Top Shot Season 1 - Episode 2

[guns_and_labs]

It's only been two episodes and they've already used rifles and handguns.

What kind of strange weapons will we see in the coming weeks.

How about handguns at 200+ yards... maybe open sight T/C's, no rests allowed...

Should have a "Rifleman" episode... leverguns to clear a western town of bad guys, shooting from the hips only...

Or cannon fire, now that's a team event...

[CHA-LEE]

Its unfortunate that this show is more about luck than it is skill. But I guess if it was all about who was really the top shot then it would be boring. Boring TV does not pay the bills so this is what we are left with.

I am just surprised that there isn't more gaming of the challenges going on. Like in the Pistol challenge neither team timed the event on their own to know how much time taken to break the shots was overkill or not enough. It would have been pretty simple to have a rule stating that each shooter had no longer than 20 seconds to make their shot. Or simply to state that you had to HAUL ASS up to and away from the table. Or making it a rule that the last guy in the string would automatically reload the gun after his shot.

If you are going to work as a team, then work as a team to maximize your performance.

[ExtremeShot]

Instead of knives, sticks, and slingshot competitions, they should have had everyone compete in a USPSA match, a 3-gun match, a NRA Action pistol/Bianchi Cup match, a rifle benchrest match, a trap/skeet/sporting clays type match, and a SASS/Cowboy Action match. Everyone shoots the same types of guns. Assign points somehow. Guy with the most points wins. Put cameras everywhere (on the hats, on the guns, on the props, overhead, etc.) That would be fun to watch.

Darren

[M ammo]

Instead of knives, sticks, and slingshot competitions, they should have had everyone compete in a USPSA match, a 3-gun match, a NRA Action pistol/Bianchi Cup match, a rifle benchrest match, a trap/skeet/sporting clays type match, and a SASS/Cowboy Action match. Everyone shoots the same types of guns. Assign points somehow. Guy with the most points wins. Put cameras everywhere (on the hats, on the guns, on the props, overhead, etc.) That would be fun to watch.

Darren

Now that was a good idea!

Jim M ammo

[Filishooter]

Instead of knives, sticks, and slingshot competitions, they should have had everyone compete in a USPSA match, a 3-gun match, a NRA Action pistol/Bianchi Cup match, a rifle benchrest match, a trap/skeet/sporting clays type match, and a SASS/Cowboy Action match. Everyone shoots the same types of guns. Assign points somehow. Guy with the most points wins. Put cameras everywhere (on the hats, on the guns, on the props, overhead, etc.) That would be fun to watch.

Darren

That would be awesome...probably the only chance of that happening is if ESPN or some other sports promoter started an "All Marksmanship Challenge" and made it an actual sporting event instead of a reality show.

I used to race motocross as a kid and remember in the 80's a racing series called the SuperMoto. I believe ABC came up with it to find the best all around motorcycle racer. It was a crossover type race that was a mixture of on and off road racing. You had motocrossers vs road racers vs Enduro racers vs Flattrack racers vs Hare scramble racers, etc. IIRC it got good ratings at the time. What made it great is that you actually had current and former World/National Champions from different disciplines competing in it. At the time it was groundbreaking. I've lost touch of motorcycle racing, but a friend of mine told me that the SuperMoto is still being raced today, although as its own separate sport with new generation racers training/practicing specifically for SuperMoto.

How cool would it be if this happened for shooting? Uniting the shooting community in competition, birth of a new shooting sport. Positive exposure for firearms...

Edited June 15, 2010 by Filishooter

[Shawn Knight]

I didn't see any luck at all. I saw some basic skills being used and some basic skills being abused.

[kcult]

So far the show has been entertaining at best. Nowhere near what I thought it would be but did anybody but me notice the stupid sound overdubs? They used a Ruger 3 screw sound when they showed the 92 being thumbcocked. I hate shit like that! Ruins the mood.

I'll have to take your word on that one.

[Ed Robinson]

So far the show has been entertaining at best. Nowhere near what I thought it would be but did anybody but me notice the stupid sound overdubs? They used a Ruger 3 screw sound when they showed the 92 being thumbcocked. I hate shit like that! Ruins the mood.

I'll have to take your word on that one.

Trust me on this one. Who ever heard a Beretta M9/92 with 4 clicks and Ruger 3 screws have a distinctive click with their coil springs over a Colt SAA's flat springs. Reminded me of the episode of X-Files when Sully(or whatever his name was) drew his Glock and I guess he had to cock it(wasn't sure the Glocks had to be thumbed) and it made the classic single action revo 4 clicks! Hollywood editors and overdubs. Sheesh!

[blind bat]

I heard the same thing and was amazed. I thought the producers were doing a good job not going too 'hollywood' until I heard that. Overall, I'm hooked and I think the show portrays shooters in a good light.

[kcult]

I just checked it out again and I see what you are saying. When Andre grabbed the gun, he wasn't even cocking it and you could definitely hear the multiple clicks.

[Sarge]

I'll take you up on that, Sarge.

Next Area 6 match, if we're squadded together again, you can pay up then.

You're on! That is, as long as you don't have inside info and try to pull a fast one!

[Mikesucks]

[link removed.]

Mike sucks let it go.

[link removed]

Edited June 16, 2010 by Flexmoney

[XRe]

Great... now we have to deal with trolls, too...

[Mo Hepworth]

Great... now we have to deal with trolls, too...

he has cool hair though....LOL. Someone has to invite him to a match. He needs another friend.

