The real poop on what to bring to an Appleseed shoot. Orig. posted by RifleWoman on May 31, 2006, 12:12:11 PM
Before I went to the Worland appleseed shoot, I read everything I could on what to bring. I only got bits and pieces from each post. I wanted to list the stuff I found helpful and hope that you can learn from my experience.
#1 most important thing.... A teachable attitude. If you already think you know everything, then don't go yet, wait until you grow-up and mature and when you are ready to listen and learn then and only then will you learn what you need to know to be a rifleman. (a sense of humor is a good thing too...) [And a desire to persist - Fred]
#2 Bring 5 empty magazines. Don't try to get ahead of them by loading in advance, you will just have to unload. They have a bad habit of telling you to load 5 mags with two cartridges each in them. Ideally, Mags should have a 20 cartridge min capacity. That's Ideally, they will take you anyway they can get you, but this would really be helpful. [The last statement is true: bring what you got, we'll help you get it done on the line - Fred]
#3 A ground cover. This is really important, you will spend a lot of time on the ground, it may be rocky or in the case of Worland, infested with fire ants. Ok, we stayed away from them, but still this will make your life easier. A carpet remnant works great. We went to Walmart, got a indoor/outdoor area rug 8'X6' for $20 and cut it in two. It worked great, people were envious. There are lots of shooting mats around and those worked good too, but they really weren't big enough for spending 8 hours on teh ground. And, the shooting mats blow away, the carpet stays put and keeps your rifle and gear out of the dirt. Deal of the century. [The carpet is a good idea - it will prob be big enough to fold over your rifle to keep flying dust and grit off it... Fred]
#4 Elbow pads These were life savers. I bought them at Walmart for $6 they were the soccer Knee/elbow pads. Measure around your arm before going so you know what size to get. Another guy had hockey pads, and I'm sure they make specialized tactical models. But get something to protect your elbows. [Appleseeders have told me to stay away from elbow pads with hard outer protection, as they make a 'ball' that makes your elbows wobbly - instead, get elbow pads that are soft on both sides - Fred]
#5 A hat, it would be best if it covered your neck. My other half is still suffering from a bad sunburn, even though he used sunscreen. It was so bad, he stopped on the way home and bought a floppy hat. ["Boonie hats" are the thing, and maybe a neckerchief for neck protection - Fred]
#6 A little note book and pen. I'm talking those little spiral notebooks about 2.5" x3.5" approx. The ones that will fit in your back pocket. And of course, a pen. No time or space for a big one. Great for taking notes of sight settings and scores.
#7 The standard list of no brainers... Sunscreen, eye protection, hearing protection, both the muffs and plugs used together are recommened, but I found I couldn't hear the instructor with both. Lots of Water!!! Lots of sunscreen. One guy said he went to Gurnsey and got burned so bad he blistered!!!!!. Lots of sunscreen, put it on throughout the day. esp on your neck and ears. [And nose - but don't forget reflected sunlight, so hit under your chin, and the backs of your hands... Fred]
#8 Lots of water, yes, this is so important, it's worth mentioning twice. It's real easy to get dehydrated out there and not drinking enough.
#9 A light lunch. You will need to feed yourself, but I wouldn't recommend anything too heavy. It's too hot (of course it might not be where you are) too much getting up and down, and in the case of Worland, the bathroom was too far away. Fruit worked well for us. It was easy to keep and eat and helped rehydrate us also.
