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The First TOP SHOT !!

simmonsjoe

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Messages
1,661
Location
Mattaponi, Virginia, United States
Last episode aired.

IAIN WINS !!!

I thought the dueling trees were way biased towards JJ in the first elimination.
Was nice to have a heads up competition instead of timed or scored.

The second elimination was EXCELLENT. This was a great format as it required a lot of strategy. I was way shocked when JJ missed his first shot, and the next, and the next!!
(I was expecting IAIN and JJ in the final elimination.)

Final elimination was fair, balanced, neck-and-neck, and exciting.
The format was kind of expected but not very innovative. Liked the fact it was heads up instead of timed.

Overall, the last half of the season was great. They abandoned all the bullshit drama from early on. I think they must have really listened to feedback.

I thought it was hilarious they pointed out whiny "why would anyone ever shoot anything besides a glock" Brad was no longer competing with a Glock. I guess it's so he can continue blaming everything on the fact he's not shooting a Glock? (More likely he is being endorsed by a competitor, due to his new celebrity status.)
 

groovedrummer

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Jan 30, 2010
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I really hope that hickok45 gets on next season...he was talking about applying in a recent video he posted...that would be neat!
 

Yard Sale

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Joined
Feb 13, 2010
Messages
708
Location
Northern Nevada, ,
I thought the dueling trees were way biased towards JJ in the first elimination.
I thought JJ had the superior skill set to win the dueling tree competition.


The second elimination was EXCELLENT. This was a great format as it required a lot of strategy. I was way shocked when JJ missed his first shot, and the next, and the next!!
Yup, I would love to see a full episode or two of HORSE. Notice that Blake and JJ were both sent walking, at least in large part, due to pistols? They shoot custom 1911 triggers under two pounds then Blake yanked a shot with the shitty Beretta trigger and JJ missed with the Schofield. (Then missed again with the DA revolver? I forget.)

Final elimination was fair, balanced, neck-and-neck, and exciting.
Except for those stupid #$%&! throwing knives. Lame.

Overall, the last half of the season was great.
+1

Here's a shirt I had custom made. We (two GMs from Nevada) wore this shirt at the Northern California section USPSA championship match and presented one to Brad.

947549953_nrcob-O.jpg
 

Dreamer

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Sep 23, 2009
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5,360
Location
Grennsboro NC
I thought the throwing knives were inappropriate. They are not "shooting". They are "throwing", and require a COMPLETELY different set of skills and knowledge...

Handguns, rifles, shotguns, bows--all fine with me. Heck, I would have liked to see some full-auto action, and maybe even some "siege weapons" too. A small trebuchet, catapult, or ballista would have been REALLY cool..

But thrown weapons have NOTHING to o with being a "top shot" and should be removed from the list of options for future competitions, IMO...

The fact that it was a Brit who was an ex-soldier who won--beating out all the "amateur" shooters, and non-LEO contestants, was a little weird.

A little TOO convenient, dontcha thing?...

A guy who was a "trained professional" from a country that doesn't even allow private ownership of handguns, and strictly regulates long guns?

Oh, REALLY?

I'm not downing Ian--he was a VERY good shot. But I just find it a little odd that a guy from a nation where private ownership of guns is essentially illegal would win such a competition.

Put Todd Jarrett in there next time. Or put Massad Ayoob in there. Or let's make Ignatius Piazza put his shooting up for critique on national TV.

But a Brit?

It's almost an insult to anyone in the 2A community that America's first "Top Shot" is from a country where the very idea of this competition would be illegal...

All that said, it was an interesting show, and we got to see some VERY good shooting.

I think it also showed how some of the top folks in "competitive shooting" like ISPC and USPSA are really just prima donna specialists who aren't really gun enthusiasts at all. To get to that level, you have to be either extraordinarily talented, or so full of themselves that they can't admit their own deficiencies at things they are not expert at--like Brad blaming the weapons all the time...

Next time, the contestants should all be native-borne US citizens, and there should be a 50/50 distribution of men and women. I think there should be more "practical shooting" courses too--not just "shooting gallery" type events. I'd like to see a USPSA-type course, and maybe a few hunting scenarios.

Personally, I think a SHTF type competition would be VERY exciting to watch. Defense-type courses mixed with survival/hunting type activities would be VERY challenging. They could use the bow and arrow to do a bow-fishing simulation--now THAT would be tough. Practical, real-world, and useful skills is what I'd like to see.

The trick shot stuff, and the western shooting galleries (with exploding beer mugs and colored plates) are fun, but not very practical as a real-world skill set...

I think that they should do a series where the shots are all ENTIRELY based on real-world, famous, "impossible" shots. That would be fun to watch too...
 
Last edited:

Tawnos

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2008
Messages
2,542
Location
Washington
I thought the throwing knives were inappropriate. They are not "shooting". They are "throwing", and require a COMPLETELY different set of skills and knowledge...

Handguns, rifles, shotguns, bows--all fine with me. Heck, I would have liked to see some full-auto action, and maybe even some "siege weapons" too. A small trebuchet, catapult, or ballista would have been REALLY cool..

But thrown weapons have NOTHING to o with being a "top shot" and should be removed from the list of options for future competitions, IMO...

The fact that it was a Brit who was an ex-soldier who won--beating out all the "amateur" shooters, and non-LEO contestants, was a little weird.

A little TOO convenient, dontcha thing?...

A guy who was a "trained professional" from a country that doesn't even allow private ownership of handguns, and strictly regulates long guns?

Oh, REALLY?

