Project Appleseed is a program that focuses on teaching traditional rifle marksmanship from standing, sitting/kneeling and prone positions over a two-day weekend shooting clinic called an "Appleseed". It is the primary focus of The Revolutionary War Veterans Association (RWVA), a 501(c)(3)

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

that teaches and promotes traditional

rifle A rifle is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting and higher stopping power, with a gun barrel, barrel that has a helical or spiralling pattern of grooves (rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus o ...

marksmanship A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision shooting. In modern military usage this typically refers to the use of projectile weapons such as an accurized scoped long gun such as designated marksman rifle (or a sniper rifle) to shoot ...

, while also teaching American heritage and history in order to encourage civic activism. Project Appleseed is apolitical, a legal requirement of

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

organizations, and instructors are barred from discussing modern politics. The Revolutionary War Veterans Association and Project Appleseed are a

Civilian Marksmanship Program The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is a national organization dedicated to training and educating U.S. citizens in responsible uses of firearms and airguns through gun safety training, marksmanship training, and competitions. The CMP is a f ...

affiliated organization, enabling Appleseed participants to buy rifles and ammunition through the CMP.

History

Project Appleseed started from a series of ads appearing in '' Shotgun News'', a monthly gun trade newspaper publication. These ads were written under a pseudonym "Fred". "Fred", the founder of Project Appleseed, whose real name is Jack Dailey, wrote a long running column—actually a portion of ad space for Fred's M14 Stocks—starting in 1999. A common theme in these columns was "Are you a cook or a rifleman?", a "cook" being Fred's term for an unqualified shooter. The name of the project was in deference to

Johnny Appleseed Johnny Appleseed (born John Chapman; September 26, 1774March 18, 1845) was an American pioneer nurseryman who introduced trees grown with apple seeds (as opposed to trees grown with grafting) to large parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, I ...

, an American pioneer nurseryman and grass roots missionary who traveled the American frontier planting apple trees across the land with the goal of spreading the number of apple trees in America. Fred's goal was to accomplish the same with civic-minded Riflemen in America. Project Appleseed itself began in April 2005 in Ramseur, North Carolina. These long-running ads ceased in 2017, upon Jack Dailey retiring and selling his business. After Mr. Dailey retired from active leadership in the program in 2015, a board of directors, termed the "Appleseed Oversight Committee" (AOC), assumed responsibility for the program. The current Chairman of the AOC is Tom Kehoe of Palm Bay, FL. In 2025, the AOC was renamed The Appleseed Board of Directors. The day-to-day operations of the program are managed by a National Coordinator, currently Jeff Yeager of Cleveland, TN. In 2006, Appleseed instructors began a national tour to attract instructors who could maintain and develop local programs. As of 2024, more than 250,000 individuals from all 50 states had attended an Appleseed. An independent sister program called Mapleseed has been developed in Canada. As of 2024, over 900 volunteers serve at Appleseed clinics across the country. These volunteers are both marksmanship instructors and storytellers, sharing history of the opening day of the American Revolutionary War. Project Appleseed celebrated its 20th Anniversary in 2025, having served more than 150,000 shooters in its programs.

Instruction

Although the program initially focused on the use of the M14/M1A and M-1 Garand rifles, students at marksmanship clinics today mostly use semiauto rimfire rifles chambered for the inexpensive .22 Long Rifle cartridge. Targets are placed at 25 meters, and appropriately scaled to simulate shooting at distances out to 400 yards. The use of .22 caliber rifles increased the reach of the program by reducing the total cost to attend, and drawing in less-experienced shooters. Students may bring rifles in calibers up to 8mm, if a firing a rifle cartridge, or .45 caliber or less, if shooting a pistol-caliber cartridge. Project Appleseed also offers longer-distance classes such as Rimfire Known Distance clinics (out to 200 yards) and centerfire Known Distance clinics (out to 400 yards) in select locations across the country. In 2019, the program rolled out the Appleseed Pistol Clinic, which focuses on the fundamentals of pistol marksmanship to prepare students to take a defensive pistol class. Samuel Whittemore Monument

The American history presented at Project Appleseed clinics include the events leading up to the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

, specifically the

Battles of Lexington and Concord The Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775 were the first major military actions of the American Revolutionary War between the Kingdom of Great Britain and Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot militias from America's Thirteen Co ...

, and the subsequent British retreat to

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. The story is presented in three sections, referred to as the "Three Strikes of the Match". The Three Strikes are the three key events along Battle Road on April 19, 1775, that triggered the Revolutionary War. The volunteers of Project Appleseed also participate in history-only presentations (no shooting involved) called "Libertyseeds". These events usually feature content on the "Three Strikes" that were needed to start the American Revolutionary War. The history presented offers special emphasis on the heroism and sacrifices of individuals such as

Paul Revere Paul Revere (; December 21, 1734 O.S. (January 1, 1735 N.S.)May 10, 1818) was an American silversmith, military officer and industrialist who played a major role during the opening months of the American Revolutionary War in Massachusetts, ...

, Dr. Samuel Prescott, and

William Dawes William Dawes Jr. (April 6, 1745 – February 25, 1799) was an American soldier, and was one of several men who, in April 1775, alerted minutemen in Massachusetts of the approach of British regulars prior to the Battles of Lexington and Concor ...

; Captains John Parker (Lexington), Isaac Davis (Acton), and Hezekiah Wyman; William Heath; Elizabeth Zane; and

octogenarian Ageing (or aging in American English) is the process of becoming older until death. The term refers mainly to humans, many other animals, and fungi; whereas for example, bacteria, perennial plants and some simple animals are potentially biolo ...

Samuel Whittemore, the oldest known colonial combatant in the American Revolutionary War. Stories of

Daniel Morgan Daniel Morgan (c. 1736 – July 6, 1802) was an American pioneer, soldier, and politician from Virginia. One of the most respected battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War of 1775–1783, he later commanded troops during the sup ...

and his Morgan's Riflemen also are told. Known Distance Appleseeds often add stories featuring Patrick Ferguson and Timothy Murphy, who were riflemen that played major roles at the

Battle of Brandywine The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American Continental Army of General George Washington and the British Army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777, as part of the Am ...

, Second Battle of Saratoga, and the

Battle of Kings Mountain The Battle of Kings Mountain was a military engagement between Patriot and Loyalist militias in South Carolina during the southern campaign of the American Revolutionary War, resulting in a decisive victory for the Patriots. The battle took pl ...

Cadre of Instructors

All Appleseed instructors are unpaid volunteers. Prospective instructors must first qualify to Expert Rifleman standards before starting a rigorous professional development process requiring mastery of the instructional material. This process takes a minimum of 80 hours of hands-on training plus some self-directed study. Instructors in Training wear orange hats while as they progress to the role of full Instructor. Full instructors wear red hats. Marksmanship clinic leaders (known as Shoot Bosses) don green hats when they are serving in that role. A small percentage of instructors rise to the role of Senior and Master Instructor. Entrusted with maintaining teaching standards and quality control, Senior and Master Instructors optionally wear grey hats. Concord Expedition and Patriot Messengers

Concord Expedition and Patriot Messengers

Notes and references

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External links

Official site
Marksmanship Shooting sports organizations

History

Instruction

Cadre of Instructors

See also

Notes and references

External links