#9b Snacks. Especially if you have a blood sugar problem. Sometimes the lunch break is later than you usually take it. I had 2 cereal bars in my range bag, that helped. Other suggested ganola from Sam's or Costco, that has the fruit and M & M's, Just something to help you not get through, and be sure to clean your hands with #15 before you eat. Too much lead dust floating around on the range, we don't want anybody going home dumber than they came
#10 Bring a Rifle, this is extremely important. I have recommendations here, but I'll keep my mouth shut. They will take you anyway they can get you. Be sure you know how your rifle works and breaks down. I know all the pre-shoot things say "check your rifle" but there were multiple people who brought new to them rifles who didn't know how to break them down, nor how to adjust the sight. I brought a new to me gun, but we had gun out twice before and run a couple hundred rounds through it to make sure it worked and worked well. My husband also made me break it all down to clean it. He claimed it was so I knew, but I think it was so he could get out of cleaning it. There actually was somebody who didn't bring a rifle. Luckily we had a spare and lent it to him, but it would have really slowed up our group with two people shooting one rifle. Bring a spare rifle, even if it's a .22LR. I KNOW it says that on the what to bring to the shoot. It's going to be windy when Fred is around and that's going to get grit in the gun. Be sure you understand how to clean it and keep it clean and running. Good rifleman practice too. We had a MUCH better appreciation for what our boys in the sandbox are going through after only a couple hours in the sand and wind at Worland. ["Windy when Fred is around...??" - the spare rifle is a good thing to have... Fred]
#10B Know how to adjust your sights and bring the tools to do it. Know what a click on your rifle equals.... [But if you don't, we'll figure it out for you - Fred]
#11 I found a folding chair to be helpful. You stand and wait a lot and my feet don't like that.
#12 Bring a sling for your rifle, leather doesn't work too good, but any web style adjustable sling should do the trick. Any good gun store should have them for $10 or less. You really MUST have one. If you have never shot with a sling you will be amazed what a difference it will make. If you don't know how to use it, don't worry, they teach that! they will help you get it together. [The best sling is a surplus GI green web sling - Fred]
#13 Be prepared for any kind of weather. Dress accordingly, preferrably in layers so you can change with the weather. We had blowing sand at Worland, something to cover your rifle to keep the dirt out is very helpful. [Be prepared for rain, too. If rain is in the forecast, bring large plastic bags to protect your gear - Fred]
#14 Stuff to clean your gun. I wish I had had a can of compressed air to clean the grit out at night. It was terrible.
#15 Wet wipes for your hands, were helpful too. (AtlasShrug recommends you store these in your cooler on warm days).
#16 Some kind of bug spray to kept the bugs off you if you are in a buggy environment.
#17 Bring plenty of the SAME KIND AND BRAND OF AMMO. If you are shooting Black Hills .223 55gr, then shoot that the whole time. Your impact area will change everytime you change ammo. It will drive you crazy. This is a good argument for only buying the same kind of ammo. You can do it, but you will find that it changes where the bullet hits and that will mess up your scores. [If you don't have the same brand, etc., come anyway... Fred]
It felt like our truck was loaded, but we were prepared for anything. Most people showing up were prepared and ready to learn, but one person not being prepared, can hurt the pace of the whole group. It's not possible to be over prepared.
Oh, did I mention to bring a good teachable attitude? It's a must have.
Oh, here's an addition. #18 Ibuprofen for those sore muscles you are going to have, because you didn't do your exercises before the shoot. I didn't find it as bad as I thought it was going to be, but I was sore. My Chiroprator was happy to see me this morning. (Thanks Fordtruck for reminding me)
Additions:
#19 As Spartacus said, getting Fred's Guide To Being a Rifleman in advance and practicing would be a great help.
#20 A shooting jacket could really be a help. I don't know, because I don't have one, and have never tried one, but they look hot to me. They also look like they could be great. I'd like opinions here since I was wondering.
#21 Know which eye is your dominate eye. This is really important, and not taught at appleseed, but could be a source of frustration to somebody who doesn't know. To find out which is your dominate eye, put your hands out in front of your face, arms outstretched. Put your thumbs and index fingers out, thumbs touching, forming a square. With both eyes open, view a distant object and focus it in the center of your square, (like a wall clock or something) Now, close your eyes one at a time, note with which eye the object remained centered in your square, and which one the object moved. The eye where the object did not move, is your dominate eye. So if you are like me, and you are right-handed, but are left eye dominant, (or left-handed and right eye dominate) you have two choices, 1. You shoot left-handed like I do, or you train your right eye to be the dominate eye. Which I don't know how to do. I just shoot left-handed and it isn't a problem for me. So, if you are trying to sight your target with the wrong eye, you could be very far off and not know why.
