read that sub-forum, and only stumbled onto the thread for the event I attended by complete mistake (I had looked at it a couple times long ago, and it seemed like a small club of "inside baseball" folks talking to themselves in lingo I didn't understand).


So how about you? There are no wrong answers here, I'd just like to know if your views are similar to mine, different, or whatever. To cut the suspense, it turned out to be a great experience for me, so I'm interested in knowing how it "misses" people like me, since I was in that large "don't know/don't care" group at one point myself.

Thanks for your input and look forward to hearing from you!

 

[Grizhicks]

That's the same as me asking why are you not a cowboy action shooter or a ham radio operator; different strokes for different folks -- Grizhicks

 

[Clay]

I have to disagree.

EVERYONE should go to an appleseed. It teaches firearms safety, basic and mid-level marksmanship/techniques, and history, all in one.

Everyone has the need for that, and to be honest any firearms enthusiast should like it. It is a very fun experience IMO.

not everyone has a need or liking for cowboy action shooting.

 

[Bapak2ja]

I have to disagree.

EVERYONE should go to an appleseed. It teaches firearms safety, basic and mid-level marksmanship/techniques, and history, all in one.

Everyone has the need for that, and to be honest any firearms enthusiast should like it. It is a very fun experience IMO.

not everyone has a need or liking for cowboy action shooting.

While I would not go so far as to say "Everyone should go" I will assert that it is a great way to learn to shoot safely and accurately, as well as to understand the importance of the US Constitution and our preparation/willingness to fight for freedom.

I did not have military training, so I wanted to learn to shoot well. Appleseed gave me good training so that, with practice, I will shoot well enough to qualify at military standards.

I did have good history training, and Appleseed does good history—the history the modern educational system refuses to teach. It is worth the investment of time and money if you want the republic to stop the march toward tyranny, oppression, and communism. Knowledge is the lock, but marksmanship is the key. We need them both if we want to save the republic.

 

[Birds Away]

Well, I am curious but totally uninformed about Appleseeds. I have perused the links a few times but didn't get enough info to answer any of my questions. I would love to know more about it but, like you, I don't ask questions about things I have absolutely no knowledge of. Also, I don't currently own a long gun. That would make it tough.

Thanks for starting the thread. Maybe someone will be along to 'splain.

 

[gregkl]

1. If you have not been to an Appleseed (like me), why not?

2. Do you ever read the Appleseed sub-forum?

1. I am waiting for .22 ammo to be available at a sane price. I haven't found any in 6 months of looking. I work from 6am to 6pm so I can't be checking the stores and waiting in line to grab some for the 15 minutes it is on the shelf.

2. Yes I have read the sub-forum some.

My wife and I will attend one...eventually.

 

[Grizhicks]

I have to disagree.

EVERYONE should go to an appleseed. It teaches firearms safety, basic and mid-level marksmanship/techniques, and history, all in one.

Everyone has the need for that, and to be honest any firearms enthusiast should like it. It is a very fun experience IMO.

not everyone has a need or liking for cowboy action shooting.

Sorry, but not everyone needs to go to Appleseed. You don't know everyone's background; have you trained with the Army's Marksmanship unit at Fort Benning? do you have a "Excellance in Competition" medal?

Could I learn something? Yes, sure I could, but not enough to spend 2 days doing it.

If Appleseed is your thing, then more power to you; but, it is not for everyone.

-- Grizhicks

 

[Gabriel]

Sorry, but not everyone needs to go to Appleseed. You don't know everyone's background; have you trained with the Army's Marksmanship unit at Fort Benning? do you have a "Excellance in Competition" medal?

Could I learn something? Yes, sure I could, but not enough to spend 2 days doing it.

If Appleseed is your thing, then more power to you; but, it is not for everyone.

-- Grizhicks

It sounds like it might do you some good. You should think about attending one.

 

[Clay]

Sorry, but not everyone needs to go to Appleseed. You don't know everyone's background; have you trained with the Army's Marksmanship unit at Fort Benning? do you have a "Excellance in Competition" medal?

Could I learn something? Yes, sure I could, but not enough to spend 2 days doing it.

If Appleseed is your thing, then more power to you; but, it is not for everyone.

-- Grizhicks

I was going to post a number of witty come backs, but I can see that your obviously way to skilled for the program. You should probably just walk on as an instructor.

 

[N8RV]

I'll interrupt this pissing match to say that, until some recent threads, I'd never even heard of Appleseed matches. Or whatever they are. The name itself is not very helpful in garnering interest among the uninitiated, IMO.

I may have to look into what they are and what is involved. There's a great AAR that one INGOer started, and I'm anxious to read more installments of his saga.

 

[Hoosierkav]

I have no rifle. I could borrow one from a friend, to get the experience, but I am more inclined to train on a rifle that I would use at a later date...

 

[Clay]

The rifle doesn't matter.

Its the techniques they teach which do. These techniques/methods/what ever will transfer to any rifle.

 

[chezuki]

I knew very little about Appleseed (and as it turns out, rifle marksmanship as well) when I signed up. To be honest, I only signed up because it was the cheapest thing that met the "training requirement" to join MCFG. I learned more about marksmanship that Saturday than I had in my entire life up to that point. I will be attending another very soon and highly reccomend them to ANYONE (even cocky army marksmen who think they're far too advanced to learn anything). The principles I learned at Appleseed have even transitioned to make me a better pistol shooter.

