Hanson Family Shoot

Okay, I'll admit it... My family is very competitive. Very competitive.

We are having the 22nd (or is it 23rd?) annual Hanson Family 22 caliber Target Shoot tomorrow. William won last year so we are responsible for hosting this year. This causes a small problem as we live in town and cannot shoot rifles there. So, we asked my Uncle Russ to have the shoot at his cabin in the woods. He thought it was a good idea because otherwise, he would never get to host (you have to win to be responsible for hosting). So we are headed to the country tomorrow for a day filled with food (It wouldn't be a Hanson Family gathering if there wasn't enough food to feed an entire army and their extended families!) laughter and some healthy competition. I am so looking forward to it!

My father started the shoot in the mid to late 1980's with the intent of having us kids become comfortable shooting guns so that when we started hunting (at the ripe age of 12) we would be able to kill a deer and not just wound it. Well, the shoot has taken on a life of its own. There is a traveling trophy which if you win you get to keep at your house for the year (I don't like to brag, but I am very proud that I have won the contest twice) and everyone is pretty serious about the rules. Especially the rule that until you marry into the family, your score doesn't count. So my wonderful husband, being the first "non-Hanson" to win, was pretty proud that it only took two "official" tries (one each year after we were married) to win. I was pretty proud of him too.

Last year, I was the first person to ever shoot all five shells at the target and not hit the target once. Now, I thought it was a very odd occurrence, since I am usually within the top five shooters pretty much every year, but I thought maybe the scope wasn't working right when I couldn't see the holes from the first two shots. I took the other 3 shots and went to see my score. Zip! Needless to say, the scope was not even attached to the gun (it had gotten knocked loose between my brother and my self's turn) so the Uncles conferred and decided to let me shoot again with a different gun. Thankfully, I hit the target this time (all five shots) and did fairly well. This year I am looking to win the whole show! (Barring any unforeseen incidents!) Hopefully I will get some good pictures to show of the day!