#22 Staple gun and staples Bring a staple gun and staples if you have one. Be sure to mark it some how so you know which one it yours. This really speeds things up on the range if everybody is stapling up their own targets.
#22 Fred adds, "Bring a carload of people with you, if you want to make this program successful."
I forgot about snacks. I did have 2 cereal bars in my bag the first day.
HABCAN -- special tools/parts kit for your rifle/sights as required, or at least the screwdrivers/allen wrenches that fit your particular piece, and a boresnake, cleaning kit and appropriate lubes and wipes.
It would be wonderful if every Appleseeder would arrive with everything listed. I think all will agree that we'd rather the [shooter] show up (with a 25m-zeroed rifle, ready for instruction
1911RON – broken shell extractor
Nickle -- Folks, try to make sure that rifle (or rifles) you bring is zeroed. I saw a LOT of unzeroed rifles this past weekend in CT, and it distracts from the training. Being close to properly zeroed is great, not being on the paper, or at least 12-20 MOA off is bad.
I'll have to add it's a good idea if you can bring your ammo already on stripper clips (and have a stripper guide with you), for those of you shooting M1A's, M1's, AR's, SKS's and military bolt guns. Sure saves time in your prep period for dry firing instead of loading mags. You can get some repack kits from Fred.
If you don't have (or like using) a shooting jacket, I suggest a BDU or ACU shirt. The ACU shirt (and pants) has one end of the elbow (knee) reienforcements velcored, so you can add foam padding. BDU's can be modified to do the same.
Also, skateboard tape isn't a bad idea.
Herk -- the stripper clips and stripper clip guide (for AR 15 mags) [are] nice, but not essential… Bring two rain ponchos; one for you and one for your rifle.
1shot – if you are left-eye dominant, but shoot right-handed, bring an eyepatch (OK, so you might have to endure a lot of Pirate jokes)
Biathlon -- I would strongly suggest anyone wishing to attend an appleseed event purchase the "Riflemans Guide" prior to the shoot.
Believer -- Ready your equipment.
Be prepared for blowing sand and dust, rain, mud - all those weather conditions a rifleman would have to put up with, in your neck of the woods.
In event of blowing sand and dust, you need to totally degrease your rifle. Any lube should be a dry lube, like graphite. Be ready to protect your rifle with a plastic rifle bag or a simple waterproof wrap for the action.
Be ready to protect ammo and mags from the same weather. Ziplock bags are great for this.
Again, be prepared. You should function-test your rifle and it would be nice if you'd have it zeroed for 200 yards, but if you don't or can't, adjust your sights so your group prints 3" above point of aim at 100 yds, and mark your sights with paint, magic marker, or fingernail polish... That should put you pretty much sighted in for the 25m AQT.
It's a good idea to get down into the prone position and dry-fire ten shots 'by the numbers' (click on the "rifleman" tab on this site)and print out the steps). If you will do this three times a week, you'll be way ahead of everyone else. Hey, while you're at it, put a GI web sling on your rifle, and get it adjusted so it supports the rifle in prone, too.
Practice at home is a GREAT way to prep for arriving at the range. Makes your range time FAR more productive...
This is an update based on the my experience at the Davilla, TX RBC/AS of November, 2007. Beware the "one-trip expert," take what you can from this and from what RifleWoman wrote and Grin Reaper reposted.
1. The most important things to bring are yourself and the receptive attitude, absolutely. Anything else can be worked around.
2. A rifle that goes "bang." If you have a backup, bring it. If you flat don't have a rifle, or are afraid it won't continue to go "bang," post a request on the thread about your upcoming event. Somebody will probably be more than happy to loan you one of theirs. Shooters love to show off and talk about their equipment. For a Boot Camp, it's probably desirable to have a .22 and a centerfire, maybe with backup(s). For an Appleseed, that can work but it's less important. What you *shouldn't* do is bring several with the intention of using each of them a little bit. One should be your primary, or at least primary rimfire or centerfire, and that's the one you're going to use unless it gives you trouble. It'll be a great convenience if it's sighted in ahead-of-time to shoot 1/2" high at 25 meters, or at least in that ballpark.
