Top Shot (2010) s01e03 Episode Script
Archer Enemies
Donaldson: Previously on "top shot" [ gunshots .]
The teams face an extreme pistol challenge [ all cheering .]
And brad comes up short.
Problem is that grip angle on the beretta -- it's like this.
Peter: He mentions his equipment way too often And uses that as a crutch.
It's "my equipment was this" and "my equipment was that.
" Donaldson: At the nomination range, brad finds out where he stands.
I don't like crybabies.
Go.
But brad's pistol skills keep him in the competition.
You have officially taken your last shot.
And frank is sent packing Red team! Leaving the red team two men down.
There are shots that changed history Feats of legendary skill and extreme precision.
Now 16 of today's best marksmen have been chosen.
They come from all over the country, all walks of life.
Amateurs and professionals Military, recreation, and exhibition shooting.
Each shows the timeless skills of a true marksman Not just with one weapon, with any weapon.
They will compete in a series of challenges Until only one remains, Earning the $100,000 prize And the title of "top shot.
" Captioning provided by [ indistinct talking .]
Hello.
Hi.
Where's brad at? And brad.
All right! There's brad.
It is brad.
Brad: I'm definitely happy that I'm still here.
The red team had to do what they had to do.
Somebody had to go up in this elimination challenge.
It went well for me, but still, team red is losing one guy.
Salute.
Gentlemen.
Peter: I wanted brad to go home Because him and I just come from two different walks of life.
He's kind of like a competitor, So he's real anal about all his equipment.
I'm a marine.
We get whatever equipment they hand to us, So you just deal with it.
Him nitpicking about that is driving me about crazy.
Come on in.
Morning, teams.
Morning.
Peter, how do you feel about the results Of yesterday's elimination challenge? I would have liked to seen it go a different way, maybe.
Why's that? Brad and I come from two different walks of life, So maybe that's why.
That's all I have to say about that.
All right.
The 14 of you are one step closer To walking away with the $100,000 prize And the title of "top shot.
" So far, you've competed using historic rifles And modern pistols.
But ultimately, the person who wins "top shot" Will need to demonstrate marksmanship beyond firearms.
For today's challenge, you'll be firing a projectile That travels up to 150 miles per hour.
It is not a bullet.
It's an arrow.
Meet the longbow.
An expert longbowman can hit a target Up to two football fields away And fire an arrow 400 yards.
A true marksman should be as proficient With this legendary weapon As they are with any rifle or handgun.
Denny: When I saw the longbow, I was excited Because that was something That I've been interested in for a while.
There was a time in the late middle ages When this weapon was so important That all englishmen were required by law to train with it.
We have an englishman.
[ blue team laughs .]
Shh! Nobody's noticed.
Are you familiar with this weapon? No.
I've never shot one before.
Aha.
So you're not one of those englishmen.
I'm not one of those englishmen, no.
All right.
We've invited archery expert chris palmer, Who's one of the foremost builders and shooters Of the longbow, To help you guys prepare for today's challenge.
Historically, bows in the ancient times Were much heavier than this bow.
The romans and the english -- They shot 180- to 200-pound bows.
This is a 40-pound draw weight.
That is 40 pounds of pull-back pressure.
So when I give you this and you pull it back, You can imagine what a 180, 200 pounds, what it would be like.
I wouldn't be able to have done it, and I do this all the time.
It's astounding to hear that the old english longbowmen Were shooting 150, 180 pounds.
I mean, you know, for hunting, I use a 60-pound bow, 70-pound bow.
The old english longbowmen -- Their upper bodies had to be enormous.
Fire.
Little higher.
Yeah.
I wouldn't hold it back too long.
Ooh.
Dragged it.
Nice.
There you go.
I think that most of us, being shooters, We're used to lining up sights and squeezing a trigger.
This requires more strength, More muscle memory, more hand-eye coordination.
It's a little different from what we're comfortable with.
We're out of our comfort zone.
Nice! Am I hitting it? Yeah.
Oh, yeah? On the practice range, we were all really surprised To find out that j.
J.
Was doing really well with it.
I mean, he is obviously a natural.
Ooh! Oh! J.
J.
: Personally, I have no experience with the longbow -- Never shot it, never seen it.
But after watching some of the more experienced guys Go through it, I figured I'll just do what they did.
There you go.
Nice.
All I had to do was dial in my aim.
So I felt confident right off the bat That I was gonna do well with it, whatever it may be.
We got a target down there.
The distance that that is right now -- You're definitely not going to be able to shoot straight.
The gravity will take over And throw that arrow down halfway down the field.
To get that distance, you got to shoot at an arc.
As I'm teaching you guys, You're gonna have to try to remember how far back you pulled And what angle you're standing at.
Who would like to go first? Yeah! Andre: This is all pretty much muscle memory.
It's unlike the trigger control, where you take that breath And that proper trigger squeeze.
Here, you're just kind of like, The faster you release, the better you're gonna be at it.
There you go.
Hit the flag! Fire! Oh, yeah.
That's in there in the blue.
Uh-oh.
Look at that.
That is on, baby! That longbow was freaking awesome.
It was really cool.
I got one hit on the yellow through -- I don't know -- I probably fired about 20 or so.
We are dialing it in, man.
I think we're gonna be pretty good to go For the next challenge.
Oh, in the yellow.
In the yellow.
Kelly was very meticulous in his stance and his technique, And that comes from his rifle shooting.
And I think that was a really big advantage for kelly.
He's able to make those little-bitty changes That are necessary Without compromising the rest of his stance.
Based on the amount of time that I've spent with the team, Kelly seems to have the best instincts For traditional archery.
Kelly: When we returned to the house after practice, Bill avoided me entirely.
I had a foot-in-mouth type of experience.
Bill was the subject of it.
It was a pretty awful thing to say.
[ laughing .]
It was horribly insensitive of me, okay? [ continues laughing .]
yeah, it was.
It was very rude.
I apologized for it.
Bill, unfortunately, did not accept my apology.
And he turned around.
He said, "you know, that's pretty f'ed up.
" Man: Need napkins? Kelly: While bill and pete were at the card table playing cards, I walked by.
Bill made no comment, So I took it as an opportunity To kind of confront him about not talking to me.
I simply asked bill -- I said, "hey, bill, so, is there a problem between us? Are we not talking? What's going on?" I'm not enjoying the man that you are on your way to be.