I'm not downing Ian--he was a VERY good shot. But I just find it a little odd that a guy from a nation where private ownership of guns is essentially illegal would win such a competition.

Put Todd Jarrett in there next time. Or put Massad Ayoob in there. Or let's make Ignatius Piazza put his shooting up for critique on national TV.

But a Brit?

It's almost an insult to anyone in the 2A community that America's first "Top Shot" is from a country where the very idea of this competition would be illegal...

All that said, it was an interesting show, and we got to see some VERY good shooting.

I think it also showed how some of the top folks in "competitive shooting" like ISPC and USPSA are really just prima donna specialists who aren't really gun enthusiasts at all. To get to that level, you have to be either extraordinarily talented, or so full of themselves that they can't admit their own deficiencies at things they are not expert at--like Brad blaming the weapons all the time...

Next time, the contestants should all be native-borne US citizens, and there should be a 50/50 distribution of men and women. I think there should be more "practical shooting" courses too--not just "shooting gallery" type events. I'd like to see a USPSA-type course, and maybe a few hunting scenarios.

Personally, I think a SHTF type competition would be VERY exciting to watch. Defense-type courses mixed with survival/hunting type activities would be VERY challenging. They could use the bow and arrow to do a bow-fishing simulation--now THAT would be tough. Practical, real-world, and useful skills is what I'd like to see.

The trick shot stuff, and the western shooting galleries (with exploding beer mugs and colored plates) are fun, but not very practical as a real-world skill set...

I think that they should do a series where the shots are all ENTIRELY based on real-world, famous, "impossible" shots. That would be fun to watch too...
I thought it was cool to see the British guy win. I would hope that success translates to a bit of excitement for the shooting sports across the pond, though I know it probably won't.
 

slowfiveoh

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2009
Messages
1,415
Location
Richmond, VA
I thought it was cool to see the British guy win. I would hope that success translates to a bit of excitement for the shooting sports across the pond, though I know it probably won't.

I know its expected, especially from me, but...

It makes sense that the soldier won. Most of the "prima donnas" as Dreamer aptly put it, are not used to firing under extreme duress or extended physical fatigue.

All in all a great show and I have to admit that I am most definitely looking forward to the next season.

Oh and,...

OH MY GOD GUNS ON A REALITY TV SHOW THERE WILL BE BLOOD ON THE SETS!

Sorry, had to add that in there for all of the antis who are not present.
 

carracer

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2008
Messages
1,108
Location
Nampa, Idaho, USA
I liked the show and will watch again. Also thought the knife throwing was weird. I was pulling for Kelly. Not from the beginning, but, after it seemed like they were gangin' up on him. I think if he had been the second shooter in that elimination he would have won and gone to the finals. We'll never know.
 

simmonsjoe

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Messages
1,661
Location
Mattaponi, Virginia, United States
I thought JJ had the superior skill set to win the dueling tree competition.



Yup, I would love to see a full episode or two of HORSE. Notice that Blake and JJ were both sent walking, at least in large part, due to pistols? They shoot custom 1911 triggers under two pounds then Blake yanked a shot with the shitty Beretta trigger and JJ missed with the Schofield. (Then missed again with the DA revolver? I forget.)


Except for those stupid #$%&! throwing knives. Lame.


+1


Here's a shirt I had custom made. We (two GMs from Nevada) wore this shirt at the Northern California section USPSA championship match and presented one to Brad.

947549953_nrcob-O.jpg
haHAAAHH. so funny.:lol:
 

simmonsjoe

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Messages
1,661
Location
Mattaponi, Virginia, United States
The fact that it was a Brit who was an ex-soldier who won--beating out all the "amateur" shooters, and non-LEO contestants, was a little weird.

A little TOO convenient, dontcha thing?...

A guy who was a "trained professional" from a country that doesn't even allow private ownership of handguns, and strictly regulates long guns?

Oh, REALLY?

I'm not downing Ian--he was a VERY good shot. But I just find it a little odd that a guy from a nation where private ownership of guns is essentially illegal would win such a competition.

Put Todd Jarrett in there next time. Or put Massad Ayoob in there. Or let's make Ignatius Piazza put his shooting up for critique on national TV.

But a Brit?

It's almost an insult to anyone in the 2A community that America's first "Top Shot" is from a country where the very idea of this competition would be illegal...
Wow did you just **** up, Dreamer.

IAIN is an EX-BRIT and US CITIZEN. That IS VERY AMERICAN. He immigrated to America and freedom and found success he never could have in his birth country. I'm gonna go ahead and call this AN AMERICAN STORY. (Also judging someone because of their gov't is wrong.)
 

Yard Sale

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2010
Messages
708
Location
Northern Nevada, ,
It's almost an insult to anyone in the 2A community that America's first "Top Shot" is from a country where the very idea of this competition would be illegal...
So? If you don't want somebody who was born outside the U.S. to win, audition for the show, get selected, sign the onerous contract, give up 6+ weeks of your life, and beat them.

More insults...

Jethro Dionsio, Ross Newell, Tatsuya Sakai, JJ Racaza, Eric Grauffel, and that's just the men in two of the sports.
 
Last edited:

Jack House

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2010
Messages
2,611
Location
I80, USA
Wow did you just **** up, Dreamer.

IAIN is an EX-BRIT and US CITIZEN. That IS VERY AMERICAN. He immigrated to America and freedom and found success he never could have in his birth country. I'm gonna go ahead and call this AN AMERICAN STORY. (Also judging someone because of their gov't is wrong.)
I agree completely. I was going to post the same thing. IMO Iain deserved the victory, he seemed to be the overall best shot in the show.
 
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