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On May 30-31, the NorCal crew conducted a Project Appleseed Rimfire 200-Yard Known Distance (RKD) class at the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center, and it was a great weekend of instruction, shooting, and history.
RKD shooters on the line
Six students and six instructors attended the class—a wonderful group of people to spend the weekend with. The weather was beautiful, sunny and warm, with just enough wind for a bit of a challenge and learning experience, and the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center range is a top-quality facility.
RKD students and volunteers enjoying the shade on a warm day
Because everyone at the event was an experienced Appleseed shooter and already familiar with the safety rules and fundamentals, the class was able to get through the review very quickly and straight to shooting and learning the new material.
The first order of business was to zero the rifles at different distances and record DOPE (Data On Personal Equipment). The class zeroed their rifles at 50 yards, moved the targets to 100 yards, and zeroed again, writing down every scope adjustment required to adjust zero from 50 yards to 100 yards. Next the class moved the targets to 150 yards, zeroed again, wrote down every adjustment, and then moved and zeroed again at 200 yards, writing it all down. If there’s one thing the class learned, it was to WRITE IT DOWN!
Zeroing at 50 yards and writing down DOPE
The class used the information written down during the zeroing process to develop their own DOPE on their own rifle and ammo, enabling shooters to quickly make scope elevation adjustments between 50yd, 100yd, 150yd, and 200yd targets during the AQTs.
Shooting the AQTs at an RKD is a whole new experience if you have not done it before, with many new steps for each stage. First, consult the DOPE book and adjust the scope elevation, focus distance, and magnification for the distance of the target. Write down the adjustment! Take the shots, check the target, and record hits on the witness target. Write down more notes! Tape the holes, move the target for the next stage, and then do it all again. It’s a challenging amount of detail to keep track of!
Consult DOPE before making adjustments, and then write it down!
At lunch on both days, the instructors told a new set of stories about the American Revolution. It was refreshing to hear about new battles and new historical figures not typically discussed at the Project Appleseed 25m Rifle events.
During the weekend, five shooters earned their RKD Rifleman patch or requalified, including two instructors. One student earned his first Rifleman patch at the same time as earning his RKD Rifleman. And one student earned his RKD Rifleman, then his Distinguished Optics patch, and his Morgan’s Shingle Cold Bore shot at 125 yards! Not bad! Everyone had a great time, and many committed to coming back and doing it again.
If you are interested in joining this same crew for an RKD in Sacramento on October 17-18, read the details and register here: https://appleseedinfo.org/location/?locationid=110&eventid=11309
In addition to the RKDs, Project Appleseed holds other rifle and pistol event throughout California. For the 2026 calendar of California events, see https://appleseedinfo.org/schedule/?qstate=CA&state=California
For more information about Project Appleseed, see https://appleseedinfo.org/
RKD shooters on the line
Six students and six instructors attended the class—a wonderful group of people to spend the weekend with. The weather was beautiful, sunny and warm, with just enough wind for a bit of a challenge and learning experience, and the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center range is a top-quality facility.
RKD students and volunteers enjoying the shade on a warm day
Because everyone at the event was an experienced Appleseed shooter and already familiar with the safety rules and fundamentals, the class was able to get through the review very quickly and straight to shooting and learning the new material.
The first order of business was to zero the rifles at different distances and record DOPE (Data On Personal Equipment). The class zeroed their rifles at 50 yards, moved the targets to 100 yards, and zeroed again, writing down every scope adjustment required to adjust zero from 50 yards to 100 yards. Next the class moved the targets to 150 yards, zeroed again, wrote down every adjustment, and then moved and zeroed again at 200 yards, writing it all down. If there’s one thing the class learned, it was to WRITE IT DOWN!
Zeroing at 50 yards and writing down DOPE
The class used the information written down during the zeroing process to develop their own DOPE on their own rifle and ammo, enabling shooters to quickly make scope elevation adjustments between 50yd, 100yd, 150yd, and 200yd targets during the AQTs.
Shooting the AQTs at an RKD is a whole new experience if you have not done it before, with many new steps for each stage. First, consult the DOPE book and adjust the scope elevation, focus distance, and magnification for the distance of the target. Write down the adjustment! Take the shots, check the target, and record hits on the witness target. Write down more notes! Tape the holes, move the target for the next stage, and then do it all again. It’s a challenging amount of detail to keep track of!
Consult DOPE before making adjustments, and then write it down!
At lunch on both days, the instructors told a new set of stories about the American Revolution. It was refreshing to hear about new battles and new historical figures not typically discussed at the Project Appleseed 25m Rifle events.
During the weekend, five shooters earned their RKD Rifleman patch or requalified, including two instructors. One student earned his first Rifleman patch at the same time as earning his RKD Rifleman. And one student earned his RKD Rifleman, then his Distinguished Optics patch, and his Morgan’s Shingle Cold Bore shot at 125 yards! Not bad! Everyone had a great time, and many committed to coming back and doing it again.
If you are interested in joining this same crew for an RKD in Sacramento on October 17-18, read the details and register here: https://appleseedinfo.org/location/?locationid=110&eventid=11309
In addition to the RKDs, Project Appleseed holds other rifle and pistol event throughout California. For the 2026 calendar of California events, see https://appleseedinfo.org/schedule/?qstate=CA&state=California
For more information about Project Appleseed, see https://appleseedinfo.org/