And that's all I really have to say to you.
Have a nice night.
Peter: Oh, my goodness.
[ laughs .]
I'll tell you what that means in a nicer way.
That was as nice as I could come across.
What do you expect? Unfortunately, I don't think that's gonna help him at all.
He's gonna think you're a dick.
Do you really think that anything is salvageable Between that little punk ass and me? The apology that came was very insincere.
I found it to be inappropriate in timing, And I found it to be weak at best.
Kelly: He really doesn't like me, And it doesn't seem like it's the sort of relationship I'm gonna be able to mend with apologies and nice words.
Adam: Honestly, going into this challenge, We know anybody can win this one.
This is anybody's game.
So we're gonna try to do what we've been doing all along -- Work together and win it.
Peter: We really need to win today.
If we lose again, it's gonna be disheartening.
The second one was twice as disheartening as the first, So, you know, it's not gonna be easy.
Today's competition will test The centuries-old skill of using the longbow.
As you've seen, Using this weapon effectively takes strength and precision.
Well, now we're gonna put one more skill to the test -- speed.
A military archer was expected to fire As many as 15 arrows a minute.
Basically, the longbow was the machine gun of the middle ages.
Behind me on the range, There is a 30-foot-diameter target 100 yards away.
In the center of that target is a 36-inch bull's-eye.
Shooting one at a time, You will have 30 seconds to fire as many arrows as you can.
The closest arrow to the center of the bull's-eye counts.
Flames will immediately tell you where you've hit.
The teammate who strikes an arrow Closest to the center of the bull's-eye Wins this competition for their team.
Blue team, you have extra members, So you have to sit two people out, And, once again, the red team will decide who.
Who's it gonna be? Chris and adam.
Chris and adam.
Chris, adam, you're out.
I'll give both teams a few minutes To decide your shooting order, then we'll go.
Let's do it.
All right.
So, who do we want to have go first? I want to put the fastest guy last, I mean, just so whoever's fastest Can hustle the most arrows out there as quick as possible.
What's the order gonna be? Make it simple.
I'll go last if you guys want me to.
I think I can knock it out pretty quick.
Our strategy, as blue team, was to put solid shooters, Our weakest shooter in the middle, And then chase that with our solid shooters At the end of the rotation in case we needed a home-run ball.
I mean, each person gets So there is a psychological thing In having an anchor behind you.
I don't know if it makes any difference.
Why don't we just do the same order we did in practice? Yeah, let's do that.
I'll go first.
You go second.
All right, time's up.
Comi up on "top shot" Denny: It went back and forth -- Blue team, red team, blue team, red team.
Donaldson: Time! [bleep.]
[bleep.]
it! First arrow way over the target.
There are 14 of you still in the hunt For the $100,000 prize and the title of "top shot.
" Winning team safe from elimination.
The losing team must nominate two players To send to the elimination round.
Blue team, who's shooting first? Iain, step right up.
Let's do this.
There you go.
Remember, the person with the closest hit Will win this for their entire team.
Marksman, ready, set, go! First arrow downrange.
Palmer: Over.
Too much distance.
Switch is up.
Second attempt -- too short.
Third shot in the yellow ring.
Time! Time! Man: Good job, man.
Four arrows downrange.
Best shot lands in the yellow.
Red team.
Marksman, ready.
Go! Kelly's first arrow is way over the target.
It's high.
Bring it down some.
It's high again.
Bring it down.
Kelly's second shot -- the target.
Kelly's third arrow Hits the green.
Kelly's fourth arrow lands short.
Time! Andre: Oh, yeah, nice, kelly.
Nice, nice.
So, kelly fires his last arrow closest to the bull's-eye.
I'm thinking, "you little [bleep.]
Red team takes the lead with kelly's shot in the yellow, Just about a foot above the bull's-eye.
Blue team, who's next? It went back and forth -- Blue team, red team, blue team, red team.
There you go.
With shooting that bow quickly.
Third arrow.
Still nobody's hitting closer to kelly's mark.
That's it.
Red team still has the lead.
So at that point, we're feeling pretty confident.
Time! [bleep.]
That won't count.
You don't beat kelly, But you guys still have the lead.
Blue team.
J.
J.
, it all comes down to you.
It does.
Do you have what it takes to land this thing in there? I do have the strength.
[ laughs .]
We'll see about the accuracy in a little bit.
Well, it's all on your shoulders.
If you miss this, Bill doesn't even have to compete in this challenge.
J.
J.
: There was a little bit of pressure on me, But I just kind of tried to enjoy the moment.
And stepping up to that plate, You know, you couldn't ask for a better stage than that.
I was getting excited, I guess, And I knew I just had to calm my nerves down.
I knew what I did in practice And I was pretty consistent with it And I hoped that I'd developed enough muscle memory To do exactly what I just did in practice.
Marksman, ready.
Set, go! First arrow downrange.
Short.
Second shot -- over the target.
Third arrow downrange.
Too far.
Fourth arrow -- long.
Fifth arrow downrange.
Lands in the yellow.
Is it good enough to beat kelly? [bleep.]
sixth arrow.
Time! [bleep.]
it! Sixth arrow is short.
J.
J.
: I wanted that, man.
Good shooting, j.
J.
Man: You look like you got a lot on the bow.
I think you did well.
Thanks, dude.
J.
J.
's shot was so close, we're going to the tape.
Both shots will be measured.
This will determine whether bill has to shoot or not.
Okay, everyone, it's official.
So far, the closest shot belongs to J.
J.
[ all cheering .]
All right, guys, come back in.
[ laughter .]
Regain composure.
Regain composure.
Kelly, your shot is 35 inches From the center of the bull's-eye.
J.
J.
, your shot is 26 inches From the center of the bull's-eye.
You're the man, j.
J.
! Good job, j.
J.
Well, here we are.
Bill, you got to beat 26 inches.
Bill: So, coming down to the last shooter, and that was me, man.
I was really hoping to not have to even bother going up there, Or, if I went up here, just simply to try and better kelly's By a few well-placed shots.
Marksman, ready.
Set.
Go! Bill's first shot hits the green.
Second shot -- long.
Third arrow -- way left.
Fourth arrow -- too short.
Bill's fifth arrow is long.
Time! Ooh.
I don't know where that last one went, man.
