Guns for a men's retreat?

[Wayne Smith]

I've taken everything from my 405 Winchester to my flintlock! The times I took the 405 one guy and his sons claimed it and shot it - no one else really wanted to shoot it! I try to take a couple of routine guns and a couple of unusual ones for the interest/education.

[jonp]

I'd bring something others are unlikely to have.

[Huskerguy]

I have done several occasions such as this, not just retreats. One was a group of young adults that I was teaching/mentoring for several years and a big event for a wedding when I was the best man and the grooms father had a range and he and I were range masters for a day. We shot like 3,000 rounds that day. There were others.

Some of it depends on the group and the range. With one group, my revolvers were a big hit with some mild 38's for those who had 9's and then some beefier 357's. I have a Ruger Mark III with a nice dot Holo and the bullet goes where the dot is, ladies loved it. Shotguns are popular with clay if you have the space and the thrower. Of course, the venerable AR for those who have not shot one is always a thrill. Someone along the way asks if they can do a mag dump which gets everyone excited.

I built some falling targets and a shooting tree. Bring lots of paper targets and extra eye and ear protection. A table or bench for new shooters is nice, a tarp for catching brass is a must. Some blankets or towels to set firearms on. We sometimes used the back of a pickup.as a staging area.

Have fun.

[1hole]

Anyone ever gone to a retreat where there was shooting and range time?

I've never attended a "retreat" of any kind. I'm a fully committed Christian old guy and ex-military; retreating has never been any part of my vocabulary. That said, IF I were to attend any retreat at all, your's would have the most appeal to me.

God bless you. Go, relax with other men and have real fun with some Godly (but imperfect) men. And then start going to church and doing Bible study yourself.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I'd start with 22 rimfires, rifles, revolvers, mild loads in centerfires, lever actions and single shots are not as scary as AR's and 9mm semi-autos. I would take an AR15 .223 and a Glock or other 9mm to provide education as much as anything. Sounds like a good chance for good will and education. Manually operated actions are safer than the semi's for the new shooters that might show interest.

[reloader28]

I've been to a couple retreats but never with a range. Sounds like fun

[MaryB]

My dad and brothers used to go to one out in SD. Shotguns a must for the trap thrower. 22's for the younger kids and inexperienced shooters. They always borrowed my super accurate AR-15 to show that yes, they are used for hunting and are not the inaccurate ammo wasters portrayed by the media, they did it as a learning lesson for the liberals who attended! I usually ended up with dozen calls asking what it took to build an accurate AR-15(by accurate I am talking sub MOA, first 5 shots in one ragged hole at 100 yard) and how expensive was it. I often had some of them come to my shop to assemble a rifle with my guidance(I never did any of the work, all of it a learning experience for them).

Bolt action rifles were popular with the older set who grew up with them as hunting rifles. No super large calibers except for borrowing my .338 Lapua(cheap Savage) and letting them experience one or two long range shots. They did have an advantage out in SD... range was located where they could shoot 1 mile, they would setup targets at 1,000 and 1 target at 1 mile. People who wanted to try it had to pay for my ammo(brother would grab a full ammo can form me) that got used, not a cheap rifle to shoot with! Most would try 2 shots just to say they shot 1,000 yards. The Savage is pretty accurate so most could get on target pretty easy. The few who tried 1 mile were always amazed if they hit.

The range time was recorded and played back at church to show cooperation and teaching as a virtue so I got to listen to the guys reaction to their first intro to long range shooting.

[Idaho45guy]

Back from the Retreat!

Unfortunately, there was no range time. The Boy Scouts had a troop there, and apparently, they are so woke now, that we were told firearms were too frightening to the little boys and girls.

It was sad to see all the kids and their parents walking around a camp, with masks on.

So, no range time, but we did get to pull our guns out and let each other admire them. The Henry Black was the most drooled over.

[tommag]

Firearms are too frightening for the boy scouts! What is this world coming to?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Back from the Retreat!

Unfortunately, there was no range time. The Boy Scouts had a troop there, and apparently, they are so woke now, that we were told firearms were too frightening to the little boys and girls.

It was sad to see all the kids and their parents walking around a camp, with masks on.

So, no range time, but we did get to pull our guns out and let each other admire them. The Henry Black was the most drooled over.

Now that is depressing.

[Thumbcocker]

Are there still rifle and shotgun merit badges?

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Pump shotgun and clay thrower.

[BJK]

What is this world coming to?

Now they let girly men weenie puffers be troop leaders, does that answer your question?

Everything is being corrupted by evil today and the powers that be allow it. That's grounds to remove and change the powers that be.

[popper]

BSA management is like NRA management.