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I must confess that when the AmericanRifleman.org folks approached me to provide my insight on "Top Shot," I was a little bit hesitant. I'm really not a TV kind of guy, but they persisted. I guess my take is somewhat akin to a kid in Willy Wonka's factory—there's a ton of stuff happening that looks cool, but I have no idea what it does so please take any views offered with a basketball-size grain of salt. What has been interesting is the way the show has gotten bigger and better, and how it has brought many non-shooters into the fold. I've talked to a lot of people who've seen the show and want to go shooting as a direct result. So, if you have a similar encounter, please take the time to show them just how safe, satisfying and challenging our hobby can be.
April 28, 2011
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Last night's thrilling episode is brought to you from the lobby of a mid-priced business hotel, north of Los Angeles. Sitting next to me is the winner of Season 2, and I'll leave it to you to figure out why we're here. You might draw a conclusion from the fact that the casting process for Season 4 is underway. Hmm, we're talking about one, two, and four....what's missing? I'm pleased to say that, based on having worked with him a few months ago and again over the past few days, the winner of Season 2 is one heck of a stand-up guy. He has his own story to tell, which I'll leave for him to recount after next week, but suffice to say that "Top Shot" only scratches the surface. There's a whole stack of stories behind how he got to where he is today.
April 20, 2011
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So, did anyone notice the connection between the firearms on last night's show? I had the opportunity to choose just about any firearm in the inventory of the the biggest prop house on the west coast, but went with a few familiar friends in the AR15, the FN-FAL, Browning Hi-Power and SIG, figuring that most firearms aficionados had shot at least one of them. They'd also been mostly absent from the show so far. In case you were wondering, they're all variants of guns that have shown up in British service over the years. If only I could have snuck in a WG revolver and an Enfield...
April 13, 2011
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With just a few more episodes before revealing the Season Two Top Shot, the producers are shaking things up to bring the best to the top by having the competitors shoot a variety of firearms from unstable positions.
April 12, 2011
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OK, full disclosure: I love shooting .50 BMGs. Why? They are loud, obnoxious, excessive and very, very American. When I lived in New York, the legislature decided that, despite the fact that the cartridge was conspicuously absent from the roll call of those found at crime scenes, they were going to ban it. Until that point, I had absolutely no interest in the round, but as soon as it was under threat, I knew I had to have one. So, I plunked down my hard-earned cash on a single-shot bolt-action upper for an AR-15. While not the most refined or accurate contraption, it brings a huge grin to the face of anyone who shoots it, and the blast from the muzzle brake removes anything on the bench at the range.
April 07, 2011
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On this week's episode of Top Shot, the contestants will face a long-range test that most shooters don't get to experience, the 1000-yard shot. The remaining competitors, who have made it to the individual stage, will be settling in behind the biggest gun ever used on the show—the Barrett 82A1, chambered in .50 BMG.
April 05, 2011
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Last night's team challenge showed that, despite the 10/22's old school wood stock, simple iron sights and complete lack of a tacticool railed forend, it is nonetheless a great equalizer. Chris Reed demonstrated his knowledge and insight of this when he said, “with the .22, in ten minutes I'll tell you who's the better shooter.” And he should know, having regularly placed in the Total Outdoorsman Challenge.
March 30, 2011
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Readers of this blog (yes, both of you—you know who you are) will be familiar by now with my usual Tuesday evening routine of finishing work and then heading over to my local Irish bar to watch Top Shot. The reason I watch there with friends, rather than secluded in my man cave is twofold. First, the service is a lot better. Second, it's really entertaining to look around the bar during the show and see how many non-shooters become sucked into the drama that unfolds onscreen. Last night's episode was definitely a winner in that respect. I know that some of the shooters watching will have been turned off by the fact that the contest revolved around primitive weapons, but given what the show has done to bring the shooting sports into living rooms across the country, I'm OK with that.
March 16, 2011
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Currently on the second leg of my March odyssey, I'm watching Top Shot tonight with some friends in a restaurant in Fairfax Va., just down the road from NRA HQ. It feels like revisiting the scene of a crime, as last time I was here, Pete Palma joined me for the occasion, and the celebrations were a little, shall we say, spirited? Pete has since moved to Blake Miguez's stomping grounds, so he won't be able to make it for episode five of Season 2, but I'll be reporting back when he accompanies me to a 3-gun match next month. The inimitable Adam Benson is among tonight's audience however, and I know that Jermaine, George and JJ Racaza have their own viewing party tonight in Atlantic City.
March 10, 2011
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Iain Harrison, Top Shot Season 1 Champion and AmericanRifleman.org blog contributor, was in-house earlier this week, so we convinced him to sit down in front of the camera and talk about the whole of Top Shot season 2 so far: what he liked, what he thought was different, recent eliminations and much more.
March 09, 2011
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Crimson Trace Infrared Lasers in Action
March 08, 2011
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Reality Shots once again caught up with a newly ousted Top Shot contestant this week to discuss life before, during and after the show. This time it's Maggie Reese, the final woman to be eliminated from Season 2.
March 07, 2011
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I'm occasionally asked if the Top Shot experience did anything for me, besides the ability to buy a bit more ammo. Well, today's thrilling installment of my Season 2 review is brought to you from sunny downtown Prescott, Ariz., rather than my usual watering hole in Oregon, as this week I'm attending an industry shoot at Gunsite with the likes of Bryce Towsley and Ed Head. So yeah, there's been an entire career change in the course of a few months and to be honest, my head's still spinning. I hope that the Season 2 competitors manage to turn their appearance on the show to their advantage as like their predecessors, they're all pretty much just regular guys with a passion for the shooting sports.
March 02, 2011
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As with every other human endeavor that involves lots of highly specialized people, there’s more to this TV business than meets the eye. Literally. To get some idea of what this means, imagine looking at the world through your favorite scope; there’s that part in the glass that is crystal clear and hi-def. Then there’s everything else – the world outside the scope that’s happening around what you perceive to be the universe, but is just as real, just as valid. The director’s job is to move that scope around and capture the essence of what’s happening in the bigger picture – get it right and the image onscreen becomes a microcosm of actual events. Get it wrong and you miss out on vital information, or give entirely the wrong impression.
February 23, 2011
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A Top Shot tests a top gun built by a relative newcomer.
February 17, 2011
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