Iain: When bill was shooting, There were a couple of arrows there That we couldn't actually pick out where they fell.
And we knew he was pretty well on to the target at that stage.
You know, we were right down to the wire.
Pretty much, you could hear a pin drop, And we're all holding our breath.
Bill, great effort.
You have two arrows on the target.
But they're not close enough.
Blue team wins.
All right.
Good.
Good job.
Today's loss -- when j.
J.
Hit that target, It was a backbreaker, just a heartbreaker, Just felt completely drained emotionally.
I thought we had it won.
Kelly: Nice shooting.
There had to be a ton of pressure on j.
J.
, But the thing to remember -- he's j.
J.
Freaking racaza.
I mean, he is a world-champion-level shooter, And he's got blood like ice.
So there's no better person in the final volley.
Could not have worked better.
It was a nail-biter.
Right now I'm walking a little taller Than everyone else in the house.
Blue team, congratulations.
You guys are all safe from elimination.
You can head back to the house and relax.
Red team, I know it was a tough loss.
You have two hours to determine who you're gonna nominate.
I'll see you guys on the nomination range.
You can head back to the house.
Bill: It's tough to lose three challenges in a row.
We're gonna be down to five people very soon.
We're constantly on a challenge, Constantly going to the nomination range, Constantly losing somebody.
It's a real mental drain, And it's draining on the team cohesion.
Donaldson: Coming up on "top shot" You know how I feel about these little secret meetings.
Denny: Who else do I expect to be up there at the nomination range? Really not sure.
It's gonna be a surprise.
Bill, how are you gonna base your vote? I'd rather not reveal that just yet.
I'm gonna let my bullet do the talking.
Hey, tough loss, man.
Yeah.
It's a pain in the ass.
Brad: We lost a third time.
I'm frankly not too happy about it.
Neither is anybody else on the red team.
We're getting a little tired of losing.
We gonna sit down and talk about this Or is this gonna be a surprise? Peter: Talk about what's happening, how we're gonna vote? It's no big surprise who's gonna vote for me.
I think it's a no-brainer that brad was gonna pick me.
It's gonna happen.
You know what I mean? Kelly: Is he gonna pick you? Yeah, of course.
I would pick me if I was him.
Yeah, there's some bad blood there, huh? I find brad to be a little bit soft, And I see weakness in that.
When he talks, it's just graining to me.
Then it's like, "all right, dude, you got to go.
" I mean, if you just want to go around.
I'm voting brad.
He's doing the same thing he's been doing -- Hanging with the blue team, you know what I mean? Andre: To take a loss like we took today And then to still be hanging with the blue team And eating lunch with them and everything like that, To me, it's a slap in the face.
Where's your loyalty? Pete? Yeah, I said it without saying it.
Yeah.
How about you? Yeah.
Which way you leaning? Not sure yet? Denny: I'm not sure, andre.
Peter: This is not an easy one by any means.
It just sucks that another person's got to go.
Yeah, it does.
I'm gonna go grab something to eat.
You can have my seat.
All right, thanks.
[ indistinct conversations .]
Brad: I absolutely do not want to go In the elimination challenge tomorrow.
Again, I came here to shoot.
A bow and arrow is not my speciality.
I don't have any experience with going and shooting that thing.
I think it would be pretty ridiculous.
I do not want to go out because I can't shoot a bow and arrow.
I think that would just be unacceptable.
Adam: Kelly, I just did the math.
What's the math? Here's where I think we're at.
Pete, andre, and bill Were sitting at the table playing poker.
If they vote together, that's three brads.
Mm-hmm.
Brad votes pete.
Right.
Okay.
Only people left are you and denny.
Yep, denny's my vote.
I already got that.
Yeah, I know denny's my swing vote I got to get.
Chris: So, did you talk to denny yet? I haven't been able to find him.
He's doing his lone ranger gig.
Go get him.
Yeah.
You have to vote together or it's a wasted vote.
Yeah.
Hey, denny? Just real quick.
It's somewhat important.
You know how I feel about these little secret meetings.
You know, I feel the same way, but the thing is, If you and I don't vote together, we waste our vote.
Does that make sense? Uh Yeah, but listen, I'm not voting for somebody Just because you are or anybody else.
No, no, no, no, no.
It's just that I don't want to see pete go in the competition, 'cause if pete loses to brad, We just lost a very strong competitor.
Tell me what you got on your mind.
I'm voting for bill, okay? All right.
That's all I want to know.
Okay, if I vote for bill and you vote for someone else, Then you and I just wasted our votes, And there's gonna be another tie breaker.
I want to tell you who I'm voting for.
Okay.
I appreciate where you're coming from.
Okay.
I know that team strength is important to you.
Yeah.
So it's all good, buddy.
Just go out there and cast your vote, And we'll see what happens, all right? All right.
For me, the decision-making process for voting Isn't easy on this one.
Who else do I expect to be up there, based on the other votes? Really not sure.
It's gonna be a surprise.
Well, red team, here we are again.
Third team challenge And third time in a row you guys failed to deliver.
Denny, will the performances of your teammates Today at the challenge affect your vote today? You know, I think each of us have our own way Of evaluating how we're gonna vote, And I don't think it's -- You know, I don't think it's right To dictate to one team member how you should vote.
It's my decision.
Okay.
Bill, how are you gonna base your vote? I'd rather not reveal that just yet.
I'm gonna let my bullet do the talking.
Fair enough.
Well, at this point, you guys know how it works.
You each have a target behind me.
When I call you up, You will shoot the target of the person you want to nominate.
Once everyone has had a chance to vote, The two players with the most hits Will compete tomorrow in the elimination round.
Let's get to it.
Bill, you said you wanted to let your bullets do the talking.
Let's get the conversation started.
You'll go first.
The first two times at the nomination range, I was voting for the betterment of the team.
Today, it was strictly personal.
I can hardly stand to even see kelly or hear his voice.
Therefore, I want to see that kid gone, And I'd like to see him gone sooner rather than later.
Kelly, you're on the board with one hit, And it's your turn to vote.
[ sighs .]
[ gunshot .]
Bill, you now have one hit.
Brad, your turn.
Brad: I've been trying to base some of my votes on performance.
I don't like playing politics, Because ultimately, I want to come out of this competition Knowing that I beat somebody.
[ gunshot .]
