Maryland Project Appleseed 2021 Thread

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  • Catch-10-22

    Appleseed Shoot Boss
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 27, 2009
    774
    PG County, MD
    Rimfire Known Distance Clinic (200 yards)!

    We got confirmation of our Rimfire Known Distance clinic for 2021 at Delmarva Sportsman Association on the Eastern Shore. It will be October 30 and registration is available here.

    This event tends to fill up quickly so even though it is months away, I encourage you to sign up soon!

    We require participants to have attended a prior Appleseed clinic, mainly because we do not spend as much time on positional instruction (standing, seated, prone, and transitions) and coaching the qualification test. But even if you haven't earned Rifleman before, you can qualify for that and your special Rimfire Known Distance Rocker at this event.

    Happy to answer any questions about the event and will post more about it as we get closer.

    As you can see in the picture below, people bring all kinds of rimfires - 10/22s, AR conversions, takedowns, bolt actions, scopes, iron sights. Every rifle is a challenge but qualifying is very rewarding!

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    Catch-10-22

    Appleseed Shoot Boss
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 27, 2009
    774
    PG County, MD
    New Maryland State Patch

    This weekend Maryland has rolled out it's new state patch to replace the Maryland Front Sight Patch. We will be sharing this with instructors working Maryland shoots as well as with those who clean their Red Coat target.

    Here is the design:

    uc


    And the patches turned out sharp:

    uc


    Who were the Immortal 400? That is the question we wanted you to ask!

    Here is a brief history sourced from here, here, and here. There is an excellent book available on the subject: Washington's Immortals: The Untold Story of an Elite Regiment Who Changed the Course of the Revolution by Patrick K. O'Donnell

    On August 22, 1776, the first major battle of the Revolutionary War was fought on Long Island. General William Howe landed a force of 20,000 Redcoats on Long Island and began a fierce attack on General George Washington’s Continental Army. The Continentals were severely outnumbered and were on the verge of being defeated. While Howe had committed large numbers of his forces into head-on battle with Washington’s troops, he was also moving some of his forces to take up positions behind Washington’s Continental Army in order to put them into a pincer.

    It was not looking good for the Continentals. They needed to retreat from the field to be able to regroup and to fight another day. Washington’s forces were being badly mauled and were slowly being surrounded.

    There was only one small gap in Howe’s forces that could be utilized for a Continental retreat. This is where the Maryland Regiment under the leadership of Col. William Smallwood, were ordered to provide a rear guard action to allow Washington’s army to retreat.

    Some 2,000 of Howe’s Redcoats took over and occupied a position called, “The Old Stone House” It was a fortified position and a threat to the retreating Continental Army. The 400 men from the Maryland Regiment placed themselves between the British troops and Washington’s retreating forces. They not only harassed the British forces, but conducted several bayonet charges against The Old Stone House. They so occupied the British forces there that Washington’s Continentals were able to make and orderly and successful retreat.

    At the end of the day only nine of those Marylanders were able to rejoin the retreating and now safe Continental Army. Washington, watching from a redoubt on nearby Cobble Hill, was to have said, "Good God, what brave fellows I must this day lose!"

    Because of those Marylanders’ heroic actions that day, they became known to the rest of the Continental Army as “The Immortal 400.”

    Washington so respected the Maryland Regiment that he came to refer to them as his “Old Line.” The State of Maryland would gain one of its nicknames because of its fighting units as well. It would became known as “The Old Line State.”

    The Maryland Regiment would be reformed and would go on to participate in many other defining battles of the Revolutionary War including: Trenton, Princeton, Camden, Cowpens, Guilford Courthouse, and ultimately Yorktown.
     
    Last edited:

    Catch-10-22

    Appleseed Shoot Boss
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 27, 2009
    774
    PG County, MD
    June 19-20 AAR

    Maryland Appleseed hosted THREE events this weekend at AAFG in Annapolis.

    First, we had an instructor meeting and shoot on Saturday morning. While all instructors have made Rifleman, shooting is a perishable skill. With many weekends taken up with clinics, it is good to get time behind rifles and remember what it was like to be a student!

    We started with the traditional Red Coat target and then jumped into AQTs with folks making sighting adjustments on the fly. We then did one traditional AQT and one rapid AQT (all stages in 4 minutes). To ensure instructors were familiar with multiple rifles, we switched to our neighbor's rifle and shot an AQT. The final AQT was a traditional for prizes - the high scorer (yours truly with a 241 using his Takedown reviewed in the rimfire section) won a leather sling. The low score (an instructor had his scope base come lose during the AQT) won a Hogue 10/22 stock to help improve future scores.

    In between, we talked about new offerings, events coming up, working through how we will launch Patriot Pistol in Maryland, and other instructor stuff. It was great to give folks that volunteer so much time and effort a chance to catch up and enjoy shooting.

