This is part of our 100 Things in 2014 challenge. Here’s the full list.

Our original strategy for this one included a traditional gun range, with borrowed guns. This was kind of nerve-racking for Becky; her earlier experience with handguns was full of unexplainable anxiety, so she was a bit nervous about this plan.

But when this came up on Groupon, we couldn’t say no. Threat Dynamics has taken actual real handguns and refitted them to just shoot CO2, so you get the weight, feel, and part of the recoil of an actual handgun with none of the danger or hearing protection. They’ve also added a laser system that works kind of like Duck Hunt, and the end result is a really immersive experience.

The photos we got are from a simple target shooting range, but we also did video scenarios with live actors, which felt like really shooting at a human being. We died a couple of times, because it’s actually pretty hard. This was combined with a really good instructor, who walked us through afterward in slow motion, so we could see our mistakes and how we were making decisions.

This was a pretty cool experience, although it felt like shooting was a very small part of it. Becky was able to work through some of that anxiety, and we both had a great time. Now everywhere we go, we’re checking our peripherals and watching each other’s back.