Andre dropped a number of arrows off to the side And, you know, wasn't really on target.
So that's why I voted for him.
Bill, kelly, andre, all three of you guys have one vote.
Andre, it's your turn.
Peter, your turn.
I saw that coming a mile away.
Brad, you are definitely In tomorrow's elimination challenge.
Denny, it's time for you To decide who he will compete against.
Your turn to vote.
Denny: Walking up to that range, There's a lot of things going on in your head.
You know, I had narrowed it down to two people.
Both these guys are different.
I like both of them.
I'm friends with all these guys.
I just had to vote for bill.
I was just swayed in bill's direction.
Man, it wasn't easy.
It wasn't easy.
Bill, you and brad Will be in the elimination challenge tomorrow.
I'll see both of you tomorrow morning at practice.
The rest of you guys, I'll see you at the challenge.
You can all head back to the house.
Donaldson: Coming up on "top shot" I'm mad because I'm gonna be competing With a [bleep.]
bow and arrow.
Why don't we play a game of pool for it? Bill: Brad is upset.
Andre: Cocky crybaby.
I hope you whup his tail.
Nomination had everything to do with personality Within a team that has begun crumbling.
Tara: Uh-oh.
Hi, gentlemen.
What's up? Look, I'm not mad because I got voted for.
I'm mad because I'm a [bleep.]
ipsc grand master, And I'm gonna be competing with a [bleep.]
bow and arrow.
Why don't we play a game of pool for it instead? I'm just -- I'm just pissed off.
Adam: Brad comes through the door visibly upset, Really wound up about the archery and the weapon And it's not for him, he's a pistol shooter.
We all knew that.
But he was wrong to be, You know, to have that kind of an outburst.
You get voted for, whatever -- that's not a big deal.
I just don't like having to [bleep.]
compete for my life In a game of [bleep.]
bows and arrows.
Yeah, well, I mean, it's projectiles.
A bow and arrow? What the [bleep.]
is that? Adam: Indians thought it was badass.
This is about the top shot.
It's about shooters of various disciplines Shooting everything through history well.
So he's got to not be wound around the axle Over the particular weapon.
He's got to be an expert in what he does And apply that craftsmanship, That marksmanship, to all weapons.
I'll shoot a firearm against anybody anytime.
If I lose, then I lose.
But shooting a [bleep.]
bow and arrow is a joke.
Well, that's how it rolls.
I know, but it's just stupid.
It's stupid.
I don't plan on losing, but still.
No, I'm just saying.
I just wanted to hear if this guy was talking crap on me.
He's the only one that voted for me.
I chose brad at the nomination range, And that was just pretty much Based on a lot of personal reasons.
He's always complaining, always whining, and, you know, He just doesn't seem like the type of guy That just will accept it for what it is and carry on.
Cocky crybaby.
Cocky crybaby.
He's down there talking some trash.
Bill: About me? He went from crying about it to talking trash.
"oh, I don't plan on losing at all.
" I hope you whup his tail.
Please.
First him, And then that little punk, little [bleep.]
douche kelly.
God, that kid rubs me the wrong -- I've had people rub me the wrong way before, But not like this.
Oh, my god, that kid.
Yeah, that's kind of how brad does me.
He's somebody that if I had on my squad, I would, like -- I would give him hell.
Brad in the military -- I don't believe brad would survive one day In the ranks with some of the people I've served with.
It is what it is.
You're gonna get some bad equipment.
You're gonna be in places you don't want to be.
You're gonna do some things you don't want to do.
You know, shut your mouth, charlie mike, Continue mission, and be successful in the end.
I'm rooting for you.
Thank you.
It's no surprise to me that I'm up against brad tomorrow.
A lot of it has to do -- This entire voting bloc today at the nomination range Had nothing to do with skill.
It had everything to do with personality Within a team that has begun crumbling.
Why'd you vote for kelly? Kelly rubs me like -- Imagine wearing 80-grit sandpaper And then having to do a 5k run And then cool off in a pool of salty lemon water.
That's how that [bleep.]
kid rubs me.
I just wanted to know if it was a skill -- He said something yesterday So unbelievably [bleep.]
disrespectful, I was literally in awe That those words could come out of somebody's mouth.
Adam: He's a young kid, but, yeah, okay.
So I didn't know if it was a behind-the-scenes thing.
You could have been [bleep.]
5 years old And not said what he said.
It's like, "who [bleep.]
raised you?" And that was the last [bleep.]
straw.
It's like, "I will vote for you.
I will shoot against you.
You are gonna go [bleep.]
down.
I can't stand you.
" Come on in, gents.
Bill, brad, welcome to the practice session For the elimination challenge.
In the team challenge, We tested your archery skills with the traditional longbow.
Today, you'll be firing a similar weapon.
If the longbow was the machine gun of the middle ages, Then the crossbow was the antitank missile.
It was one of the only weapons That could take a knight off horseback and pierce his armor.
Today, you'll be using a modern hunting crossbow Designed for high speed, Flat trajectory, and pinpoint accuracy.
U.
S.
Crossbow hunting association champion Bill troubridge joins us today To help you guys prepare for the elimination challenge.
You'll train separately with this crossbow As you practice hitting targets on those bales of hay behind me.
Brad, you're first.
I was actually very pleasantly surprised To find that it was something with optics and a trigger.
It's a whole lot different than shooting a longbow, So I'm happy about that.
When you cock the bow, Your foot has to stay in the stirrup, Because if you're pulling up on that string -- And you let it go And it comes off your foot, The bow's gonna come up and make your acquaintance In a most unpleasant way, okay? Troubridge: The toughest thing about learning to use a crossbow, Really, is cocking it perfectly straight.
If you don't cock it perfectly straight, It's not gonna shoot straight.
Now grab the string and pull up At the same time you pull down on the other side.
Okay.
The contestants are going to have to get used to using That rope-cocking aid.
They're gonna have to pay attention Or they're gonna make mistakes.
I'm gonna put this against my chest.
This comes in here.
This loops around.
Cut in, Push in, stand up.
Safety on.
Around the neck.
Pick up the arrow.
You're a good student.
I've taught a lot of people.
Not many of them pick it up like that.
Firing.
[ breathes deeply .]
[ crossbow fires .]
good to go.
Brad: I spent a lot of my time practicing the reloads Because I would imagine it's gonna be a crucial component.