    The second event was a Half-Day Introduction to Appleseed Clinic on Saturday afternoon. 5 shooters (4 youth) were on the line and all showed marked improvement, showed excellent attention to safety, and enjoyed the Daniel Morgan stories. We hope that they will return to the line for future events!

    The final event was a One-Day Rimfire Clinic. This was a great event with 7 Americans on their journey to discover their inner Rifleman. 2 shooters cleaned their Red Coats to earn the FIRST EVER Maryland Immortal 400 Patches awarded to Students! 1 prior Rifleman managed to repeat his success with several others REALLY close. Thank you all the instructors and students for yet another great event in Annapolis!

    Huzzah!

    Pictures are available on the Maryland Appleseed Facebook page. Also included a few from the One-Day event below.

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    Last edited:

    Catch-10-22

    Appleseed Shoot Boss
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 27, 2009
    774
    PG County, MD
    Upcoming Events - Fill the Lines in Southern Maryland!

    Summer is here and Appleseed is HOT! Our next two summer events in Annapolis (July 17 and August 21) are sold out. Our October Rimfire KD event is sold out as well - Huzzah!

    However, we still have plenty of spots open for our Lexington Park one-day clinic on July 31. With a covered line and wooded lake-side setting, Sanners Lake Sportsmans Club (SLSC) is an ideal location for a summer Appleseed.

    If July won't work, we have two more Lexington Park events later in the year (September and November).

    After years of very strong attendance at our Southern Maryland events (and with nearly all of our other events selling out consistently this year and last), we are worried about the future of events down there. So if you have been putting off attending, haven't attended in several years, or know a bunch of people you can bring out, please sign up. Remember that shooting skills are perishable, as are our rights and our clinics at ranges local to you.

    Our mission is to build a nation of Riflemen and WE WANT YOU!
     

    Catch-10-22

    Appleseed Shoot Boss
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 27, 2009
    774
    PG County, MD
    AAFG AAR July 17 - Sweatseed!

    We had wonderful sold-out (actually 2 higher than our stated capacity) one-day clinic in Annapolis with 10 shooters braving high temperatures and humidity (temperatures above 90 and heat index above 100) to learn history and marksmanship.

    All of our instructors agreed it was one of our favorite groups of students - we had a mix of families, close friends, and range members; a mix of beginners and experienced shooters; a mix of younger and older students. But all were fully engaged, friendly, appreciative, and committed to improve.

    IIT Kniwolf gave a rousing 3 strikes at lunch and performed a number of other duties connected to earning his Red Hat (IMC, demos, etc.). IIT Function Check called the line, did the steady hold factors, and a lot of individual coaching. Despite the heat, we were able to complete 2 AQTs comfortably ahead of thunderstorms in the evening.

    We had THREE qualifying Riflemen despite the tough heat conditions.

    Bill K requalified with 2 215 scores with his iron-sighted 10/22 and cleaned his final Red Coat to earn his Maryland Front Sight patch.

    Glenn M earned his first Rifleman patch with an excellent 235 using a Tikka T1x bolt action with optics - so close to earning a Distinguished patch at his first Appleseed! Glenn also earned his Maryland Immortal 400 patch for a cleaned final Red Coat.

    Scott R finally broke through at his second Appleseed with a 211 on the final AQT after coming oh so close with a 206 on his first AQT of the day using his red-dot equipped Tippmann. His son Ben R came very close with a 202 - hope Ben comes out again to earn that patch!

    Spencer P fell short of Rifleman but cleaned the final Red Coat to earn his Maryland Immortal patch as well.

    Jane S earned her William Diamond patch and our other shooters all achieved Marksman or Sharpshooter, giving it their all. Every single participant showed significant improvement. We hope that all come out again and bring even more friends and family!

    Pictures will soon be available on our Maryland Appleseed Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Project-Appleseed-Maryland-264406060313831/
     

    Catch-10-22

    Appleseed Shoot Boss
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 27, 2009
    774
    PG County, MD
    Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 Returning to Appleseed Lines on August 1st

    This is good news from our senior leadership for all the S&W 15-22 owners out there!

    In Project Appleseed, student safety is paramount. We recognize and appreciate the effort that Smith & Wesson has made with their M&P 15-22 safety alert. The M&P 15-22 rifles will again be allowed for use at Project Appleseed clinics, effective August 1st, 2021.

