Bobby takes up shooting as a new hobby and wants to enter a tournament with Hank, but Hank has to overcome his past emotional trauma he suffered from Cotton.
This episode contains examples of:
- Amusement Park: The episode begins at one, with Bobby showing off his less-than-stellar athletic abilities (such as throwing a baseball at bottles) before finding his talent in shooting.
- Art Evolution: Starting with this episode, Peggy's shirt becomes green instead of grey. And her socks are no longer visible. Two changes that became permanent from this episode on.
- Bittersweet Ending: Despite Hank's newfound confidence in shooting, he misses his last target and is disappointed with the loss and expects the same from Bobby, but he's happy to finish second and is eager to enter the tournament next year, much to Hank's joy.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Phillip Ny is an eccentric and flamboyant sports psychologist, but nevertheless helps give Hank confidence in his shooting.
- Drill Sergeant Nasty: In Hank's flashbacks, Cotton comes off as this as he's first seen trying to show a preteen Hank to shoot accurately the same way he learned, by getting berated and yelled at like when he was in the army. When Hank remembers that Cotton taught Bill, Dale, and Boomhower to shoot when they were young teenagers, he kept telling the boys that good accuracy would keep them alive in the battlefield, while Hank, who couldn't shoot straight, would be killed immediately.
- Flashback: Hank has these to his childhood when Cotton berates him over his shooting, which makes him even more nervous and greatly hinders his shooting ability in the present time.
- Fingore: During the Gauntlet portion, Hank accidentally shoots of the thumb of a wooden park ranger, which naturally earns them a deduction. The NRA instructor, having lost his thumb himself, boos Hank.
- Flipping the Bird: Before going to the tournament, Cotton stops by the wax museum to flip off the statue of FDR.
- Hypocritical Humor: With the contest being close, Bobby points out if the McKays end up missing, they'll win. Hank then says they don't want to win that way. But when their opponents hit their target, Hank lets out a flat "Damn".
- Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy: Hank has trouble shooting, even aiming, all due to Cotton berating him when he was younger. Because of this, he tries to get his way out of the tournament.
- Ink-Suit Actor: Phillip Ny looks like his voice actor, Wallace Shawn.
- It's All My Fault: After talking to the guys and Hank declaring he's not participating in the tournament, Bobby takes this to heart, blaming himself for making Hank dislike guns, unaware it's Cotton's emotional abuse is screwing him up.
- Just Plane Wrong: When Phillip Ny tries to get Hank to visualize something "flying out of the gun to the target" to help him relax, Hank suggests a "McDonnell Douglas L-1011 Widebody". The L-1011
was built by Lockheed, a competitor to McDonnell Douglass. MD built a similar plane called the DC-10. - Logic Bomb: Hank does this to Dale after him doting over the NRA, stating "the NRA is a Washington D.C. based organization. Are you telling me you support Washington D.C.?"
- Dale: (long pause) That's a thinker.
- Parent-Child Team: The tournament is father-and-son with Hank and Bobby and the eventual winner, the McKays.
- Pet the Dog: Zig-zagged with Cotton, whom shows up to the tournament to support Bobby, but still thinks they'll lose on account of Hank (and he's right), even betting with Dale on the rival family.
- Second Place Is for Losers: Subverted. Bobby has this attitude during the tournament, much to Hank's chagrin (not helping of course is him dealing with Cotton's emotional abuse). But after they lose on Hank missing, Bobby is ecstatic that they finished second place, much to the pride of Hank.
- Special Guest: Wallace Shawn as Philip Ny.
- Too Dumb to Live: The NRA instructor mentioned when he was younger he got so excited about shooting targets he ran in the middle of the firing range, losing an eye and a thumb. And after Bobby hits the target dead center, it's shown he still hasn't learned his lesson. Granted he didn't get hurt this time, but still...