[ crossbow fires .]
Center of mass.
Nobody likes to be in the elimination challenge, But fortunately, they were able to give me a weapon That I feel that I'm pretty comfortable with, That I got enough practice time to work in, And pretty much, if I screw up, It's my own fault this afternoon.
So I'm looking forward to going in Pretty much as prepared as I possibly can be.
Hey, bill, I'm bill.
Nice to meet you.
How are you? This is a new deal.
Well, I think you're gonna be surprised.
Crossbows are very similar to firearms.
Back about 700 years or 600 years ago, When the very first firearms were coming out, Crossbows had already been around for over 1,000 years.
When they designed the first firearms, They designed them around the crossbow.
So this is the egg, and the gun is the chicken.
You got it.
All right, I gotcha.
Okay, do you want to try shooting it? What do you think, man? You look like you're ready.
White is on the right? Mm-hmm.
Hook it here.
Hook it on one side.
Oh, across the back first.
Hook one side.
Okay, now stand up.
Bill: The crossbow's a little slow to load.
It takes a full-body effect to get it done.
[ crossbow fires .]
That's pretty accurate.
But once it's in there, The crossbow that we are using with the scope that was on it Were really dialed in quite well.
We're going out to 40 yards.
[ crossbow fires .]
Troubridge: Looked good.
You can really see the trajectory, too.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, when I was up on the range with bill, He was a really excellent instructor.
He helped me get dialed in like that.
There was really a very, very small learning curve.
Nice.
Yeah.
Now you're getting it.
I think I got it figured out.
Tara: How you feel? Shot enough matches to be mentally prepared for something.
Good.
Brad: Neither of us have any experience with this weapon, So it's pretty much just a question Of who's gonna pick it up and adapt to it more quickly.
Man: Yo, just go out there and have fun, brad, like enjoy it, dude.
And ultimately, I just hope I come back.
I want to dial in myself with this new weapon And get acclimated to it And then, you know, deliver a good performance.
Bill: Brad and I both seem to be very focused.
And I want to stick around.
I am really trigued with this.
I miss my family.
I miss my home.
I miss everything about my life being here.
But, quite honestly, I want to send brad home Because I want to stick around And win $100,000 at the end of this deal.
Bring it on in, red team.
All right, four of you guys are safe from elimination.
You can go ahead and take a seat on the bench over there.
Bill, brad, it's time for you two to go toe-to-toe.
Donaldson: Coming up on "top shot" Marksmen, ready.
Go! [ crossbows fire .]
Bill: The arrows are going all over the place.
The wind was kind of swirling around.
At this point, this challenge is a complete tie.
Today's elimination challenge is inspired By one of the most famous stories in crossbow history.
Legend has it that in the 14th century, William tell refused to bow to an emperor.
As punishment, he was ordered To shoot an apple off his son's head, Or they would both be executed.
On November 18, 1307, Tell fired his crossbow And split the apple right down the middle.
His son -- not even scratched.
So, here's how the challenge is gonna work.
We've put apples on targets at 10, 20, 30, and 40 yards.
On my command, you will both begin firing your crossbow At the apples in ascending order.
The person who hits all the apples first wins the challenge.
The loser won't be executed, But you will be eliminated from "top shot.
" Gentlemen, take your positions.
Let's get this going.
Troubridge: The big, slow arrows that crossbows shoot Tend to be affected a lot by wind.
We've got a little bit of wind today, And this is gonna really figure into things.
Marksmen, ready.
Go! Brad -- first one to get his bow ready.
Bill: [bleep.]
what am I doing here? [ crossbow fires .]
Brad's first shot is a miss.
Bill's still struggling to get his bow cocked.
Bill scores a hit on his first arrow.
Bill now moving on to the 20-yard apple.
[ crossbow fires .]
Brad hits the first apple.
[ crossbow fires .]
Bill scores with his second arrow.
Two apples left.
[ crossbow fires .]
Brad hits the second apple.
Both men have hit the first two apples And have two apples remaining.
At this point, this challenge is a complete tie.
[ exhales deeply .]
[ crossbow fires .]
Brad scores on his third apple.
Bill misses the third apple.
Bill: Got a first-round hit on the first apple at 10 yards, Get a first-round hit on the apple at 20 yards, And then I struggled.
One apple remaining for brad, and this challenge is over.
[ crossbow fires .]
Bill misses on his third shot.
[ crossbow fires .]
Oh! Brad -- shooting at the fourth apple, Just inches away, sticks it in the wood.
[ exhales deeply .]
[ crossbow fires .]
Wind seems to be playing a factor today.
Bill still struggling to hit the third apple.
Bill: The arrows are going all over the place.
The wind was kind of swirling around.
[ crossbow fires .]
[bleep.]
[bleep.]
me.
Arrows were really flying rather unpredictably.
[ crossbow fires .]
Brad -- another shot just under the apple.
Brad: I wasn't entirely on with a couple of arrows at 40 yards.
[ crossbow fires .]
Bill hits the third apple.
We are back to a tie.
Both men have one apple remaining.
Come on, bill.
[ crossbow fires .]
That's it! Brad wins! Cease fire.
[ sighs .]
Man.
That was close.
That was tense.
You sweating? [ bill laughs .]
Nice shooting, bill.
Good job, man.
Nicely done.
Bill: So, we get up, and colby announces, "go.
" Grab the crossbow.
I'm having a little bit of trouble Actually getting the string that you put on there To pull it back.
Brad: The reason I won today is simply Because I was able to get more arrows downrange than bill.
I was reloading faster than he was.
Peter: You know, I hate to see bill go, But, you know, brad, Even though he kind of annoys the crap out of me -- I want to strangle him sometimes -- I'm glad that he's on our team because he does have skill.
But if he proves himself to still be a d-bag, You know, I'll vote for him again.
Kelly: You're never glad to see a teammate leave.
However, bill was very disagreeable with me, So it's a little easier than with some others.
Bill: It wasn't a blowout by any means, But brad did a very good job, and he's a good man.
I'm happy that he's going back to the house.
I'm not happy that I'm leaving, But I'm happy that I was beat by a very good man.
Brad, congratulations.
Your game continues.
You can come over here and rejoin your team.
Brad: I wouldn't say that anybody's views have changed about me.
People had their own reasons for voting for me, you know, And they followed through with those.
