10 reasons why i love shotguns

today, my sister, my dad, and i went shooting. we've been planning this date for months. you see, i found out this summer that i owned a 12-gauge shotgun. apparently, my pops bought my sister and i matching ones for christmas one year (best gift...um, ever?). and actually, my dad has a similar one as well (yes, i can hear the "aww's" now). so after a 15 year hiatus, i decided it was time to get back in the game.

now, i'd only shot a shotgun once. and i hated it. rifles were my gig, so the thought of shooting this reverb beast made me, well, nervous. but two boxes of clays later, i was hooked. shotguns are far superior to rifles, and way more fun! don't believe me? well, let me try to convince you.

     10.)The Great Outdoors.

my dad takes us to an outdoor range in los altos. definitely a plus.
if you didn't know already, i'm obsessed with really like trees and clouds.
include those two elements in any outing and i'm sold!

      9.) Family Affair. 

 it's nice to see other families doing things together. maybe learning to shoot a gun isn't your idea of a family outing, but in all seriousness, it's nice to see parents being parents, teaching and investing in their children. it's not something i see too often.

      8.) Challenge. 

i don't have the best hand-eye coordination. so to say that i need to point
this weapon at a moving target and hit it, well, uh yea, kind of a challenge.
although i did better than i expected.

      7.) Change. 

even if you place the clay in the same position on the launcher, it always ends up in a different spot. adaptation is key. adaptation is something i need practice with. (and that's why shooting clays is pretty suh-weet!)

      6.) No Limits. 

this limit is specific to time. you make your own schedule when you go to shoot. get there first thing in the morning or wait until the afternoon? shoot til noon or until you've gone through a box or two of clays? always different, always fun.

      5.) Nice People. 

i love the range masters. ya know, the guys with the bright orange vests insuring safety. well, this one guy pulled up in his golf cart and i was nervous that we had broken a rule. nope. he just wanted to give me and ellen a few tips. that's nice. and i like it.

      4.) Easy Breezy Clean

so cleaning a rifle can take up to an hour. it's fairly meticulous (and i'd actually go through the steps if anyone reading this would understand). when we got home, i was dreading cleaning the shotguns. my dad was saying we were going to clean in the garage, as opposed to the dining room where we always used to clean. i thought i was going to take forever since our garage isn't exactly spacious. come to find out, it takes about ten minutes (max) to clean a shotgun. pure beauty.

     3.) Practice Makes Better. 

the more i shot, the better i got. sure, i still suck, but i'm way better.
can't wait to restock the amo and clays for another range date!

     2.) Worthy of Hardcore Points. 

dude, i shot a shut gun, got a small bruise, and didn't hurt anyone.
b.a. hard core points earned fo sho!

     1.) It's Frickin' Fun!

i mean, really, it is! if you still don't believe me,
you'll just have to come give it a try with me this summer!

(want to see more photos of this day, please check out my sisters blog)