Each year an event is held in the desert of Southern California, hosted by Mariner’s Church. It is a gathering where men can come together to bond over camping, cooking, and firearms. It is aptly named “God, Guys, Guns and Grub Desert Shootout,” or just simply G4 DSO.

When I attended in 2017, over 100 people were in attendance. Men arrived solo, with friends, and others with families (minus the females). Fresh meals were cooked for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the only time the shooting stopped was at sundown, when dinner was ready and the guest orator was about to speak. This event featured guest speaker Jeff Bramstedt, a former Navy SEAL who now operates Skydive San Diego. Outside of skydiving, Jeff gives Christian-based motivational speeches with the fervor one would expect from a Navy SEAL, such as sternly speaking to the crowd to emphasize points men should not forget. I had seen Jeff give a talk one time before this event, and needless to say I was looking forward to his speech this year.

I have to say, I have never seen anything like this event. It is extremely well organized and truly lives up to its name. There were some moving moments on this trip, such as hauling a cross up a hill and setting it up there permanently, and then there were other moving moments like seeing an original Accuracy International .50 BMG in action. The event consists of various firearm ranges, each set up by volunteers at the event to accommodate various shooting styles and weapons. If you like running drills there is a course for that. If you like ogling guns, there is plenty of time for that. If you just want to hang out and ride your ATV through the desert, feel free to do that all day and then arrive back in time for dinner. Since the shooting doesn’t stop until sundown, make sure you like guns if you ever plan on attending this event.