I anticipate I might get voted for again in the future, But, I mean, this is a competition.
That's the nature of the game, And hopefully, if I do get voted for a third time, I'll just be able to pull it off again.
Bill, nice work, man.
That was some good shooting, But unfortunately, you have fired your last shot.
You have officially been eliminated from "top shot.
" Take a moment to say goodbye to your buddies and head on out.
Thanks.
Thanks, man.
I'm gonna miss you the most, andre.
Bill: This whole experience with "top shot," I have enjoyed.
Having been a member of the red team, This is the last time I'll be wearing this shirt.
I have to say I have a lot of respect for these guys.
Everything that the red team has gone through The last three weeks over these challenges Has been mentally exhausting.
We'll see you, bill.
Men, have fun.
Happy trails, man.
Closer than I thought it was gonna be.
I'd like to wish my team the very best of luck, And I hope to stay in touch with some of these guys, Maybe run into some of these folks down the road.
Donaldson: On the next episode of "top shot," The teams face a test of skill that applies to any weapon.
Black.
[ gunshots .]
These decisions mean the difference Between hitting a friend or foe.
Kelly stumbles with the ar-15.
[ gunshots .]
I was surprised at practice.
Kelly had some difficulty.
Donaldson: Blake and j.
J.
Show they're not just pistol experts.
Blake and j.
J.
Were phenomenal in practice today -- Absolutely phenomenal.
Donaldson: But the team challenge Takes the competitors by surprise.
Everybody is taken back a little bit Because not only is it a marksmanship event, But it's also a memory event.
The teams face an extreme pistol challenge [ all cheering .]
And brad comes up short.
Problem is that grip angle on the beretta -- it's like this.
Peter: He mentions his equipment way too often And uses that as a crutch.
It's "my equipment was this" and "my equipment was that.
" Donaldson: At the nomination range, brad finds out where he stands.
I don't like crybabies.
Go.
But brad's pistol skills keep him in the competition.
You have officially taken your last shot.
And frank is sent packing Red team! Leaving the red team two men down.
There are shots that changed history Feats of legendary skill and extreme precision.
Now 16 of today's best marksmen have been chosen.
They come from all over the country, all walks of life.
Amateurs and professionals Military, recreation, and exhibition shooting.
Each shows the timeless skills of a true marksman Not just with one weapon, with any weapon.
They will compete in a series of challenges Until only one remains, Earning the $100,000 prize And the title of "top shot.
" Captioning provided by [ indistinct talking .]
Hello.
Hi.
Where's brad at? And brad.
All right! There's brad.
It is brad.
Brad: I'm definitely happy that I'm still here.
The red team had to do what they had to do.
Somebody had to go up in this elimination challenge.
It went well for me, but still, team red is losing one guy.
Salute.
Gentlemen.
Peter: I wanted brad to go home Because him and I just come from two different walks of life.
He's kind of like a competitor, So he's real anal about all his equipment.
I'm a marine.
We get whatever equipment they hand to us, So you just deal with it.
Him nitpicking about that is driving me about crazy.
Come on in.
Morning, teams.
Morning.
Peter, how do you feel about the results Of yesterday's elimination challenge? I would have liked to seen it go a different way, maybe.
Why's that? Brad and I come from two different walks of life, So maybe that's why.
That's all I have to say about that.
All right.
The 14 of you are one step closer To walking away with the $100,000 prize And the title of "top shot.
" So far, you've competed using historic rifles And modern pistols.
But ultimately, the person who wins "top shot" Will need to demonstrate marksmanship beyond firearms.
For today's challenge, you'll be firing a projectile That travels up to 150 miles per hour.
It is not a bullet.
It's an arrow.
Meet the longbow.
An expert longbowman can hit a target Up to two football fields away And fire an arrow 400 yards.
A true marksman should be as proficient With this legendary weapon As they are with any rifle or handgun.
Denny: When I saw the longbow, I was excited Because that was something That I've been interested in for a while.
There was a time in the late middle ages When this weapon was so important That all englishmen were required by law to train with it.
We have an englishman.
[ blue team laughs .]
Shh! Nobody's noticed.
Are you familiar with this weapon? No.
I've never shot one before.
Aha.
So you're not one of those englishmen.
I'm not one of those englishmen, no.
All right.
We've invited archery expert chris palmer, Who's one of the foremost builders and shooters Of the longbow, To help you guys prepare for today's challenge.
Historically, bows in the ancient times Were much heavier than this bow.
The romans and the english -- They shot 180- to 200-pound bows.
This is a 40-pound draw weight.
That is 40 pounds of pull-back pressure.
So when I give you this and you pull it back, You can imagine what a 180, 200 pounds, what it would be like.
I wouldn't be able to have done it, and I do this all the time.
It's astounding to hear that the old english longbowmen Were shooting 150, 180 pounds.
I mean, you know, for hunting, I use a 60-pound bow, 70-pound bow.
The old english longbowmen -- Their upper bodies had to be enormous.
Fire.
Little higher.
Yeah.
I wouldn't hold it back too long.
Ooh.
Dragged it.
Nice.
There you go.
I think that most of us, being shooters, We're used to lining up sights and squeezing a trigger.
This requires more strength, More muscle memory, more hand-eye coordination.
It's a little different from what we're comfortable with.
We're out of our comfort zone.
Nice! Am I hitting it? Yeah.
Oh, yeah? On the practice range, we were all really surprised To find out that j.
J.
Was doing really well with it.
I mean, he is obviously a natural.
Ooh! Oh! J.
J.
: Personally, I have no experience with the longbow -- Never shot it, never seen it.
But after watching some of the more experienced guys Go through it, I figured I'll just do what they did.
There you go.
Nice.
All I had to do was dial in my aim.
So I felt confident right off the bat That I was gonna do well with it, whatever it may be.
We got a target down there.
The distance that that is right now -- You're definitely not going to be able to shoot straight.
The gravity will take over And throw that arrow down halfway down the field.
To get that distance, you got to shoot at an arc.
As I'm teaching you guys, You're gonna have to try to remember how far back you pulled And what angle you're standing at.
Who would like to go first? Yeah! Andre: This is all pretty much muscle memory.
It's unlike the trigger control, where you take that breath And that proper trigger squeeze.
Here, you're just kind of like, The faster you release, the better you're gonna be at it.
There you go.
