I have already set the DVR to recored next weeks episode. The USA national rifle team guy kicked butt at elimination.
I enjoyed it !
Will have to check it out. Sounds great
I recommend it.
Leni
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Thanks for the heads up!
I have already set the DVR to recored next weeks episode. The USA national rifle team guy kicked butt at elimination.
SnakeDoc
I just wish the history channel would do more history shows.
Enough with ice road truckers and axe men.
We watched and enjoyed it. With Colby Donaldson hosting it didn’t take much to convince me to tune in. :D
At the beginning I thought Blue would be so much better, I was wrong.
I was told 20K submitted apps for the show. Have no idea if that is true, though. Have met some these competitors at Camp Perry.
Let’s meet the contestants.
Adam Benson
Age 44
Baltimore, MD
Construction Project Manager
He calls himself the “The Last Great American Hero” – just an everyday family man who happens to have exceptional shooting skills. A former Marine rifle expert nicknamed “Bam-Bam,” Adam is currently an IPSC Master Class shooter competing in both pistol and three-gun events.
An accomplished hunter with archery and muzzleloader, Adam has also designed and built catapults for pumpkin throwing competitions.
Andre Robinson
Age 28
Pittsburgh, PA
Soldier, U.S. Army
Andre trained with the Marines, earning “Rifle Expert” status in four competitions before joining the Army, where he earned the same status two more times. His skills were also honed during deployment.
He is currently stationed in South Korea and traveled around the world to compete in TOP SHOT. The bodybuilder and family man joined TOP SHOT to show his young children that anything is possible with commitment.
Bill Carns
Age 40
Pahrump, Nevada
Radio Gun Show Host
Nationally syndicated host of 2A Radio, Bill is a former police officer, business owner, efficiency expert and has run a multi-million dollar corporation.
Since the late 1990s Bill’s concentration in the firearms industry has culminated in leading him to become one of the most highly respected defensive firearms trainers today.
Bill is a qualified 5-Weapons Range Master and continues to teach today.
Blake Miguez
Age 28
New Iberia, LA
Semi-Professional Shooter
Known in the shooting community for his speed, Blake began competing in the USPSA at age 12 and reached Grand Master rank by 17. He has been Louisiana state champion and a top 16 finisher in the U.S. Nationals for the past 10 years.
Blake has trained U.S. Anti-Terrorism Special Forces in firearms use and currently ranks 2nd in the world for action pistol shooting. He is also an attorney and executive of an offshore marine transportation company and a bulk fuel/oil distributorship.
Brad Engmann
Age 26
San Francisco, CA
I.T. Project Manager
Brad is a project manager for a financial data firm. This Bay Area businessman might not fit people’s perception of a competitive shooter, but he prefers it that way. In fact, he’s been known to throw people off by competing, and winning, in a suit and tie.
He is currently a USPSA Grand Master and finished 23rd last year in his first Production Division Nationals. Additionally, he holds a Master class certification in IDPA and recently took 2nd in the California state championship.
Caleb Giddings
Age 27
Fishers, IN
Insurance Sales
Caleb is known in the shooting community as “The Little Giant” because, even though he stands at 5’6” and 145 pounds, he out-shoots guys that are bigger and faster.
He started shooting at age eight and his Coast Guard Academy training and classes at Gunsite and Blackwater USA helped him amass trophies at the Indiana State Steel Challenge, the Ray Chapman Speed Event, and the Indiana State IDPA tournament.
Also a writer, Caleb runs a shooting sports website to help introduce people to competition shooting.
Chris Cerino
Age 40
Wadsworth, OH
Law Enforcement Trainer
A self-described “can do person,” Chris sets out to master any weapon he can get his hands on. With 18 years in law enforcement, Chris is a full-time military and police firearms instructor with a background in tactical operations.
Although he doesn’t compete formally, Chris took 2nd place in the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association in Chicago. He is also experienced with compound bows, crossbows, and slingshots.
Denny Chapman
Age 41
Ocala, FL
Wild West Performer
Denny is a real-life cowboy living and working in Florida’s horse country. A Level 5 competitor in the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association, he’s a professional horse trainer and clinician for the sport of mounted shooting and performs in his own Wild West specialty shows for rodeos and special events around the country.
He has won national and state championship titles in SASS mounted shooting and has competed in numerous other shooting disciplines, such as Benchrest, IDPA and USPSA.
Frank Campana
Age 47
Yonkers, NY
Retired Police Officer
A retired Yonkers police, SWAT and narcotics officer, Frank is an FBI-certified sniper and instructor who attended more than 20 firearms schools and has trained with all branches of the military, including the British SAS and the Israel Special Forces.
