...What I'd like to provide for them is training and knowledge in the use of said tools
There's the usual suspects thunder ranch etc.
But it's a growing industry
Providing them with a decent tool is not a problem on this end
Providing them with skilset is, Ive taken them as far as I can in what little I know
I'd like to get them some next level help & training. They're close already, and figure a trip together to learn skills hopefully would serve to increase the solid bond that exists already….
So I'd really like to make sure they attend a decent course...
I can't comment on the young instructors (Costa, etc.) but I've done most of the old time schools (Farnam, Hackathorn, Ayoob, Thunder Ranch, Gunsite and the late Ray Chapman). It seems like everyone coming back from the Sandbox is a deep, dark ninja-of-death, Ranger-Seal-Recon-Delta-operator and opens their own shooting school to teach the "new technique" of survival. As young men, perhaps your sons would like some of these younger instructors. In the "old days" almost all of the schools were started by competitive shooters (John Shaw, Bill Rogers and Mickey Fowler-Mike Dalton-Mike Fichman) and many of the SpecOps organizations sent teams to these guys for training (one well known competitive shooter/gunsmith lost his 1st wife to one of the Seals that he was training!). None of these guys had ever heard a shot fired in anger (well, maybe Rogers as an x-FBI agent had). JMO, but having "seen the elephant" is not a criteria for a superb weapons instructor.
Farnam, Ayoob and Hackathorn (and most of the young-gun instructors) are on-site instructors----of course, Gunsite and Thunder Ranch are static destinations. The "bonding experience" that you're wanting for your sons will be enhanced by attending one of the static destination schools IMO. Between the two, TR is more modern, newer and Clint Smith is superior to any of the personalities at Gunsite; however, Gunsite is bigger, has more facilities and is the Mecca of shooting schools…….the added bonus (if you and/or your sons are Cooper fans) is that Janel still has an open house for all of the 250 class members at the Sconce (Cooper's house) where students are free to roam in Jeff's gun-room, library/office, etc. She is in her 90's and who knows how long that will continue. The instruction and curriculum at Gunsite is superb. You can't go wrong with either TR or GS IMO.
Good luck with your decision.
