... the bulk of the shooting
is done at 25 meters, with reduced size targets, to simulate the extended distance, mostly to expidite the training ( before attending, I didn't see how just making the targets smaller would effectively simulate extended distance )... but it works... I found myself adjusting my front sight post several clicks ( on my Tech Sight equiped 10-22 ), to keep the shots more in the center ( higher scoring rings ) of the targets... BTW... I also shoot 45-70, 338 Win Mag, 375 H&H... so the 10-22 was an economical decision on my part, not some extension of my lack of manlyness...
the bulk of the score's points comes from the last stage of the AQT targets, 5 minutes to fire 10 rounds, at 25 meters, into 4 - 1.5" triangular shaped targets ( simulate a shoulders up human profile head shot )...
I've never been formally trained, but have shot for a long time, I regularly shoot ( at my own private 300 yard rifle & pistol range... almost always off the bench, & I can usually hold my own "off the bench" ) & I learned a lot at the shoot I just went to, I highly recommend them... BTW... even though I regularly shoot 300 yards off the bench, I have never shot standing, or sitting "unsupported", & have rarely ever shot prone... then toss in timed transition from standing to siting or prone... oh... BTW... I learned the sling "also" works to carry your rifle
even though my rifle functioned as well as any there, & I can hold my own, off the bench, sitting cross legged, with my elbows s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d... as close as a fat old man could get to mid shin, for support, lets just say my sitting scores were dismal
... going into it, I expected at least 2 out of 3 of us would qualify, as we are all shooters & hunters... none of the 3 of us did ( Dan got close the 2nd day though )... but he also did lose the bet ( we made a bet on the last qualifying target of the 1st day, that low score between the 3 of us, got the roll away bed, back at the motel )... they have no trouble moving "qualifyed" shooters to the longer ranges, but if you can't hit the broad side of the barn at 25 meters, then it does no one any good to go to 200-300 meters, it just takes longer...
... I think anyone who disses the program aught to put up or shut up... I thought ( as a pretty heavily practiced bench shooter ) that I'd have no trouble qualifying as a rifleman... now I have alot more respect for anyone who has qualified, & it'll mean even more to me when / if I qualify...
also... the cost of training was an extremely good value...
BTW... anyone who walks in with an attitude to any training weather it's an Appleseed "Rifleman" into an NRA training class, or an NRA "rifleman" ino an Appleseed training program, is just wasteing thier money... I went in to learn, & I did... several of the instructors had obvious military training, & I learned alot, as did the guy next to us, that had previous military training, & was attending his 2nd Appleseed shoot, & still had not made "rifleman"
BTW#2... RIP... if you seriously bust out rolling on the floor because I show up at training you are putting on, after / if I finally get my "riflemans" patch, I'll get up & walk out, fully believing it was a dis service to both of us... the 2nd person to qualify at Searsboro, was an NRA instructor, & it took him untill 1/2 way through the 2nd day to qualify... at 25 meters
