I watch Top Shot.
A lot of folks in the Serious Shooting Fraternity have poo-poo’d the show because, let’s face it, it’s Survivor meets carnival shooting games. But I’m here to tell you, some of those shooting games look absolutely awesome. I’d happily pay a grand to spend a couple days on the range shooting some of those challenges: Disneyland for Gun People. The swinging shoot-noshoot plates stage from last year was possibly one of the most fun challenges I’ve ever seen.
The drama is silly. The editing (which is all about increasing the drama) is silly. But the show is worth watching just for the 2.5 minutes of shooting they do per hour episode. Honestly.
Train hard & stay safe! ToddG
I watch it. I don’t like the drama but I do love the shooting. God I’d love to shoot some of those challenges.
The high-speed/slo-motion camera stuff is definitely on the cool side too. Sorry to see Maggie go this week, I had hoped to see great things from her.
I agree….
However it looked to me that the swinging plate elimination challenge from last year was fixed. I watched it probably 20x on my dvr and the “no shoot” plate that eliminated the older dude from the competition was perfectly timed with one of his competitors “shoot” plates directly in-front of it. There was no way he could have avoided shooting his own plate while shooting the other guys plate. The winner of that challenge went on to win the show.
I like the show. I have a hard time seeing how anyone who is into shooting doesn’t appreciate having a TV show based around their interests. If nothing else, it puts shooting out into the public eye and in a positive light. Most people only hear about guns from negative stores on the news or in unrealistic movies. I imagine many people in this country have no idea that shooting can be a fun past time, much less a competitive sport. I personally know people who wouldn’t allow a gun into their home, but really enjoy the show. That’s a great first step towards getting them comfortable with firearms.
I think Greg nailed it. A TV show that presents firearms in a positive way is a good thing. Sure, the “reality” show aspect of it is a little corny and even annoying sometimes, but being able to show the non-gun person people from all walks of life enjoying firearms is pretty cool.
I DVR the show and just watch the shooting parts. You can get through an hour episode in about 10-15 min.
I watch it. I’m surprised at the number of people in my office that watch it too, yet aren’t into firearms at all. Some don’t even own a gun.
I agree. The show portrays our sport in a positive light with some interesting challenges.
I’m a fan of the show.
Yes- it is dramatized. But its still interesting to see how someone carries themselves when the buzzer goes off vs “normal” behavior.
And yes, some of the challenges look absurdly fun.
I’ve never even heard of it. I don’t have my own TV so maybe that’s why.
Screw you guys, I love every second of the drama. Anyone who says that they aren’t screaming at their TV every time the golf instructor opens up his mouth is lying through their teeth.
The drama really turned me off last year but the episodes I have seen so far this year seem much better. What amazed me were how the pistol competitors fell apart on the first stages. Must have been the pressure.
NASCAR became the biggest motorsport in America because it was the best at playing up the personalities of the race car drivers.
The NBA took off with Dr. J, Magic vs. Bird and Michael Jordan.
The true fan will cheer the sport, but there’s not enough true fans out there to make ANY given sport a money-making enterprise. It’s the casual fan that makes any given sport profitable, and those fans are driven by The Human Drama Of Athletic Competition, to borrow a phrase from Wide World of Sports.
Same with the shooting sports. The drama on Top Shot may turn off the real fan, but it’s that drama (and the host) that keeps my wife watching it every week.
And I’d pay a grand for a few of the challenges, too. There were a couple there that looked like FUN.
Anybody who says that the array of targets they have that’s set up like an old west saloon, a Ruger 22/45, and a brick of ammo wouldn’t be the most enjoyable way to kill an afternoon with your clothes on is lying or has never shot at anything other than paper before…
I must have AADD, since I cannot for the life of me, enter in to watching a Series, even if it has guns in it. It is nice that they shed a positive light on the sport; however, it is simply too much like Survivor for it to keep my interest.
Oh and what’s up with all the Grand Master shooters not being able to hit the broad side of a barn? I do find occasional amusement in watching the GM’s choke, shooting any pistol that isn’t tricked out.
