I am Mountaineer, the resident Blogger at the WV Appleseed. I wanted to extend a warm invitation and a challenge. The invitation is to look around, go through the links, and see what Appleseed is all about. The challenge is to attend an Appleseed, test your skills, learn some new ones, hear some history, and see if you measure up to the Riflemen of old and today.
You can visit the main website here: www.appleseedinfo.org
We hope you'll join us at our Dedicated Appleseed Range in Stinson, Calhoun County, WV.
19 October 2019
05 September 2010
AS Article from the Gazette
WV and the Appleseed Project make a good showing in this WV Gazette article.
It's worth the read, so stop on by.
Will you take up your heritage? The Founders and the Republic are counting on it.
____________
Links:
- http://wvgazette.com/News/201009040509?page=1&build=cache
It's worth the read, so stop on by.
Will you take up your heritage? The Founders and the Republic are counting on it.
____________
Links:
- http://wvgazette.com/News/201009040509?page=1&build=cache
04 June 2010
Road Trip!
A section of the WV Instructor Corps is heading up to Slippery Rock PA to help out with their Appleseed.
If you're interested in getting another perspective on the Appalachian Appleseed, head on up!
_____________________________________________________
Slippery Rock, PA - Jun 5-6 Information or Register
_____________________________________________________
If you're interested in getting another perspective on the Appalachian Appleseed, head on up!
_____________________________________________________
Slippery Rock, PA - Jun 5-6 Information or Register
_____________________________________________________
AAR: May 29-31, Stinson WV
We had an excellent instructor turnout. So good in fact, that at times, we had or nearly a 1:1 instructor to shooter ratio. We had so many instructors, I'm actually a little worried I'm going to forget someone!
On Saturday, we had:
Spanner
wvmmfalcon
The Machine
Vanrichten
Mountaineer
On Sunday and Monday, we had all of the above, except Vanrichten, and the addition of nc-17 and Chrome.
Saturday was hot. But our shooters and instructors persevered through the heat. We watched the typical hot-day group patterns. Start out big. As the students started putting the marksmanship fundamentals together, they shrank. Then as the heat began taking its toll, they grew a little. We did our best to keep students and instructors well hydrated. And they now know, if they can shoot accurately in that oppressive heat, imagine how they'll shoot on a 65 degree day with light and variable winds!
So, most of our shooters made it from Saturday to Sunday generally alive and uncooked from the heat, only to find that Sunday was HOTTER! But the WV instructor corps, always helpful, put up tarps for shade. I can't say for sure, but I think our shooters stayed cooler on the hotter day. What a difference shade makes! We also had some more shooters show up.
On Monday, we had pretty much the same crew from Sunday. Less heat. More clouds. Lower temperatures. And the sun, moon, stars, and the perseverance of the spirit of liberty aligned to produce a rifleman, and several shooters that were knocking on the door. Congratulations to rob99rt! We didn't quite convince him to pick up the orange hat just yet. But we'll work on him.
We also saw a couple of new red-hats this weekend. Congrats to siglite and wvmmfalcon!
Personally, there was something at this Appleseed that stood out to me. We had several youths on the firing line. Their teachable, positive, can-do attitude was an absolute joy to work with as an instructor. Every one of these kids improved over the space of the weekend. And in all that heat, not one of them complained even once. They persevered, they stayed on the line string after string working on putting the marksmanship principles into practice, with ever improving skill.
And, since butterflies seemed to be everywhere this weekend:
On Saturday, we had:
Spanner
wvmmfalcon
The Machine
Vanrichten
Mountaineer
On Sunday and Monday, we had all of the above, except Vanrichten, and the addition of nc-17 and Chrome.
Saturday was hot. But our shooters and instructors persevered through the heat. We watched the typical hot-day group patterns. Start out big. As the students started putting the marksmanship fundamentals together, they shrank. Then as the heat began taking its toll, they grew a little. We did our best to keep students and instructors well hydrated. And they now know, if they can shoot accurately in that oppressive heat, imagine how they'll shoot on a 65 degree day with light and variable winds!
So, most of our shooters made it from Saturday to Sunday generally alive and uncooked from the heat, only to find that Sunday was HOTTER! But the WV instructor corps, always helpful, put up tarps for shade. I can't say for sure, but I think our shooters stayed cooler on the hotter day. What a difference shade makes! We also had some more shooters show up.
On Monday, we had pretty much the same crew from Sunday. Less heat. More clouds. Lower temperatures. And the sun, moon, stars, and the perseverance of the spirit of liberty aligned to produce a rifleman, and several shooters that were knocking on the door. Congratulations to rob99rt! We didn't quite convince him to pick up the orange hat just yet. But we'll work on him.
