Appleseed Review & AAR & Notes

Overview

Well, the Appleseed shoot is in the books. I had a great time. Mrs. Usagi learned a lot about handling and shooting her rifle.

There were several women and children present who were fairly new shooters. This was good to see. Unfortunately, one particular instructor's comments and antics frightened a few of them off. This was addressed with the "shoot boss." We will see how they handle it. (Post-edit: They didn't handle it.)
(Post-edit  2: The instructor is at it again.)

I was disappointed in one part of the instruction. The instructors present taught students to use a very tight loop sling. This might work well on traditional rifles, but is not a good idea on AR15 platforms. I had hoped to learn how to use a sling from the program, as they say they teach that - but I will be forced to learn from other sources and practice on my own without outside coaching.

On the flip side, I shot a 221 on my last AQT - which is Appleseed's "Rifleman" designation. I did not want this score to count, as I'd done it with a scope and I feel that is against the nature of what they originally wanted to teach. Other people shot the score with scopes and were awarded patches, but I didn't want to "earn" mine that way. However, knowing I can shoot to the standard after only two days is reassuring.

Here is an After Action Report on the event from my notes. I have listed all of the major topics & drills:
Here's what they do:

PROS:

Safety
The program is very safety conscious. I cannot state enough that this was their first and primary priority.

Field shooting
Field shooting positions are an antique shooting method preserved by NRA High Power and similar types of competitions. I think it is good to teach the next generation about them.

Six Steps
The Six Steps to firing the shot are Gospel truth when shooting. Follow these, and you will shoot well. Ignore a single step, and your accuracy will suffer. 

History
Though the Appleseed Project does take a bit of artistic license in recounting some of the history, our schools don't teach anything about it anymore! Something is better than nothing. And this something is good. I wish they would keep it 100% accurate, though.

Difficulty Factor
In this microwave generation of wanting everything just so and right now, Appleseed keeps the Rifleman Patch inherently difficult. More difficult, some might say, than earning a rating in the USMC.

CONS

Tempo
New shooters will often get left behind shooting 55-second AQT stages. Some people will adapt. Many people will not be able to adapt. Mrs. Usagi barely kept up.

Sighting in
They have people sight in from the unsupported Prone position. Not a good idea - especially with newer and casual shooters. What they should do is sight in from a rested position - taking only a fraction of the time in the process.

Time Limits
Yes, there are time limits on the AQT. Appleseed advertises to newer shooters. They also say "run what ya brung." New folks, and people shooting manual action rifles (lever, pump, bolt) will not do well with the time limits given.

"Run what ya brung"
Save yourself some time and frustration - don't listen when Appleseeders give this advice.
Instead, bring a semiautomatic rifle that has external box magazines. Bring several 10-round (or more) magazines. Tube-fed are OK, when you prepare properly.
DO NOT bring just any old rifle. A bolt gun or lever action will help frustrate you. 

Methodology
Specifically - using the sling, changing mags, and shooting from field positions. The way Appleseed teaches these things are good for tournament shooting - but not combat. Appleseed would have you change mags by using your trigger hand. Common combat application is to use the support hand.

Can't deal with Criticism
Folks in the program are a bit touchy if you say their program might have done something differently. They collaborate, and plan to "dog pile" (their words, not mine) anybody they feel is less than 100% enthusiastic - even if that person is giving constructive criticism.

ERRORS MADE

Shooting positions:
An instructor at this shoot advised support elbows in the prone position be placed at a 45-degree angle to the side. This is absolutely incorrect. Correct placement of the support elbow is directly under the rifle, and 45-degrees forward.

Sling use:
The same instructor placed a loop sling on Mrs. Usagi backwards.

The same instructor urged a super-tight sling - enough to pull POI off by over 2 inches at 25 yards.

Shooting positions, 2:
All instruction in offhand (standing) position included "chicken wing" holds of all rifles. The chicken wing is a useful marksmanship tool on formed-handle rifles. It is counterproductive on pistol-grip rifles. As opposed to a chicken wing on a pistol-grip rifle, the shooter should instead tuck the elbow into the body as close as possible, and using bone support to stabilize.

WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID

Positive Reviews:
One
Two
Three
Four
Five

Negative Reviews:
One (and more by pdb)
Two
Three (and more by snowflakes)
Four

Objective Reviews:
One - used to have a bit more, but it has been taken down. Did they get to her?
Two, and another
Three
Four

AAR

DAY 1:
1. Start with safety. Drill this into people's head. Discuss range rules and line rules. Get everybody prepared.
2. After rifles are brought out, the line is led in a quick drill (13 rounds) on a modified AQT. No instructions are given as to position or anything like that before. This is done so you have a "before and after" type reference of how bad (or good) you were shooting before learning anything they teach.
3. They teach the basic positions. Then more drills.
4. They then teach the six steps to firing the shot. Then more drills.
5. They then teach sling positions. Then more drills.
- Instructor giving the presentation suggested a tight loop sling. As tight as it can be without cutting off circulation. This does not give good results with an AR15 platform. In fact, it is counter-productive. Correct is just tight.
6. A little bit of instruction and drills on how to calculate MOA, and basic sight adjustments to be done by student.
7. By the end of the day on Day 1, shooters will have shot a couple of AQT's. Times may be modified at first, then move to the actual timing that is to be used.
- at regular intervals (mid-morning, lunch time, mid afternoon, end of day) the rest breaks are used to tell shooters about Revolutionary War events.