    We urge every 15-22 owner to read and comply with the instructions contained in the following links before attending a Project Appleseed rifle clinic:

    https://www.smith-wesson.com/sites/default/files/MP1522_Alert_030619.pdf
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJO0gJRmc_c

    S&W has graciously sent us Bolt Inspection Gauges for the M&P 15-22 and we are issuing them to event leaders in the field. Project Appleseed will strive to have a Bolt Inspection Gauge available for 15-22 owners to check their bolts at our clinics. If a rifle fails the gauge test, we will offer a loaner rifle, when available.​
     

    Catch-10-22

    Appleseed Shoot Boss
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 27, 2009
    774
    PG County, MD
    SLSC AAR July 31

    Five shooters came out for a sunny one-day clinic of marksmanship and history in Lexington Park, MD.

    Three of the shooters had prior AS experience, and 2 were new shooters. The day was fast, as the students experienced few issues with equipment, ammunition, or inclement weather. One scope did have the instructors scratching their heads, but they finally concluded it didn't respond well to adjustments. You will learn a lot about your equipment at an Appleseed event.

    By the end of the day, a few were knocking on the door, showing significant progress, and were scoring well into the early 200s...but no Rifleman this time. Keep working and come to a future event - A Rifleman Persists!

    Thanks to Sanners Lake Sportsmen Club (SLSC) for hosting, and to our two experienced shoot bosses Doug and John for providing instruction and relaying experience!
     

    Catch-10-22

    Appleseed Shoot Boss
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 27, 2009
    774
    PG County, MD
    Fall Shoots - sign up now!

    I know a lot of folks are on vacation or avoiding the summer heat and humidity, but I know I am getting the Appleseed itch again and hope you are too. If you are interested in an Appleseed this fall, you better sign up soon because some our events are already sold out!

    Our next event on August 21 at AAFG is already sold out and we only have ONE more spot open for our next event at AGC in Marriottsville on September 11-12.

    We still have FOUR spots open as of today for our September 18-19 clinic at AAFG in Annapolis and several spots open at our September 18 one-day clinic at SLSC in Lexington Park.

    October may seem a long way away, but one of our shoots (the Rimfire KD clinic on the Eastern Shore) is already sold out. We have half-day and one-day events in Annapolis on the weekend of October 16-17 with space available. And our friends in nearby West Virginia have half-day and two-day events on the weekend of October 9-10 (yep, a Friday half-day is a great way to start a weekend).

    Happy to answer any questions and hope to see you on the line!

    70625010_2414769651944117_7877011183830564864_n.jpg


    71884871_2414771605277255_422458747080671232_n.jpg
     

    Catch-10-22

    Appleseed Shoot Boss
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 27, 2009
    774
    PG County, MD
    While our September 11-12 event at AGC is officially sold-out, we have two walk-on spots available due to some folks having to drop out. If you are interested, send me a PM.

    Hope to see you on the line!
     

    Catch-10-22

    Appleseed Shoot Boss
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 27, 2009
    774
    PG County, MD
    Maryland Appleseed Pistol Clinics in 2021

    Maryland Appleseed Pistol Clinics in 2021
    We are very excited to announce that we will be holding our first TWO Appleseed Pistol Clinics at Anne Arundel Fish & Game in Annapolis, Maryland.

    The confirmed dates are November 20-21 and December 18-19 if you want to hold the weekends – registration should be available very soon here.

    Appleseed Pistol Clinics are very similar to our rifle clinics in that you will learn:

    • The basics of handgun safety, accuracy, and control
    • All the fundamentals needed to safely handle and operate a handgun efficiently
    • Proper grip, stance, sighting the target, trigger control, Natural Point of Aim, and other fundamentals for precise and accurate shooting
    • Shooting and reloading quickly with speed drills
    • And many other topics related to pistols

    This is a foundational course in pistol marksmanship – a blend of defensive and slow-fire bullseye concepts. You need to hit your target in either situation. More broadly, we are hoping to reach more people with our message of history and civic engagement, teach a valuable skill, and get people who may have mastered rifle marksmanship to broaden their shooting experience.

    The course will engage shooters in core instruction and a series of practice drills. The course culminates in the Pistol Qualification Target (PQT), a challenging course of five rapid and slow fire stages with the opportunity to earn the Pistoleer patch with an expert score. There is also a “red coat” style hits count target to measure progress.

    uc


    Your instructors will be a mix of Pistoleer-qualified pistol instructors and highly experienced instructors acting as individual coaches and RSOs, similar to our rifle clinics.

    Our initial two courses will be rimfire pistol-only events based on an agreement with the host range. As someone who has attempted the PQT and hits count targets with rimfire and centerfire pistols, I see this as a major plus for students in terms of recoil management and cost (and ammo availability).

    You need at least 250 rounds of ammo to complete this course. If using a semi-auto pistol bring at least two magazines. If using a revolver bring a speed loader.

    A preview of the course is available on Maryland Shooters here.

    Happy to answer any questions!
     

