Boy Scouts, Forestburg Scout Res. Rifle Shooting merit badge?

[CAPTAIN 0]

I'm an ex Boy Scout and I was discussing the rifle merit badge with some friends at the range the other day. I recall (around 1990-1992) taking the class at Forestburg Scout Reservation in NY, and it was my earliest memory of firing a firearm and taught me the fundamentals of safe shooting. I clearly remember shooting a single shot bolt action rifle chambered in .22 short I believe. I'm trying to figure out what make or model rifles these were?

 

Are there any former boy scouts or scout leaders out there that can remember what kind of rifles these were? Anyone have any pictures of the rifle range with possibly a rifle in it?

 

I'd love to purchase one for nostalgia sake!

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

Perhaps a Winchester Model 67? One of the most prolific boy's rifles. Single shot and had to manually pull the cocking piece after chambering a round.

 

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

[Sota 1,191]

I was a boy scout in the 80s and attended Forrestburg many times.  I'd never seen head of a rifle merit badge.

[mipafox 438]

I seem to remember they had concentric front and rear circular sights.

[W2MC 1,699]

I was up there for summer camp in 2012 as a leader, and as I remember, they had a couple of different makes - *I think* they were mossbergs and savages...maybe a remington, too.  I remember they were looking at something newer; perhaps the savage Rascal.  All are single shot bolt action, all open sights, all shooting 22 LR.

 

Boy scouts can shoot rifle and shotgun (bow, too), with approved range officers/instructors (NRA Trained).  Merit badge work is done at approved ranges only...almost always at summer camp.  And yes, most of the younger scouts WANT to shoot.  info on the merit badge is here.  This is Rifle...its easy enough to find the shotgun.  Rifle isn't too hard - shotgun is; mainly because they are shooting clay, and have a mininum number they have to break.

 

https://www.meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Rifle_Shooting

 

Cub scouts can get bb shooting belt loops or patches...I forget which.  Archery, too.

 

Explorers - Venturers, or whatever the call them now, are the only ones that can shoot pistol.

 

General info on boy scouts and shooting sports is here:

 

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/OutdoorProgram/ShootingSports/shooting_faq.aspx

 

By the way, Forestburg is a VERY good camp.  My only complaint is that most of the camping areas are on top of the hill; the lake, dining hall, and most  of the activities is at the bottom of the hill, so plan ahead!  

 

Forestberg also offers Ham Radio merit badge, and license training.  During summer camp, they even have license exams on thursday night.  3 of my scouts passed  

 

W2MC

[CAPTAIN 0]

Found a picture, but it looks recent. I know the new range deck/roof/building was built in 2010, but it's a start. I was hoping to find out what type was shot there in the late 80's early 90's.

Can anyone ID these rifles?

[CAPTAIN 0]

What single shot .22 bolt rifles were most common in the late 80's, early 90's?

[T Bill 649]

BSA got a bunch from the CMP program. Most were Marlins.

[Candyman87 10]

Hmm. Always wondered what those were. I got my rifle merit badge at Camp Allamuchy. Unfortunately no photos from my time there.

[mipafox 438]

My dad sent my last target and $10 or so. Nothing ever came back. They were supposed to send me a badge or certificate or something. Never got anything.

 

Turns out I had to score Expert with the M16 (by default), my primary weapon, and secondary weapon every 30 days or I would be kicked TFOut.

 

I actually missed twice. First time was during an actual cyclone. Second time I think somebody messed with my shit because the M16 was not my carry weapon. They gave me a second chance and let me sight it in. Otherwise they would have kicked me out.

[weekend_junkie 129]

I earned Rifle merit badge as a scout at Camp Yaw Paw in the early 90's and often wondered the same thing about what rifle was used. We definitely shot .22 bolt actions and I remember there being a mag well, though we were never allowed to use a mag.

 

+1 on learning all the safety steps. I speak quite fondly of the lessons learned in BSA.

[CMJeepster 2,777]

Resica Falls Scout Reservation (Valley Forge / Cradle of Liberty) had Remington 560s. Bolt action, single shot, and 561s, bolt action, magazine fed, plugged to single shot. Before that, we had Mossberg bolt action single shot. At one point, we went to a few short stock Marlin bolts in a lend lease program.

[Frank Rizzo 59]

I was a boy scout in the 80s and attended Forrestburg many times.  I'd never seen head of a rifle merit badge.

 

Ditto

[W2MC 1,699]

Ditto

 

Did you go during Summer Camp?  If your Troop went up there by themselves (outside of the summer camp period), it's doubtful that you would have done anything with Rifle. 

[djg0770 481]

Did you go during Summer Camp? If your Troop went up there by themselves (outside of the summer camp period), it's doubtful that you would have done anything with Rifle.

Exactly. The (internal BSA) restrictions on several activities means that some activities are only available at summer camp.