Here's the idea:
This is a closed party. The majority of atendees will be Good Christian People from my church, but others may be invited. I will only give out the location to those who respond properly and gain permission to attend. If an attendee wants to bring friends, they should first ensure the friends are Good People and trustworthy. Showing up is tacit agreement to obey all posted rules, all Range Officer commands, and abide by The Rules.
We will be stone cold sober, well behaved, and generally nice. There will be beginner-level education in safe gun handling, marksmanship classes, lessons about operation of various types of weapons, LOTS of shooting, and then a meal after we clean up.
If you have never fired a gun before, this is your chance. Weapons will be provided, see the following paragraphs for ammunition protocol. We will instruct you in safe gun handling and start you off with a gun that won't hurt you or make very much noise, and you may proceed (if you so desire) to shoot anything else, once we are sure you have a grasp of the basics. Shooting is generally a lot of fun, and it does not hurt to shoot most guns, so don't be afraid to try.
If you are looking to buy a gun, or a different type of gun, this event will give you exposure to a wide variety of weapon types to help you decide. If you already have a gun but have only seldom shot it, a) shame on you and b) come get some practice. A gun you can't hit bad guys with is almost as bad as no gun at all.
If you have shot firearms before, or if you have not; if you are comfortable with guns or not, if you want to try a variety of weapons or just one in particular, but mostly if you want to enjoy the company of a bunch of Christian people who also are interested in guns and shooting, Contact me! (use the contact button at the bottom of the page)
There are no entrance or range fees.
What we need:
Guns: Bring yours if you've got any. If you don't have any, we are happy to share, but you must bring your self (or get a ride). I will keep the list of arms and ammunition required to shoot them (see below) updated as people tell me what they are bringing to the party.
Ammunition: Lots of it. The price of metal has gone up recently, so this is the most expensive part of the whole affair. If you do not mind letting go some of your stockpile, please bring what you are willing to let be shot up. If you have a few extra dollars laying around, please purchase as much ammo as you are comfortable buying, and bring it with you. Before spending your money, please contact me in case I have someone bringing a bunch of something and have not yet updated the list!.
Hearing Protection: I've got a box of foam earplugs but it may not last the day. If you have your own earplugs or muffs, please bring them.
Appropriate Clothing: Long sleeves and collars. Closed shoes. A hat with a brim. Shooting glasses (impact resistant glasses of any type with a frame that crosses between the eyes is good, covered sides are better). Long pants or dresses. Ladies, don't get offended by the truth: If it is immodest, it is also unsafe for shooting. Consider: shell casings leave some guns faster than you can see them move, and hot enough to cause a 2nd degree burn. If you don't want it burned, dress so it is covered.
Safety: There will be at least two brief lectures on safe gun handling practices. In addition, all participants are required to read, understand, and agree to abide by the Four Rules. One reason I need a set of tough ROs is that a third observed violation of the Rules is going to get the offender kicked off the premises.
Respect: Guns are deadly by design. If you act like a fool and endanger the lives of your fellow participants, you are out. Bad manners are prohibited. Vain and profane swearing and cursing are prohibited. Smoking will be done at a large distance if the landowner agrees to allow it at all. NO drinking of alcoholic beverages or use of other intoxicating substances will be allowed. Shooting sports are statistically about as safe an activity as can be enjoyed. Treating fellow shooters, their weapons, and the shooting range, with respect are a large part of the reason for the safety of this game.
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If you WILL BE coming, I need you to respond. E-mail me (address at the bottom of the page) with the following information:
Your name and contact information, even if I should already have it (contact information will not be distributed, it's for me and nobody else). If I don't know you, I will want to get to know you before letting you in on a live firing session. Don't worry, I am generally friendly and don't bite unless severely provoked.
How many persons will be coming with you (No shooting for children under 5 years old, and no shooting for minors of any age without direct supervision). Men are encouraged to bring wives, Ladies are encouraged to bring their husbands. Children are welcome, but please be sure they are comfortable around loud noises (!) or you have someone willing to stay with them in the house.
What type of arms you will bring. Let me know the make, model, and caliber of the weapons you will definitely be bringing, so that I can keep the list updated.