    Catch-10-22

    Appleseed Shoot Boss
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 27, 2009
    774
    PG County, MD
    Ok, registration is live now for the two pistol clinics at the link a couple posts up. Remember before you sign up, 22LR-only and handguns (semi-auto, revolvers) rather than braced pistols.

    Hope to see you on the line!
     

    Catch-10-22

    Appleseed Shoot Boss
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 27, 2009
    774
    PG County, MD
    AGC AAR September 11-12, 2021

    Another great class at the region's premiere facility at AGC in Marriottsville, MD.

    Saturday saw 15 shooters on the line. All progressed well, and the day was ended by a Single AQT, with one student hitting the 230 mark AND earning her MD Immortal 400 patch as well!

    Sunday, saw 13 shooters return to the line, for the Rifleman's Grind. 2 other shooters managed to earn Rifleman scores, and another earned his MD Immortal 400 patch as well.

    All other students showed massive improvement, were attentive to the history, and I'm confident will be back to continue their journey.

    Thank you to all the instructors and host club/facility for their kindness, time, and hospitality.

    Pictures are available on the Maryland Appleseed Facebook page.
     

    Catch-10-22

    Appleseed Shoot Boss
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 27, 2009
    774
    PG County, MD
    AAFG AAR September 18-19, 2021

    We had a fantastic shoot this weekend at Anne Arundel Fish and Game (AAFG) in Annapolis, MD. With skies sunny and temperatures topping out in the low 80s, it was an idea weekend for shooting and sharing history. It was a family event in a lot of ways with a number of father-son, father-daughter, and husband-wife teams attending @)

    We had 14 shooters turn out Saturday to start their journey. We found out in the first Red Coat that some of our shooters had some talent - 5 put all 3 rounds in the 400 and the shingle, and 2 (Jared and Alex) cleaned the target to earn their Maryland Immortal 400 patches - Huzzah!

    Then the work began on steady hold factors in prone, the 6 steps to firing a shot, natural point of aim, talking targets, and inches-minutes-clicks as we progressed through the Squares targets. As groups grew smaller, we felt comfortable moving to the Green Practice Target and seated and standing positions after a First Strike history break at lunch.

    We then conducted our first AQT of the weekend and 3 earned their Rifleman patch
    - 1st time Appleseeder Jared with a 219
    - Blue hat Alex qualified for the first time with iron sights (a personal goal of his after earning his Rifleman patch with a scope)
    - 11-year old Eva requalified with a 214.

    We wrapped Saturday with a second Red Coat and Seth, another 1st time Appleseeder, cleaned the target (no 30-cal rule required) to earn his Immortal 400 patch as well - congrats! The students showed massive improvement even on the impressive morning performance with SEVEN hits on the shingle.

    Sunday kicked off with the customary Red Coat, but I think people were still waking up because scores were lower. But no matter - we did a sighter square to confirm zero and then did an "around the world" NPOA drill with the remaining squares. With everyone confident in their zero, we started the AQT grind, shooting 6 AQTs total on Sunday. Some Sunday highlights:

    - Jared scored Expert on every AQT (7 total for the weekend, with a top score of 229)
    - Alex requalified with his Tippmann (228), but even more impressively, his 15-year old son John scored Expert with a 217!
    - Trevor, a returning Appleseeder, scored his first Rifleman with his Tech Sights 10/22 with a 222 and requalified with a 217
    - Jason, a first time Appleseeder, earned his Rifleman patch on the final AQT of the day with a 227.
    - Chris, a former Appleseed instructor shooting for the first time in a long while found his groove and turned in scores of 229 and 231 to have the highs for the weekend!

    We had so many other folks showing real progress, learning their equipment, the positions, and how to find and maintain their NPOA. We slowed down the AQT grind for a laser-rifle carding the sights drill which seemed to increase scores quite a bit. And of course did the 2nd and 3rd Strike of history and some other instruction.

    The clinic wrapped up with a final Red Coat target and the students brought their A-game: we had 5 shooters with a 400m effective range, 6 with 300, and 3 with 200 - and EIGHT hit shingles. We also had 3 more cleaned Red Coats with Trevor and Chris earning their Immortal 400 patches.

    Many students asked about our KD and pistol events - they are already taking our 7th stepping and history messages to heart (and in the case of Jennifer and Michael, bringing a bunch of friends to this shoot, acting on that 7th step already.

    Special thanks to our instructors and volunteers for supporting a large shoot - it was great to work with our Berwyn Rod and Gun Club crew (another Maryland range that has not hosted Appleseed events due to COVID, but will hopefully restart in 2022) and some other volunteers who have had some time away due to life and work - I really look forward to working with you guys again!

    Pictures will be available on the Maryland Appleseed Facebook page shortly: https://www.facebook.com/Project-Appleseed-Maryland-264406060313831/
     

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