A Fricken 12 Guage, What do You Think?

Bob, John, Joe and I went up to Arkansas for the fourth of July weekend.  We spent Friday shooting a variety of guns, including BBs, 22s and shotguns. 

We set up the targets on the west side of the pond and shot at them from the east side of the pond.

This is the expert marksman I married.  He has pretty good shooting form, don't you think?

John got his expert ribbons at the Naval Academy during Plebe summer in 2008.  He claims that the experience of spending days and days shooting up in Arkansas during his growing up years honed his marksmanship.

My father likes to rest his rifle on a solid object to steady the shot.

Joe thought the scope messed up his aim.

But I can shoot dead on with the scope, especially when I am sitting down, resting the rifle on the solid object I call my knees.

We had a couple of pistols too. 

John decided to use my method of sitting and resting the rifle on his knees.

Bob had the great idea to bring our camping table to so that we could access our arsenal without putting the guns in the dirt.

We had various targets on the other side of the pond.

Bob and John getting ready for the shotgun session.

John and Joe.

Joe throwing the clay pidgeon.  He did better than I did.  I couldn't get the clay pidgeon to leave the thrower.  I have also decided that I either need to buy a smaller shot gun or give up this sport.  The twelve guage kicks so hard.  It kind of felt like a knife was stabbing my shoulder.  My new rule is that if I can't do a pull-up I can't shoot a twelve guage.  I havn't done a pull-up since I was in the 6th grade. 

Joe was a little afraid to shoot the shot gun but he did great and it didn't kick him too badly, but then again, he can do 3 pull-ups now.

We started the smoke bombs before dark so that we could see the multi-colored smoke.

We went to my cousin Glen's house for the 4th.  After the picnic we went to Rudy for fireworks.  This is Glen's son Ian with Yolanda's kids.

This is my second cousin Yolanda, with her son Cordell and Glen's wife, Linda.

Waiting for the fireworks to start.

Aunt Lorene, me and my father in Rudy waiting for the fireworks to start at dusk.

The show was really good.  I was expecting a small firworks show.  After all, the Rudy's population is 72.  But the fireworks were wonderful! 

After the Rudy show we went back to Glen's and we, especially the boys and young men, shot off fireworks for about an hour, until we ran out.