We also saw a couple of new red-hats this weekend. Congrats to siglite and wvmmfalcon!
Personally, there was something at this Appleseed that stood out to me. We had several youths on the firing line. Their teachable, positive, can-do attitude was an absolute joy to work with as an instructor. Every one of these kids improved over the space of the weekend. And in all that heat, not one of them complained even once. They persevered, they stayed on the line string after string working on putting the marksmanship principles into practice, with ever improving skill.
And, since butterflies seemed to be everywhere this weekend:
07 April 2010
AAR March Shoot
The first day of Spring launched the Stinson opener for the 2010 WV schedule. A fine group of instructors and students were blessed with perfect weather over the weekend, along with nature's beauty...
We had 9 students both days--4 no shows--and the instructors even managed to squeeze a little shooting in at the end of each day. Saturday evening's "gravel project" was a smashing success, courtesy of siglite and his Liberty Training Steyr. 
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=462DVCTBQAE ) Aside from supplying us with cool "toys" to try out, siglite excels at holding tarps up
...
Among other things...
As was mentioned in an earlier post, these 2 young fellas--Nate and Dan--were a highlight of the weekend, going from almost nothing to consistently scoring 190-200...
They even squeezed out high score during the team shoot; earning an Issac Davis patch apiece 
...
Alex, another young lad who is knocking on the Rifleman's door, and a regular at Stinson, shot a high score of 205. Among other things, Alex is an expert on the matter of "zombies"; always pop quizzing me about the subject! 
Ever vigilant...
And very capable from any position...
Something caught Nate's attention down range too. A mutant "zombie" perhaps? 
...
After a grueling encounter with imaginary ghouls, the "falcon" laid out the 3rd strike to an attentive--albeit worn down--audience...
What's that unidentified "thing" sticking it's tongue out over "falcon's" shoulder?
Falcon, you better pick up the pace; I swear that "thing" is getting closer...Alex! 
Siglite had things covered; dispensing with our uninvited "guest"; saving "falcon" from certain demise 
...
After concluding his well presented history talk, emphasizing "choices" and the altered mindset of the Regulars toward the Colonists, wvmmfalcon did some one-on-one with George. This gentleman was a pleasure to work with and showed much progress by Sunday. If George had optics or shooting glasses, I'm sure his scores would have jumped 20+ points, placing him in Rifleman territory...
Charles exercised good muzzle control, as Chrome--our newest WV volunteer--took the AR for a ride...
Our Shoot Boss Spanner kept things moving along, packing a lot of quality instruction into 2 days, even allowing time for brickhouse and others to have a try at "Thumper" 
...
Wil, our point man at Beckley Gun Club (our newest location this year) stopped by Sunday to tune-up for next month's Patriot's Day event. That was a sweet AR LTR that Wil operated; although the addition of optics appears to be mandatory for the elusive Rifleman patch. Right Wil?...
Dan took a breather before we proceeded with my favorite string of fire...
Standing and delivering 
As we know; Appleseed will take you from a mere rifle owner, to the level of Rifleman. Nate demonstrates the difference a day in our program makes; showing great form on Sunday ...
And as we also know; persistence and dedication--some "glass" doesn't hurt --will eventually put a smile on the most "hardened" Mountaineer 
...
Do I spy a new "pumpkin' head" amongst those fine instructors? Great job vanrichten! Thanks for taking the mantle 
I want to also give a big "Thank You" to Spanner (not pictured), wvmmfalcon, siglite, and brickhouse for making our first WV shoot in 2010 a successful and memorable one. I appreciate every one of you students for your hard work and making this all worthwhile for us.
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=462DVCTBQAE ) Aside from supplying us with cool "toys" to try out, siglite excels at holding tarps up
...... Ever vigilant...And very capable from any position...
.........Wil, our point man at Beckley Gun Club (our newest location this year) stopped by Sunday to tune-up for next month's Patriot's Day event. That was a sweet AR LTR that Wil operated; although the addition of optics appears to be mandatory for the elusive Rifleman patch. Right Wil?
......--will eventually put a smile on the most "hardened" Mountaineer ... Great job vanrichten! Thanks for taking the mantle I appreciate every one of you students for your hard work and making this all worthwhile for us. All pics courtesy SuzyQ
23 February 2010
2010 and 20k Here we come!
All right everyone, as you know we've set big goals for this year. We're trying to get 20k people through the AS Program this year! Last year we blew by our 8k goal, so we upped it to 10k mid-run.