 

[Gabriel]

I knew very little about Appleseed (and as it turns out, rifle marksmanship as well) when I signed up.

I used to read Fred's (of Fred's Gunstocks) articles in Shotgun news and enjoyed them. Keeping those articles in mind when I heard he was working with others to start Appleseed, I think I kind of have an idea of what an Appleseed is like.

I have yet to go to one, but couldn't really tell you why not. Maybe because actual weekends off are rare for me, maybe because I get a lot of firearms training through my work and really just don't normally go out of my way to get more... especially classes that aren't geared specifically toward law enforcement (although I see classes that sound extremely interesting to me in the training section here on INGO).

I am signed up for one at the end of August now, finally. I've had my 10-22 built into a LTR for two or three years now just kind of waiting for an Appleseed.

 

[patience0830]

Sometjmes cocky is earned,

but its excercise is rarely pleasant to observe.
I shot expert in Army basic training but I am not resting on my laurels.
Two whole days of pleasant social contact can't be all that frightening, I wouldn't think. Sometimes training like Appleseed is worth it for the fellowship with those of like mind. Its possible that Grizhicks shoots as well as he thinks he can and is antisocial to boot and his presence at a 'Seed would be disruptive and unpleasant. Be careful what you ask for. You might get it.

But we'd at least be pleasant with him, I'm sure.

Thanks for your service Griz. Don't begrudge us our fun. We're just excited to be here.

 

[ol' Huff]

Don't let not having a gun or not having ammo stop you from attending. A very skilled marksman borrowed a rifle this weekend that the owner was not just willing, but happy to loan. Indiana Army Surplus in Bedford has .22 in stock specifically for people interested in attending an Appleseed. Just tell them ol' Huff sent you to get sorted out for an Appleseed and they'll know what to do, and it ain't no 30 cents a round bulk someone is trying to gouge you for, neither.

Don't get too rough on folks that think they are too good for Appleseed. A lot of people think that way. Appleseed tries hard to be a good ambassador in the gun world, and it wants to welcome in anyone. When or if they want to give us a look, we'll be there. Being a Rifleman, in the truest sense, is about the elimination of ego and a continual search for its essence. It is the beginning of a journey, not the end. Those of you who have been to a 'Seed, and still seek the patch and the journey that begins after it, should take that to heart from someone who has shot many "Expert" scores and still has to look down at the map once and while to figure out where the next step leads.

 

[gregkl]

Don't let not having a gun or not having ammo stop you from attending. A very skilled marksman borrowed a rifle this weekend that the owner was not just willing, but happy to loan. Indiana Army Surplus in Bedford has .22 in stock specifically for people interested in attending an Appleseed. Just tell them ol' Huff sent you to get sorted out for an Appleseed and they'll know what to do, and it ain't no 30 cents a round bulk someone is trying to gouge you for, neither.

Thanks. I'll have to see if the generosity abounds a little closer to home. The money spent in gas would pay the "gouger" rate for the ammo!

I am hoping I'll score enough(ammo) for my wife and I to attend one in the Fall.

 

[jrh84]

I knew about Appleseed for a long time before actually attending one. I finally decided to sign up for a 25 meter shoot in Nashville back in March. I knew I was a decent shooter, but I also knew I could probably learn something. I also wanted to see where I stacked up against other shooters and established "riflemen."

I found out I was a decent shooter, but I didn't just learn "something" at my first shoot. I learned a LOT. I shot rifleman in my first event, but I guarantee you I wouldn't have, however, without some of the instruction given by the "hats" ranging from seasoned, grizzled vets to high school age girls. All of them knew what they were talking about and knew how to teach.

The funny thing is, what's being taught isn't anything fancy, it's just rock-solid, fundamental, old-school shooting. But at the same time, this is about as advanced as it gets! One thing Huff said during my first shoot that stuck with me was "there's no such thing as advanced techniques in marksmanship, just faster fundamentals." That really sunk in. Other than wind calls, there isn't much more a top notch High Power competitor could teach you that isn't taught at an Appleseed, all for $80. There's no other training that comes close for the money.

These same techniques will make you a better bench rest shooter, handgun shooter, hunter, you name it. It's somewhat specialized, but at the same time almost universally applicable.

Sign up and go to one. Someone will loan you a rifle if you don't have something suitable. I'd be very surprised if Appleseed has many unsatisfied customers.

 

[SmileDocHill]

I didn't take ANY of Grizhicks comments as that of someone who felt he was too good for a seed. The OP posed the question why would someone not want to go to one and he answered.
If you have BTDT with marksmanship, history, and 'how it plays into why you should be more active in the world around you' in the past and that isn't your current focus of self improvement or service to mankind then an Appleseed may not be what you want to do right now.

Personally, finances and time margin in life are the only reason I'm not going to a couple a month and volunteering to get a funny colored hat. As it stands I'm fortunate to hit one a year.

The organizations setup seems to be the perfect mix of gun community, marksmanship and history with the added bonus that participation is not just SELF improvement but really a service to promote to others the ideals and character that got this country started.

 

[Brown]

Well, I am curious but totally uninformed about Appleseeds. I have perused the links a few times but didn't get enough info to answer any of my questions. I would love to know more about it but, like you, I don't ask questions about things I have absolutely no knowledge of. Also, I don't currently own a long gun. That would make it tough.

Thanks for starting the thread. Maybe someone will be along to 'splain.

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have in this thread or start another. there are a number of us with Appleseed that spend time here on the board.