He also competes with bow and arrow and learned to hunt with spears living with a tribe in the Zimbabwe bush. Frank’s life passion is studying the various wildlife and cultures of Africa.
Iain Harrison
Age 42
Sherwood, OR
Construction Manager
This British-born marksman moved to the U.S. in part to pursue his love of shooting. He served as a re-con platoon commander in the British Army and has shot everything from service small arms to 120mm anti-tank missiles and 30mm cannons.
Iain is an amateur gunsmith, and even machines his own steel and aluminum on a milling machine and lathe. He placed 2nd in Trooper Class in the 2009 MGM Ironman multi-gun competition, using firearms he made himself.
James Sinclair
Age 48
Dover, NH
Historical Firearms Collector
A self-taught shooter, Jim has been passionate about historical firearms since he was five years old. Primarily a high power rifle shooter, he attends the National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, where he won the 1903 Springfield Match (2007), and tied for 1st in the John Garand Match (1999).
A printer and part-time truck driver, Jim enjoys refurbishing old military weapons and creating custom gun stocks.
Kelly Bachand
Age 22
Kent, WA
StudentKelly is a rising star in the long-range shooting world. He is a college student who began shooting long range competitions only four years ago.
Kelly made the Under 21 USA National Rifle Team in 2006. By 2009 he won gold, made the USA National Rifle Team, and became the youngest person and first American to win the Canadian Target Rifle Championship.
Mike Seeklander
Age 38
Owasso, OK
U.S. Shooting Academy
A semi-professional shooter, Mike has spent decades training for an all-around competition like this. Mike is the COO and a Senior Instructor at the United States Shooting Academy. He served as a former Marine, U.S. Federal Air Marshal and firearm instructor for the Federal Air Marshal training division, police officer, and finally a senior instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.
The semi-pro shooter has competed extensively on the practical handgun shooting circuit, and has also shot competitively with small bore and high powered rifles, as well as compound bows.
Peter Palma
Age 29
Norristown, PA
Plumber & Marine Sniper
A plumber by trade, Peter graduated 2nd in his class at the Marine Corps Sniper School. Peter collects historic and practical weapons of all kinds and loves to make potato guns out of PVC pipe. In his free time, he also serves as mascot of a roller derby team.
Simon “J.J.” Racaza
Age 29
New Milford, NJ
Fiercely competitive, J.J. hates to lose. This world-record holder in the Steel Challenge is consistently ranked in the USPSA top 5.
A Department of Homeland Security agent, J.J. is a double grandmaster in the USPSA/IPSC, winning the World Speed Shooting title in both the open and limited divisions.
Tara Poremba
Age 36
Chicago, IL
Police Officer
After six years in the Marines Corps Reserve, Tara became the first female in the history of the Chicago Police Department to become “Top Gun” of her graduating class and was awarded “Top Gun” of the FBI Firearms Instructor School.
A High Woman’s State Champ in several states in Conventional Pistol, and a former National Champion, she earned her Distinguished Pistol Badge from the Civilian Marksmanship program and the President’s 100 Award at the Nationals at Camp Perry.
For FR Front Sight students, one of the contestants is Front Sight instructor Bill Carns:
http://www.history.com/shows/top-shot/bios/#slide-3
I saw it. Liked the format. Didn’t like the exploding targets. Didn’t like the lack of time requirements on the shoots, nor points [+ or-] for tight groups; and particularly didn’t like the rifle selection. Liked the ‘03. Could live with the M 14. Could tolerate the Moison-Nagant. But NO Lee-Enfield? No Mauser ‘98? And how about a StG 44 and an M 1 Garand?
I saw it, thought it was crap. They say they are looking for the best shooter. Then they started voting off competitors for their personalities. I’ve never seen an episode of Survivor but I have competed in hundreds of sanctioned shooting competitions. What matters is the score at the end of the match. Why not let them shoot the many kinds of weapons in differing disciplines, keep a running tally (like they do with loads hauled over the ice or log loads hauled or pounds of crabs caught), and at the end of the season, we find the best shot. I was disappointed, I had high hopes.
Yeah I saw it last nite. Pretty good!
Saw the show and will definitely keep watching. I am sooooo glad that Kelly kicked Mike’s butt. That man had it coming.
Liked the show, and thought it was interesting how things played out. The Marine that blew the first shot with the 1903 Springfield stressed out, and knew it. Funny thing is, I suspect if it was combat he might have been calmer.