Every year we try to double the previous year, and thus far, we've surpassed that goal every year! Exponential growth is not easy, and this year proves it. So, if you've been sitting on the fence about coming to an Appleseed; or you went to one but didn't go home with a Rifleman's Patch: make this the year that you do!
A Nation of Rifleman!
Your next opportunity to earn that coveted Rifleman's Patch is:
March 20th-21st, 2010
at Stinson WV (Hidden Hollow Farm DAR)
You can register here, and remember:
Women, Active/Retired Military, and children 20 and under shoot for free!
Check out: http://www.appleseedinfo.org for more information.
07 December 2009
IBC, Dec 05-06: Burlington Flats NY
This is a quick summary of the Instructor Bootcamp which was held in Burlington Flats, NY State. Three of us West Virginians made the trip up north for the IBC.
Spanner was kind enough to play taxi, Brickhouse, and I (Mountaineer) all went for the weekend. It was about ab 8 hour drive in good weather to Burlington.
The people of Burlington Flats were extremely hospitable. The Burlington Flats Fish and Game Club hosted us, and allowed us to sleep inside, with heat! The community they have there is really amazing.
One evening, a family made home-made venison stew and macaroni for us. The deer had been taken by a 14 year-old girl with a bow, her first year hunting, and her first deer. The stew was amazing.
It was my first venison of the season, and it was really good.
We owe a big 'thank you' to the people of Burlington Flats. A nicer group of people and patriots could not be asked for.
Those of us in attendance spent two days going over the nuts-and-bolts of Appleseed Instructing. Everything from building a good position, sling use, NPOA, and of course, the history of April 19, 1775.
We made it up to IIT3, so some of us may be looking for Red Hats before too long. kDan and Crac were the instructors, and Spanner was drafted for part of Saturday to assist. Thankfully we let him sleep on Sunday, since he'd been awake for more than 30 hours.
It was a really good experience to meet Appleseeders from other parts of the country and see how they do it. There are some regional difference, as much as we try to minimize that. The Yanks are pretty fond of the Rapid-Fire AQT, where we take things about a bit slower and prefer the stage-by-stage down South. I think both have a lot to offer, and I hope we use them both in our AS's here in WV.
There is something unique about rifle enthusiasts and people who empathize with our Founders. You can meet a person who is one of these, and know that you could be friends for life. I don't know that other interests aren't also this way; but I wouldn't expect it from shuffleboard-players, per se.
What a great group of people.
Well, I hope you'll join us in Stinson WV this weekend, Dec 12-13, where Spanner and I will be working the line under Slim, as well as possibly others. So please, go to the registration link on the right, and come down and see where Marksmanship meets Heritage.
*** Remember: women, children under 20, military, and LEO's all shoot free.
Spanner was kind enough to play taxi, Brickhouse, and I (Mountaineer) all went for the weekend. It was about ab 8 hour drive in good weather to Burlington.
The people of Burlington Flats were extremely hospitable. The Burlington Flats Fish and Game Club hosted us, and allowed us to sleep inside, with heat! The community they have there is really amazing.
One evening, a family made home-made venison stew and macaroni for us. The deer had been taken by a 14 year-old girl with a bow, her first year hunting, and her first deer. The stew was amazing.
It was my first venison of the season, and it was really good.
We owe a big 'thank you' to the people of Burlington Flats. A nicer group of people and patriots could not be asked for.
Those of us in attendance spent two days going over the nuts-and-bolts of Appleseed Instructing. Everything from building a good position, sling use, NPOA, and of course, the history of April 19, 1775.
We made it up to IIT3, so some of us may be looking for Red Hats before too long. kDan and Crac were the instructors, and Spanner was drafted for part of Saturday to assist. Thankfully we let him sleep on Sunday, since he'd been awake for more than 30 hours.
It was a really good experience to meet Appleseeders from other parts of the country and see how they do it. There are some regional difference, as much as we try to minimize that. The Yanks are pretty fond of the Rapid-Fire AQT, where we take things about a bit slower and prefer the stage-by-stage down South. I think both have a lot to offer, and I hope we use them both in our AS's here in WV.
There is something unique about rifle enthusiasts and people who empathize with our Founders. You can meet a person who is one of these, and know that you could be friends for life. I don't know that other interests aren't also this way; but I wouldn't expect it from shuffleboard-players, per se.
What a great group of people.
Well, I hope you'll join us in Stinson WV this weekend, Dec 12-13, where Spanner and I will be working the line under Slim, as well as possibly others. So please, go to the registration link on the right, and come down and see where Marksmanship meets Heritage.
*** Remember: women, children under 20, military, and LEO's all shoot free.
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