Hit the flag! Fire! Oh, yeah.
That's in there in the blue.
Uh-oh.
Look at that.
That is on, baby! That longbow was freaking awesome.
It was really cool.
I got one hit on the yellow through -- I don't know -- I probably fired about 20 or so.
We are dialing it in, man.
I think we're gonna be pretty good to go For the next challenge.
Oh, in the yellow.
In the yellow.
Kelly was very meticulous in his stance and his technique, And that comes from his rifle shooting.
And I think that was a really big advantage for kelly.
He's able to make those little-bitty changes That are necessary Without compromising the rest of his stance.
Based on the amount of time that I've spent with the team, Kelly seems to have the best instincts For traditional archery.
Kelly: When we returned to the house after practice, Bill avoided me entirely.
I had a foot-in-mouth type of experience.
Bill was the subject of it.
It was a pretty awful thing to say.
[ laughing .]
It was horribly insensitive of me, okay? [ continues laughing .]
yeah, it was.
It was very rude.
I apologized for it.
Bill, unfortunately, did not accept my apology.
And he turned around.
He said, "you know, that's pretty f'ed up.
" Man: Need napkins? Kelly: While bill and pete were at the card table playing cards, I walked by.
Bill made no comment, So I took it as an opportunity To kind of confront him about not talking to me.
I simply asked bill -- I said, "hey, bill, so, is there a problem between us? Are we not talking? What's going on?" I'm not enjoying the man that you are on your way to be.
And that's all I really have to say to you.
Have a nice night.
Peter: Oh, my goodness.
[ laughs .]
I'll tell you what that means in a nicer way.
That was as nice as I could come across.
What do you expect? Unfortunately, I don't think that's gonna help him at all.
He's gonna think you're a dick.
Do you really think that anything is salvageable Between that little punk ass and me? The apology that came was very insincere.
I found it to be inappropriate in timing, And I found it to be weak at best.
Kelly: He really doesn't like me, And it doesn't seem like it's the sort of relationship I'm gonna be able to mend with apologies and nice words.
Adam: Honestly, going into this challenge, We know anybody can win this one.
This is anybody's game.
So we're gonna try to do what we've been doing all along -- Work together and win it.
Peter: We really need to win today.
If we lose again, it's gonna be disheartening.
The second one was twice as disheartening as the first, So, you know, it's not gonna be easy.
Today's competition will test The centuries-old skill of using the longbow.
As you've seen, Using this weapon effectively takes strength and precision.
Well, now we're gonna put one more skill to the test -- speed.
A military archer was expected to fire As many as 15 arrows a minute.
Basically, the longbow was the machine gun of the middle ages.
Behind me on the range, There is a 30-foot-diameter target 100 yards away.
In the center of that target is a 36-inch bull's-eye.
Shooting one at a time, You will have 30 seconds to fire as many arrows as you can.
The closest arrow to the center of the bull's-eye counts.
Flames will immediately tell you where you've hit.
The teammate who strikes an arrow Closest to the center of the bull's-eye Wins this competition for their team.
Blue team, you have extra members, So you have to sit two people out, And, once again, the red team will decide who.
Who's it gonna be? Chris and adam.
Chris and adam.
Chris, adam, you're out.
I'll give both teams a few minutes To decide your shooting order, then we'll go.
Let's do it.
All right.
So, who do we want to have go first? I want to put the fastest guy last, I mean, just so whoever's fastest Can hustle the most arrows out there as quick as possible.
What's the order gonna be? Make it simple.
I'll go last if you guys want me to.
I think I can knock it out pretty quick.
Our strategy, as blue team, was to put solid shooters, Our weakest shooter in the middle, And then chase that with our solid shooters At the end of the rotation in case we needed a home-run ball.
I mean, each person gets So there is a psychological thing In having an anchor behind you.
I don't know if it makes any difference.
Why don't we just do the same order we did in practice? Yeah, let's do that.
I'll go first.
You go second.
All right, time's up.
Comi up on "top shot" Denny: It went back and forth -- Blue team, red team, blue team, red team.
Donaldson: Time! [bleep.]
[bleep.]
it! First arrow way over the target.
There are 14 of you still in the hunt For the $100,000 prize and the title of "top shot.
" Winning team safe from elimination.
The losing team must nominate two players To send to the elimination round.
Blue team, who's shooting first? Iain, step right up.
Let's do this.
There you go.
Remember, the person with the closest hit Will win this for their entire team.
Marksman, ready, set, go! First arrow downrange.
Palmer: Over.
Too much distance.
Switch is up.
Second attempt -- too short.
Third shot in the yellow ring.
Time! Time! Man: Good job, man.
Four arrows downrange.
Best shot lands in the yellow.
Red team.
Marksman, ready.
Go! Kelly's first arrow is way over the target.
It's high.
Bring it down some.
It's high again.
Bring it down.
Kelly's second shot -- the target.
Kelly's third arrow Hits the green.
Kelly's fourth arrow lands short.
Time! Andre: Oh, yeah, nice, kelly.
Nice, nice.
So, kelly fires his last arrow closest to the bull's-eye.
I'm thinking, "you little [bleep.]
Red team takes the lead with kelly's shot in the yellow, Just about a foot above the bull's-eye.
Blue team, who's next? It went back and forth -- Blue team, red team, blue team, red team.
There you go.
With shooting that bow quickly.
Third arrow.
Still nobody's hitting closer to kelly's mark.
That's it.
Red team still has the lead.
So at that point, we're feeling pretty confident.
Time! [bleep.]
That won't count.
You don't beat kelly, But you guys still have the lead.
Blue team.
J.
J.
, it all comes down to you.
It does.
Do you have what it takes to land this thing in there? I do have the strength.
[ laughs .]
We'll see about the accuracy in a little bit.
Well, it's all on your shoulders.
If you miss this, Bill doesn't even have to compete in this challenge.
J.
J.
: There was a little bit of pressure on me, But I just kind of tried to enjoy the moment.
And stepping up to that plate, You know, you couldn't ask for a better stage than that.
I was getting excited, I guess, And I knew I just had to calm my nerves down.
I knew what I did in practice And I was pretty consistent with it And I hoped that I'd developed enough muscle memory To do exactly what I just did in practice.
Marksman, ready.
Set, go! First arrow downrange.
Short.
Second shot -- over the target.