[CocoBolo]

Well this is one tough bunch of critics. XRE you sure started something here. I'm rootin for the girl

Edited June 16, 2010 by CocoBolo

[Flexmoney]

Great... now we have to deal with trolls, too...

No we don't.

(He is banned. Clearly he came here for the wrong reasons. Lets leave it at that, folks.)

- Admin.

[duramaxtech]

Another funny thing to watch is Colby with his hands ALWAYS on his hips. Watch carefully as the teams walk up to the first Beretta practice. On a predetermined signal, ALL of Blue Team go 'Hands-On-Hips" in our best Colby immitation. We were cracking up so much, he had to ask a producer later what the heck was wrong with us.

We all got a long pretty darn well, and Frank was the favorite of both teams. We were all really say to see him go. But he took it like a man, with a great sense of humor to the very end.

As he got on the zip line for his final run, Colby asked if he was ready. Frank answered, "Yeah I'm ready pretty boy, how 'bout you??" Hysterical !!!!

That is funny! Both the hands on hips and Frank's comment!

[M ammo]

Are trolls like Zombies? No answer needed,,

I shot at an inch, spot last night,, from 25 feet.

It took me 3 shots, not easy,,,

Jim M ammo

[Ahab]

Instead of knives, sticks, and slingshot competitions, they should have had everyone compete in a USPSA match, a 3-gun match, a NRA Action pistol/Bianchi Cup match, a rifle benchrest match, a trap/skeet/sporting clays type match, and a SASS/Cowboy Action match. Everyone shoots the same types of guns. Assign points somehow. Guy with the most points wins. Put cameras everywhere (on the hats, on the guns, on the props, overhead, etc.) That would be fun to watch.

Darren

Darren, this was actually kind of what I thought the show would be like going in to it, because I was thinking from own personal biases. When you look at Top Shot through the lens of a "shooting show marketed to non-shooters" the reality TV format makes more sense.

However, what you propose would be a great idea for a network like the Sportsman Channel or Outdoor Channel; those have a much higher population of shooters and gun nuts. Admittedly though, one of these days I'd like to see USPSA covered on ESPN, I think we're a ways away from that.

[Mbauer67]

Here are my thoughts, I want to see more shooting or smack talking if they don't get a chance to shoot, and less shooting of the nomination targets. For the guys on the show, did anyone missed the nomination target when they shot? Now that would be funny!

Next season I would like to see Jim Scoutten or Bob Munden hosting. Heck JJ would even make a good host, at least he's got some personality.

[Mbauer67]

I practice that zip line stuff in the garage: http://www.youtube.c...u/8/lySd_BPK7pw

You gotta be ready to mow down the zombies.

Another one of those "Hold my beer!" nights, I see.

Flex, that is an awesome idea. props for sharing

[BradEngmann]

Instead of knives, sticks, and slingshot competitions, they should have had everyone compete in a USPSA match, a 3-gun match, a NRA Action pistol/Bianchi Cup match, a rifle benchrest match, a trap/skeet/sporting clays type match, and a SASS/Cowboy Action match. Everyone shoots the same types of guns. Assign points somehow. Guy with the most points wins. Put cameras everywhere (on the hats, on the guns, on the props, overhead, etc.) That would be fun to watch.

Darren

Darren, this was actually kind of what I thought the show would be like going in to it, because I was thinking from own personal biases. When you look at Top Shot through the lens of a "shooting show marketed to non-shooters" the reality TV format makes more sense.

However, what you propose would be a great idea for a network like the Sportsman Channel or Outdoor Channel; those have a much higher population of shooters and gun nuts. Admittedly though, one of these days I'd like to see USPSA covered on ESPN, I think we're a ways away from that.

I agree with Caleb. We actually found out about the team format literally as soon as the cameras were rolling, but this method appeals to a considerably larger demographic and makes sense from that perspective. I think that for mainstream TV, there has to be an angle about the shooting, with some sort of flair. While the shooting "Olympics" with all those different disciplines would be exciting as competitors, I believe that it would still draw primarily a niche audience on television. Personalities need to play a role for now, and therefore the competitions need to be kept small.

To the average viewer, watching someone shoot anything in real life is not very exciting, in spite of the difficulty. (This is due to preconceived notions about how hard things are, in addition to the repetitiveness) It's the equivalent of watching an hour long contest of people making half court basketball shots. It's hard, but it's the same thing every time. This would also be exacerbated if Hollywood produced movies of people making these incredible shots with one hand consistently. I watch a ton of match videos (one of my favorites for draw/technique is this one:

) but would your wife or girlfriend or even non-shooter buddy want to? And these guys are the best in the world at that. Hell, even Combat Missions with Rudy sank because people were expecting guys rappelling out of helicopters and stylized impossible shooting.

An interesting topic would be why is golf so popular to watch, and shooting isn't? They suffer from many of the same viewability problems. I think it's because lots of people play golf, especially wealthy people, and there's a lot of money in it. It's a corporate, mainstream sport, while shooting isn't....YET.

Edited June 16, 2010 by BradEngmann

[Flexmoney]

The "Survivor" format is a proven success. They'd have been silly not to go with that. It's plug and play.

[abn-rgr]

What Flex said. I actually like the format. As a lot here have said, my wife even watches it.

[XRe]

At this point, I think I'm over all the whining about the format. If you don't like it, stop watching...