Day 2
1. Start with a few AQT Drills.
2. 1" square drills used to make sure rifle is sighted in.
3. More AQT's.
4. Group drill - 1 AQT, three shooters working together to get as many hits as possible. Each shooter has specific targets on the paper. I was selected for 250-yard "headshot" and 500 yard redcoat.
5. More AQT's.
6. Ball & Dummy drill - work with another shooter to help correct their shooting errors / flinches, then they do the same for you.
7. More AQT's
8. More AQT's.
9. More AQT's
- again, history lessons at regular break intervals.

AQT

This stands for Army Qualification Test. Mind, you, it is not exactly the same as the Army used to utilize, but it bears some resemblance. The AQT has four stages, each timed. Normally, all AQT's are shot at 25 meters. Sometimes, the Appleseed will use longer distances, as available.

Most of the time, Appleseed instructors make use of the "QDAQT" - "Quick & Dirty" AQT. "Fred's" full blown AQT uses 50 total shots - 10 shots each in stages 1, 2, and 3; and 20 shots in stage 4. The QDAQT uses only 40 shots - 10 shots in stage 4, and the score for stage 4 is doubled. In order to make sure luck was not the case, the QDAQT requires a score of 210 / 250 to earn the designation "Rifleman" ("Expert" in Army parlance), as opposed to 200/250 on Fred's standard AQT.

QDAQT:
Stage 1 - 10 shots standing. Target is 100-yard simulated - single silhouette. Time limit: 2 minutes.
Stage 2 - 10 shots sitting / kneeling. Target is 200-yard simulated - two silhouettes. Time Limit: 60 seconds.
Shooters start in a standing position. With the "Fire!" command, shooters drop to sitting, insert a magazine prepped with 2 rounds, fire twice, reload with a magazine holding 8 rounds, then continue. Shooters shoot the silhouettes 5 times each.
Stage 3 - 10 shots prone. Target is 300-yard simulated - three silhouettes. Time Limit: 70 seconds.
Shooters start in a standing position. With the "Fire!" command, shooters drop to sitting, insert a magazine prepped with 2 rounds, fire twice, reload with a magazine holding 8 rounds, then continue.Shooters shoot the three silhouettes 3 times, 3 times and 4 times, respectively.
Stage 4 - 10 shots prone. Target is 400-yard simulated - four silhouettes. Time Limit: 5 minutes. Point value is doubled on the QDAQT.


There are other iterations of the AQT used by Appleseed:
RFAQT: "Rapid Fire" AQT - all stages are shot in a single long stage. 4 minute overall running time limit, 4 magazines prepped with 10 rounds each.
Note: Some Appleseeds will not award a "Rifleman" patch if the shooter scores over 210 on this type of AQT. Still other Appleseeds will only do this type, and will award the patch for a deserving performance.
Qualification AQT: This has just one silhouette of each simulated distance target. One shoots either 5 rounds, or two rounds per target, and adjusts scores, accordingly.
These are used sparingly by Appleseed. Generally, like the RFAQT, the Rifleman patch cannot be earned when shooting the Qualification AQT. 

AQT Scoring:
Shots are worth points. Values are 5 points, 4 points, 3 points, or 0 points (misses). The darkened area is worth 4 or 5 points, and there is a boundary line separating those fields. The outer field that is not dark is the three-point area.

Shots that touch two scoring areas are worth the higher point value.
 ".30-caliber" rule applies - meaning if you are shooting a rifle that is smaller than .30-caliber, you may open up the bullet holes to .30-caliber. Again, if such a shot touches two scoring areas, then the higher point value is awarded.

You Want a "Rifleman" Patch?

The easiest way to do this is by playing the game. Make no mistake, the AQT is a game - it is a course of fire with rules. Playing the game right will get you a patch.

MOST Rifleman scores I've seen and read about were with heavily modified rifles like I have described.

FAQ's:

What do they teach you about sling use?
How to use "Hasty Sling," "Hasty-Hasty, and "Loop Sling." Just the basics here, not much detail on when to use each one and not much time to experiment with using the different techniques in different positions.
They do cover the loop sling more than the others. 

What do they teach you about sight adjustment?
"Inches, Minutes, Clicks" and what it actually means, and how to use that knowledge to your advantage. Given the wide variety of shooters and weapon platforms, they suggest you refer to your sight's/gun's individual instructions on how to adjust. Most Appleseed instructors know a bit about the major platforms (AR-15, M1, M1A, Tech-sights) and can help some.

What do they teach you about position?
Again, the basics. What each position looks like. How to transition to that position from standing. How to make POI (Point of Impact) shifts for changing targets. Although here they do go into more detail than with sling positions. Coaching is provided after the formal instruction along the way.

What do they teach you about breathing?
Again, the basics. They go into a bit of detail here while they are teaching the six steps to firing the shot. Mostly they cover the two main thoughts on breathing:
1. Inhale. Then exhale 1/2 of breath and hold.
OR
2. Inhale 1/2 breath and hold.
They do suggest #1 as it is more common and more easily repeatable for most people.

My Suggestions in a nutshell:

Not my words, but my thoughts all wrapped up:

"The appleseed program is a great way to learn the fundamentals of marksmanship. If it's been a while since basic training, or you were not in the marines, then this should be a mandatory class for you. I learned a great deal more than I was taught in the military, and remembered the stuff i was taught. Skip the bootcamp and just go to the 2 day appleseed. take an open sighted rifle and sling that you can tension up with. While this group advocates shooting a 10/22 for most of their training, I for one would not recommend going to a training class and using a gun that you do not intend to use for serious purposes. practice afterwords is fine with 22.

As to the RWVA, I would recommend that you not drink this koolaid. they are nice enough folks, but evolution and new ideas never win out over dogma. they are a one show operation only.

the course is well worth the $70 and you will learn a lot about the basics that you probably forgot or never knew. "

 

Post Edit - 3/15/2011 - digging out some old comments and posting them.