Dirty Dozen

posted on June 27, 2013
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
rackley2015_fs.jpg (6)

By Paul Rackley

With only 12 shooters left in the house, Top Shot producers brought back a popular challenge from Seasons One and Two. In what I’m calling dropping dice, the competitors split into teams captained by two of my favorite shooters—Kelly and Jamie—to compete head-to-head with the Remington New Army 1875.

In the challenge, shooters shot out the dots on dice for one point for each hit. However, in a twist the shooter who knocked out the dots on the dice first closed the door on the competition. Gabby jumped Kelly’s team to a quick lead that continued for the next two pairs to shoot. But as the dots increased Jamie’s team ties the score before Chris humiliates Brian Zims and sends Kelly and group to the proving ground. There, the producers twisted things up by having Kelly, Brian, Gary, Alex, Gabby and Joe try to send three bullets through the center of three CDs for a point for each successful shot.

To be honest, it was pretty disappointing to see three of the six shooters go zero for three, but Kelly exhibited his rifle-shooting skills with three perfect shots. Of course with three shooters at zero, a tie-breaker was used to send Gabby and Alex to Elimination where they faced an old fashioned shooting gallery with the Ruger 10/22.

While Gabby is a great shooter, especially in her discipline, I quickly realized that she was probably headed home after this challenge. She had never fired this iconic rifle, much less set up her own little shooting gallery as a kid. She did very well, considering, hitting 45 of her 100 targets. Unfortunately for her, Alex hit 58.

I’m going to miss Gabby. She wasn’t a great female shooter. She was a great shooter who happened to be female. She is also the only woman to have ever made it to the individual stage of the competition, and the only woman to win an Elimination Challenge.

Latest

attack in a back alley
attack in a back alley

Cold Performance: How to Prepare for the Uncertainty of Self-Defense

Defensive gun use is defined by uncertainty. You don’t know when it will happen, how far away the threat will be, how many threats you will face or what position you will be in when it begins.

Derya Goes Silent: The OBone Suppressor

In 2025, Turkish manufacturer Derya Arms opened a new facility in Florida, enabling the company to produce a number of new products domestically, such as its new OBone suppressor.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 26, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Rifleman Q&A: Understanding a Firearm's Cycle of Operation

The cycle of operation is the mechanical sequence of events that it takes to fire one shot out of a firearm. If one of those steps fails to take place as designed, there is an interruption in the cycle of operation and the gun stops firing.

Review: Sightmark Pinnacle 1-6x24 mm Riflescope

Looking for a performance LPVO without the usual associated cost? The Sightmark Pinnacle 1-6x24 mm might be your answer.

Myths & Misunderstandings About the “Modern Fighting 1911”

The Colt Model 1911 pistol and its derivatives are among the most iconic military handguns ever made. But in 2026, does the M1911 still hold up as a quality defensive arm?

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.