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.

OK, now that the Public Service Announcement is over, it’s time to get back to the action. It seems like the producers received a lot of positive feedback on the Season 1 finale and word came down to the effect of, "Great. Now make it bigger." The art department rose to the challenge, and the first bout was a doozy. Riffing on the dueling-tree theme, the sliding shutters inserted a new dimension into the competition. The problem posed was whether to concentrate on one's own targets, shut out the opposition or combine the strategies. Joe looked a little lost when faced with the constantly changing target array, which surprised me as he was very focused when shooting swinging plates.

The HORSE challenge was an obvious fan favorite and I hope it becomes a fixture of the show. The chance to capitalize on an opponent's weaknesses adds a strategic component to the competition. This mental aspect is, for me, the most intriguing part of the shooting sports, and last night, George really messed with a lot of people's heads. I recall cautioning viewers to remain detached from the character portrayals and to remember the power of editing if we wish to gain a true perspective of the very real people on our screen. At a bare minimum, George sacrificed a 50-percent chance at the prize money and, quite possibly, 100k in order to help out a friend. Any armchair quarterbacks want to bag on him now?

The mano-a-mano aspect of the final showdown between Brian and Chris was a nail-biter all the way to the final firearm. I was pleased to see each man's favorite firearm featured equally—Chris simply doesn't miss with a bow and Gunny is pure poetry with a 1911—so the two of them trading paint as they raced down the course had everyone cheering like it was the Daytona 500. In the end, it came down to whoever could shut out the 3 million people watching over his shoulder and just shoot. That guy was Chris and I applaud him for it.

So, we have a new champion. He's a good guy with a great strength of character and I hope you get the opportunity to know him a little better. For all of the drama portrayed and criticized, "Top Shot" has done more for the shooting community in the last year than any other single program, and it's worthy of support.