I bought my first gun (Mossberg 500) in 2020 during the pandemic when it looked like the wheels might come off our society. I didn’t get to shoot it for nearly a year because local ranges were closed or needed some kind of safety certificate before allowing new shooters. So when I completed my NRA shotgun safety class in 2021 or 2022, I could finally shoot it. Since then I’ve bought 2 rifles, which I’ve enjoyed. But other than the safety course, I have never had any training at all, and that was only for safety, not shooting fundamentals or technique. Every time I’ve looked into getting some training, it’s been very expensive.
So I was excited when a semi-local range added an Appleseed 25m rimfire event to their calendar. I’m signed up and going this weekend for both days. If you are not familiar, they apparently focus on marksmanship fundamentals and techniques that used to be part of Army and Marine training, including the use of a USGI shooting sling and the standing, kneeling, seated, and prone shooting positions. It sounds pretty comprehensive and is very affordable. I’m really looking forward to it!
One issue has been that my 22 is a Ruger 10/22 Backpacker model, so it’s a takedown rifle, and the Backpacker stock has a very short forend. It’s not a good setup for using a USGI sling. I had to buy a longer forend to mount the sling properly. Even with the longer forend, Takedowns are not generally recommended for Appleseed because with the loop sling under tension, it may flex the rifle at the takedown mechanism. But this is the gun I own, so hopefully it will work out.
I also got a scope. I know for most people 25m is not far, but to simulate 400m targets, they use a target scaled down to just a couple inches. It’s too small for my crappy eyesight. It’s been a learning experience already.
Here’s the evolution from the Backpacker to Appleseed configuration:
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That’s the Backpacker taken down. The forend is really short so that it can be secured in the buttstock for storage and transport.
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That’s the Backpacker when it’s assembled.
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That’s some of the stuff I had to buy to get the gun ready for Appleseed.
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And there's the rifle after being set up with the forend, sling, and scope for the event. Most likely I will put the gun back into its original configuration after this event, but it’s been interesting setting it up this way.