“Here’s my concealed carry card and if that’s not good enough for you, here’s my U.S. constitution,” Breckenridge said, pulling a card out of one pocket of his fringed jacket then a small book out of another.

Juneau and Zinke did not directly say what they thought of the ordinance, debating their general gun rights records and becoming focused on a Congressional proposal to ban firearm sales to people on the no-fly list, a part of the nation’s terror watch list.

“I do believe we have enough laws on the books. We need to enforce those laws currently there,” Juneau said. “There is a bill moving through Congress I support that would keep criminals and terrorists from buying guns. Congress can’t even take that step. That strengthens the rights of law-abiding citizens and responsible gun owners.”

Zinke fired back.

“Who’s on the no-fly list and how do you get on it? It’s secret. More importantly how do you get off?” he said, suggesting that removing citizens’ rights at all, but especially with so little transparency, was a slippery slope.

Reflecting the debate’s location at one corner of Montana’s Golden Triangle, candidates also talked about how they would help the next generation of farmers and ranchers secure the capital they needed.