Is there a one day “Top Shot Challenge” in the works at the NRA range?
Watching some of those challenges makes me want to try it just to see how hard they really are.
This from the guy who made fun of me for owning a Desert Eagle .50AE and owning it for no other reason than to have fun? Hmmm strange.
We don’t get TopShot up here, so I’ve resorted to watching it other ways. The challenges look fun but the rest of it bores me to distraction. I’d much rather watch IPSC or IDPA stages being shot with the same kind of editing and camera work. That would be exciting. And hell with some of the personalities in the sport, you’d get the drama too.
I like the shooting, and getting to watch the slow-mo replays.
I enjoy the positive coverage that it gives guns/shooting, and how many of the shooters on the show aren’t stereotypical shooters by Hollywood standards (.mil spec-ops, psychos, rednecks, etc.).
I detest the “drama” as it is totally made up BS.
If I wanted to see a bunch of drama I’d go to work and catch domestic calls all night, I don’t need that crap on my TV, especially since it is likely coached behind the scenes for max “drama” effect.
What’s Top Shot? I’ve never heard of it.
So – will we be seeing a certain pistol instructor on Top Shot in an upcoming season? Todd?
Caleb — you short rat bastard!
rya-otc — Not on a bet.
I love the show, hate the drama. I find it interesting how GM Open shooters can’t shoot anything that isn’t tricked out. I don’t understand Open class, anyway. I am far too practical for a gun that’s only useful for a game.
I think the greatest benefit of Top Shot is that non-gun owners see that we are safe, sane people that aren’t paranoid and out to kill everyone.
My only fear is that people will see firearms as a toy and loose the respect of the possibility of killing someone. I’ve already seen it in the competitions. I stay away from the “toy people”.
That zipline thingy from last year where they were shooting at the plates looked so awesome. The Thompson challenge from Episode 2 was almost as awesome. You are right, the 3 minutes of challenges are worth the rest of the show. BTW, some of them are on Hulu…just saying…
I think it’s good that the gun culture is getting more exposure with shows like Top Shot and Sons of guns. The drama is nesessary evil to keep non shooting people interested and for us to have something with guns on mainstream TV.
Plus anything that progun I’m all for it.
Love the show, but the play by play commentary by the host makes me want to throw up!
Greg hits his first shot! Rick misses on his second attempt! Blah, blah, blah.
GhettoSmack,
“I find it interesting how GM Open shooters can’t shoot anything that isn’t tricked out. I don’t understand Open class, anyway. I am far too practical for a gun that’s only useful for a game.”
Yeah, without their C-Mores, you’d totally pwn Michel or Eusebio…
Ghetto,
“My only fear is that people will see firearms as a toy and loose the respect of the possibility of killing someone. I’ve already seen it in the competitions. I stay away from the “toy people”.”
Which competitor killed someone?
I DVR it, and fast forward over all but the range stuff. My kids love watching it too.
I like the show, and watch every minute of it. I think ExurbanKevin above has the idea exactly. It’s that drama that brings in the fence-sitters. Put an IPSC or IDPA on TV and see how that works our for a primetime audience.
Yeah, the “Serious Shooting Fraternity” does poo-poo it, among a ton of other things. But I’ve long thought that many in the “Serious Shooting Fraternity” would do well to dig the pencil out of their butts. Nothing drives me up the wall more than when the “serious shooters” come along and turn their nose up at anyone have fun with and/or just enjoying guns.
It’s a TV show. Loosen up and have fun with it. Or FF through it. Or don’t watch it if you don’t like. *shrug* All good.
I like the show.
I’ve been watching it with my 9 and 6 year old. I pretty much ignore the drama because it’s just part of the genre. What they’ve done with the shooting part is make it watchable. The combination of the high speed cameras in HD is pretty stunning. Honestly I find most TV of shooting sports to be hopelessly boring and poorly shown. If we want new shooters, it has to look fun first. I have to admit I’ve been looking at compound bows, throwing knives and tomahawks with greater interest. The 9 year old made sure to tell me to bring the .22 pistol next time we went to the ranch.