3. Ammo. Plan on bringing 400 rounds (shots) to an Appleseed, about 1,500 or more for a Boot Camp. I shot about 800 rounds of .22 and 300 rounds of .30-06. I qualified as Rifleman at mid-week (But not on the first day, won't claim that!) so shot less and did more Instructor-in-Training stuff later. If I had been still trying to qualify on the Appleseed Saturday and Sunday, I would have continued burning more ammo for sure.
4. Ditto what RifleWoman said about eye and ear protection, notebook, mat, chair, water, sunscreen and/or insect repellant, depending on the season, crackers or trail bars for a snack, AND BE EXTRA SURE TO HAVE WATER.
Now for the "nice to have" items, that will make you more confortable, make it easier for you to learn, and increase your chances of hearing your own name announced after that stirring phrase, "We have among us men (or women) who know very well what they are about ... ." (Meaning you got that coveted "Rifleman" patch and rating.)
5. Shooting jacket and/or elbow pads, and some antiseptic cream and oversize bandaids. My office-soft elbows were raw and sore after the first day, in spite of having a Fred's-special shooting jacket. Next time I'll put on the bandaids before the first day's shooting - and do more position/dry-fire practice beforehand. I read the advice and didn't get around to it. Pain is good, the Marines say, it reminds you you're still alive. But I don't have to like it. Ibuprofen or something like it is a good thing, too. Take it to the range with you, don't leave it back in the tent or motel room.
6. Two ten-round magazines would have been plenty at my camp, as long as they both worked and kept working. Apparently not all shoot-bosses run the range the same way exactly. But a spare anything is good. And a gym bag/range bag or some such to keep it all under control.
7. An adjustable sling is a NEAR-necessity. I like the cotton canvas GI-type, as it can be rigged for a loop sling or hasty-sling. They'll show you how to use it if you don't already know. But have SOMETHING.
8. Now, for the touchy subject. What kind of rifle is best? Well, opinions are like ... noses. Everybody has one. So here's mine, do with it what you will.
a. The course is set up for an M1 Garand or an M1A/M14. But any AR-15 platform rifle is certainly well workable, as is really any repeating centerfire that will group less than 4 m.o.a. from a bench rest. But very few shooters are good enough/quick enough to qualify as "Rifleman" with a bolt gun - although it has been done. If that's all you have or you just really want to use it, fine. You'll learn a lot, just will be swimming upstream to get the "Rifleman" qualification.
b. If you go the .22 rimfire route, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY OK TO DO, and probably smarter at least for your first Appleseed, then by far the most popular choice is the Ruger 10-22. But any semi-auto, pump, or lever-action .22 will surely do. Same caveats apply about bolt guns here as in the centerfire section. Most people just won't be fast enough to complete the two rapid-fire stages, and it's hard to score well with fewer than 40 holes in the target.
c. Peep (aperture) rear sight, for iron sights, or a low-power scope is best. But people do succeed with open sights. If you put a scope on a rifle that's stocked to fit iron sights, you will probably find you need to build up the comb of the stock somehow, so your eye can align with the scope in sitting and prone positions. And it's sure easier to do this at home beforehand than to do it in a pickup cab over the lunch break. You don't need to ask how I know this, do you? But folded up newspaper and duct tape (You can even get almost-walnut-brown at Wally-World now!) WILL WORK, even if it's not too elegant.
d. Tube-fed .22's will do, as long as they hold at least eleven rounds. There's a procedure to "simulate" a required magazine change. A mite tedious, but workable.
But the most important part is to COME, and give the dents in the couch time to rebound! The most important thing you do at an Appleseed or Boot Camp is to improve your skills, and maybe even improve your attitude, your life, and your country.
