Think You Know How to Shoot?

Project Appleseed is a program that appeals to all skill levels. Even if you think you can shoot, you should try it. Take it from Jamie Franks, a Navy veteran, military combat shooter/instructor and professional competitive shooter about his first Project Appleseed Experience. These are his words.

“In the early months of 2010, I had just returned from a 7 1⁄2 month Afghanistan deployment. One of my best friends tells me about a local upcoming rifle tournament. He said it was free for active military, and asked if I would be interested. I had never done any real competitive shooting at that point, and I figured since it was free, it would be a good opportunity to find out how my skills would stack up in a formal competition environment. He signed us up.

Around the sign-in table there were old men, guys that looked like beginners, and even a couple of young pre-teen girls! I thought to myself, “What kind of tournament is THIS?!” We signed in, and received our information packet, and I found out that this was some sort of marksmanship class, not a tournament. I was there, I had all my stuff, and I might as well stay. 

“I was humbled, but at the same time extremely thankful that I had gone through this course.”

Our instructors talked about earning the ‘Rifleman’ patch and shooting the “AQT” (Army Qualification Test). The course of instruction was deceptively simple and seemed to revolve around the use of the old-school GI Web Sling. I showed up with my tactical AR-15 and my VTAC Tactical Sling, and a combat deployment under my belt… and the entire course is going to be shot at 25 yards! The instruction seemed elementary, deceptively simple, and quite honestly below my skill level. I thought to myself, “I’m going to blow this out of the water and show these guys a thing or two.”

I had paid attention to the instructors’ training, but I was still doing my own thing, convinced that the modern military techniques that had been taught to me were superior to these antiquated ways. I was using my tactical sling, and my old habits and I was shooting pretty good, in my opinion. The first day of the Appleseed ended with me being very discouraged. I was only able to score in the 170s. I had to endure seeing several skuzzy civilians (whom I considered to be lesser marksmen than I), earn their Rifleman patches with pride!

The second day of the Appleseed, I was determined to earn my Rifleman patch. I really had to put my ego aside, and cast off everything I thought I knew, and resign to the fact that I DIDN’T know everything after all. I picked up one of those antiquated, outdated GI web slings, replaced my high-speed tac sling with it, and started applying the techniques that had been taught the day before. My score instantly shot up to around the 200 mark. I was close. I was doing a lot of things wrong (that I didn’t even know I was doing wrong), and I started to realize that if I applied what they were teaching, in the sequence that they taught it, it made for a remarkable improvement.

A 225! I got it! I am a Rifleman!

I was humbled, but at the same time extremely thankful that I had gone through this course. It pointed out mistakes in my training, and deficiencies in the marksmanship training that most military members are receiving nowadays. It showed me that no matter what your skill level is, and no matter how much you think you know, there is always more to learn. As Creasy said in the movie ‘Man on Fire’: “There is no such thing as tough. There is trained and untrained. Now which are you?”

So how well can you shoot?

Try the Rifleman’s Challenge. It’s not as easy as you think.