If you can bring lots of ammunition, please let me know that also. Once we reach an arbitrarily-chosen two thousand rounds per caliber, I'll be sure to tell everyone we don't need any more of that caliber.
If you want to shoot a weapon, please try to buy at least a box of ammunition for it. This means anything from a couple of dollars to (usually) less than $15. If the gun owners had to provide all the ammunition for their weapons, the cost would add up quickly if one weapon proved popular. It would be spiffy but not required if you were to donate any unspent ammo to the gun owners when we're done. If there is any left!
If you have a weapon that shoots an oddball or very expensive round, please either let me know (so I can publish it) that shooting will be restricted on that piece, or bring a large-ish quantity of ammunition on your own dime. You are free to bring something for show-and-tell only if you please, but don't get our hopes up that we will be shooting it.
Failure to include all of the above required information may result in your NOT being invited.
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Here's the schedule:
Late morning to mid-afternoon: Shooting. There will be a brief review of the Four Rules before we go to the firing line. Targets will depend on the landowner's preference. He may allow coffee cans and coke cans (fun for handguns and rifles) and cardboard boxes are (fun for shotguns). Paper targets will be posted for more traditional shooting practice, but the shooting range depends heavily on the terrain (no shooting rifles up with no backstop, etc.) There may be, depending on the popularity of the idea, a time where we run training maneuvers and action drills. Shooting while advancing, retreating, and moving laterally, possibly engaging multiple targets. This sort of thing is a LOT of fun and of practical use if you ever need it, but you need a group of people with good heads on their shoulders to do it safely.
Sometime in there: An eat-when-you-want pot-luck meal. Bring food for more people than will be coming with you, and we will all share. If you get tired of shooting, or several people get hungry all at once, wash your hands and go eat. I'm not sure of the quality of tap water, so if you want something palatable to drink, you might want to bring some of that, too!
At least an hour before dark: Pick up the trash. Picking up your spent shells as you produce them will speed this up considerably. No leaving twisted metal and shredded paper for the cows to injure themselves with and/or eat.
List of weapons people have said they will bring: Model Numbers People! Tell me the model!
Check back here frequently! This list will be getting longer, as people respond to personal invitations.
Hand guns
Walther P22 .22LR
Kel-Tek P3AT
Hi-Point 9mm
Glock 22 .40 S&W
Glock 32 .357SIG
Long guns
Marlin Model 60
(The guy w/ the M4 and SIG P229 begged off with a lame excuse already)
SKS (possibly 2 or 3)
M1917 Enfield
Mosin Nagant (an M44 and an 1891/30)
12 gauge shotgun
Single-shot .410 shotgun
.30-30 lever action carbine
Guns to drool over, but not for popular shooting:
DPMS .308 Winchester AR
Ammunition we will need:
.22LR
.380ACP
.40S&W
5.56x45mm
7.62x39
.30-06 Springfield
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Why are we doing this?
Because ignorance breeds fear. Too many Americans grew up in a city where the only ones with guns were the police, and the police were distrusted. Too many people think of guns as some sort of totem of violence. Familiarization with these lumps of steel, wood, and plastic, gives understanding that they are only tools, and there are too few places where a person can become familiar with them.
Because people who don't understand why the wicked scary guns are necessary, won't object when they are banned. Shooting a hunting rifle that is more powerful than a battle rifle just might get them on the right side of the gun control debate, or at least get them thinking.
Because a citizen needs to know how to operate any small arm he is likely to encounter. When the proverbial poo hits the fan and a gun finds its way into your hand, you had better know how to use it when you need to. According to U.S. Federal law, the Militia is us. Not the State National Guard, and not the Federal Department of Defense. YOU.
Because nobody wants to pay range fees but we should all practice more with the tools we are counting on to use in defense of our lives.
Furthermore:
Because a man with a rifle cannot be oppressed.
Because a woman with a pistol cannot be raped.
Because a citizen willing to use violence against evil is morally superior
Because weapons are liberty's teeth (no matter who said it
Because there bloody well should be a rifle behind every blade of grass.
And, of course, as everyone knows who is a recreational shooter: Shooting is a lot of fun!
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