My Gear for my first Appleseed shoot next weekend

M

Mosin-Marauder

New member
So, after a while of counting my ammo and getting some of my gear ready. I've decided on what I'm taking (some of it I still have to buy.) They are as follows:
Ruger 10/22 with Sling and Scope
10 round magazine
25 round magazine
.22 LR Ammo
Poncho
Food
Water
First Aid Kit
Shooting Mat
Gloves
Gun Case
Stapler/Staples
Sharpie/Pen
Notebook
Sunscreen
Eye Protection
Ear Protection
Hat
Aspirin
Bug Spray
Folding Chair

Please, if anyone thinks I have lleft.out anything, don't hesitate to tell me. Thank you! Also, any advice for my First Appleseed I would appreciate it. Thank you.

Also, I applied to win a 1400 round bucket of .22 so wish me luck on that. :D
 
The only thing I would also consider is a tool kit for your rifle.

Screwdriver that fits the scope rings and bases, cleaning rod, solvent, patches, etc. You may not end up using it, but it would not be fun to end up stuck there not able to shoot if the gun malfunctions and you can not fix it.

Other than that, you seem to be pretty well prepared. Does Project Appleseed post a list of what is recommended to bring to an event (hint, hint)?
 
You caught me! Yeah, I did go off their website. The only thing I'm confused about is when to be there. It says may 24th through 26th and it's 8:30 am - 5:00 pm. So I'm not sure if we should get up at like 5:30 the 24th and start driving or what.

Yeah, I plan on bringing patches and solvent and a rod now that you mention it. Thanks for your advice.
 
You'll have a great time and learn a lot -- they're a great bunch of people who give their time to a good cause (well, a couple, actually).

First, I'd say don't bother with the 25-round mag. For one thing, a lot of the shooting is done prone, and it will get in your way, and for another, they'll tell you how many rounds to load for each course of fire, and the maximum is 10.

Ideally, you'd take 4 10-round mags. You can get by with fewer, but 2 is the absolute minimum -- otherwise, you'll be dependent on borrowing them from the instructors. They try (at least my local gang does) to bring tons of extra gear (shooting mats, mags, even extra rifles in case someone brings something that's less than suitable or has a malfunction.

To get the most out of the instruction, you really need to have a GI web sling installed on your rifle. The instruction is heavily geared toward how to use one, and it makes a HUGE difference.

You can order them directly from Appleseed:
http://store.rwvaappleseed.com/page11.html

If you don't have a scope for your rifle yet, consider ordering a set of Tech Sights. They're peep sights, far better than the stock ones on the 10/22, and you have nice, fresh, young eyes -- starting out by learning to use iron sights is a good thing, and they'll teach you the fine points of sighting them in. (It helps if they're roughly sighted in before you go, at least well enough to get you on paper, but if not, the instructors will work with you.)

You may also want to take some sort of elbow pads -- even with a shooting mat, the abrasion on your elbows can be pretty brutal, especially in warm weather when they have little or no protection, and if sand blows onto your mat... ouch.

It's also a good idea to take a big garbage bag or something else that you can use to protect your rifle from rain or blowing dust -- it will be lying on the ground at the firing line when you're not actually shooting.

Can't think of any other advice, except prepare to work hard and have fun! It's a tiring schedule, but a great experience.
 
You need at least 4-10rd mags. The 25 rounder will clunk on the ground too much so leave it at home.

Take the scope off, use iron sights. Sight them in before the match!
 
At most you would need 2 10 round magazines. The shooting test uses a pattern of two shots, mag change, 8 shots. Imagine a 10 round string with a M1 Garand. 3 10 round mags is preferable in case you have problems with one.
[ETA: the 25 rounder will probably be getting in the way of your forearm or bumping on the ground in prone.]

Other tips: Put your ammo in an empty peanut butter jar. More impervious to the elements and easier to dispense from. A coffee can can work, too. And you might only need one glove on your support hand. The instructors will be looking at your shooting hand to make sure your trigger pull is optimal (Dragging Wood).

And a hefty second on elbow pads. Mine were bruised by the rocks/pebbles underneath my mat and other shooters had rug burns.
 
Elbow pads...

Mosin Marauder--Second the motion on elbow pads!! For my Appleseed, I had an "official" Appleseed shooting coat, which has elbow pads. The first day, my elbows were rubbed raw anyhow. The second day I showed up with first-aid gauze pads taped on the elbows, and skateboarders' hard plastic elbow pads, under the shooting coat--It was GREAT!! No pain, no strain, no further damage. Was able to concentrate on the more important stuff, like shooting well.

If your elbows do not already have hard calluses on them, you need to protect them.

(BTW, I did make Rifleman by a comfortable margin, and was able to coach my shooting buddy to a Rifleman also. Having pain-free elbows helped with that.)

Good luck in your Appleseed. You'll learn a bunch and enjoy the weekend.

ETA--I also used a target-shooting glove on the left hand--It is padded for comfort where the sling goes over the hand. But any glove would be better than no glove. I'd use a winter-insulated glove if I didn't have the shooters' glove.
 
I DEFINITELY will be wearing elbow pads and a shooters jacket next time. My elbows still have scabs and scrapes on them from it. I also have burns from spent brass on both arms.
 
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