Third arrow downrange.
Too far.
Fourth arrow -- long.
Fifth arrow downrange.
Lands in the yellow.
Is it good enough to beat kelly? [bleep.]
sixth arrow.
Time! [bleep.]
it! Sixth arrow is short.
J.
J.
: I wanted that, man.
Good shooting, j.
J.
Man: You look like you got a lot on the bow.
I think you did well.
Thanks, dude.
J.
J.
's shot was so close, we're going to the tape.
Both shots will be measured.
This will determine whether bill has to shoot or not.
Okay, everyone, it's official.
So far, the closest shot belongs to J.
J.
[ all cheering .]
All right, guys, come back in.
[ laughter .]
Regain composure.
Regain composure.
Kelly, your shot is 35 inches From the center of the bull's-eye.
J.
J.
, your shot is 26 inches From the center of the bull's-eye.
You're the man, j.
J.
! Good job, j.
J.
Well, here we are.
Bill, you got to beat 26 inches.
Bill: So, coming down to the last shooter, and that was me, man.
I was really hoping to not have to even bother going up there, Or, if I went up here, just simply to try and better kelly's By a few well-placed shots.
Marksman, ready.
Set.
Go! Bill's first shot hits the green.
Second shot -- long.
Third arrow -- way left.
Fourth arrow -- too short.
Bill's fifth arrow is long.
Time! Ooh.
I don't know where that last one went, man.
Iain: When bill was shooting, There were a couple of arrows there That we couldn't actually pick out where they fell.
And we knew he was pretty well on to the target at that stage.
You know, we were right down to the wire.
Pretty much, you could hear a pin drop, And we're all holding our breath.
Bill, great effort.
You have two arrows on the target.
But they're not close enough.
Blue team wins.
All right.
Good.
Good job.
Today's loss -- when j.
J.
Hit that target, It was a backbreaker, just a heartbreaker, Just felt completely drained emotionally.
I thought we had it won.
Kelly: Nice shooting.
There had to be a ton of pressure on j.
J.
, But the thing to remember -- he's j.
J.
Freaking racaza.
I mean, he is a world-champion-level shooter, And he's got blood like ice.
So there's no better person in the final volley.
Could not have worked better.
It was a nail-biter.
Right now I'm walking a little taller Than everyone else in the house.
Blue team, congratulations.
You guys are all safe from elimination.
You can head back to the house and relax.
Red team, I know it was a tough loss.
You have two hours to determine who you're gonna nominate.
I'll see you guys on the nomination range.
You can head back to the house.
Bill: It's tough to lose three challenges in a row.
We're gonna be down to five people very soon.
We're constantly on a challenge, Constantly going to the nomination range, Constantly losing somebody.
It's a real mental drain, And it's draining on the team cohesion.
Donaldson: Coming up on "top shot" You know how I feel about these little secret meetings.
Denny: Who else do I expect to be up there at the nomination range? Really not sure.
It's gonna be a surprise.
Bill, how are you gonna base your vote? I'd rather not reveal that just yet.
I'm gonna let my bullet do the talking.
Hey, tough loss, man.
Yeah.
It's a pain in the ass.
Brad: We lost a third time.
I'm frankly not too happy about it.
Neither is anybody else on the red team.
We're getting a little tired of losing.
We gonna sit down and talk about this Or is this gonna be a surprise? Peter: Talk about what's happening, how we're gonna vote? It's no big surprise who's gonna vote for me.
I think it's a no-brainer that brad was gonna pick me.
It's gonna happen.
You know what I mean? Kelly: Is he gonna pick you? Yeah, of course.
I would pick me if I was him.
Yeah, there's some bad blood there, huh? I find brad to be a little bit soft, And I see weakness in that.
When he talks, it's just graining to me.
Then it's like, "all right, dude, you got to go.
" I mean, if you just want to go around.
I'm voting brad.
He's doing the same thing he's been doing -- Hanging with the blue team, you know what I mean? Andre: To take a loss like we took today And then to still be hanging with the blue team And eating lunch with them and everything like that, To me, it's a slap in the face.
Where's your loyalty? Pete? Yeah, I said it without saying it.
Yeah.
How about you? Yeah.
Which way you leaning? Not sure yet? Denny: I'm not sure, andre.
Peter: This is not an easy one by any means.
It just sucks that another person's got to go.
Yeah, it does.
I'm gonna go grab something to eat.
You can have my seat.
All right, thanks.
[ indistinct conversations .]
Brad: I absolutely do not want to go In the elimination challenge tomorrow.
Again, I came here to shoot.
A bow and arrow is not my speciality.
I don't have any experience with going and shooting that thing.
I think it would be pretty ridiculous.
I do not want to go out because I can't shoot a bow and arrow.
I think that would just be unacceptable.
Adam: Kelly, I just did the math.
What's the math? Here's where I think we're at.
Pete, andre, and bill Were sitting at the table playing poker.
If they vote together, that's three brads.
Mm-hmm.
Brad votes pete.
Right.
Okay.
Only people left are you and denny.
Yep, denny's my vote.
I already got that.
Yeah, I know denny's my swing vote I got to get.
Chris: So, did you talk to denny yet? I haven't been able to find him.
He's doing his lone ranger gig.
Go get him.
Yeah.
You have to vote together or it's a wasted vote.
Yeah.
Hey, denny? Just real quick.
It's somewhat important.
You know how I feel about these little secret meetings.
You know, I feel the same way, but the thing is, If you and I don't vote together, we waste our vote.
Does that make sense? Uh Yeah, but listen, I'm not voting for somebody Just because you are or anybody else.
No, no, no, no, no.
It's just that I don't want to see pete go in the competition, 'cause if pete loses to brad, We just lost a very strong competitor.
Tell me what you got on your mind.
I'm voting for bill, okay? All right.
That's all I want to know.
Okay, if I vote for bill and you vote for someone else, Then you and I just wasted our votes, And there's gonna be another tie breaker.
I want to tell you who I'm voting for.
Okay.
I appreciate where you're coming from.
Okay.
I know that team strength is important to you.
Yeah.
So it's all good, buddy.
Just go out there and cast your vote, And we'll see what happens, all right? All right.
For me, the decision-making process for voting Isn't easy on this one.
Who else do I expect to be up there, based on the other votes? Really not sure.
It's gonna be a surprise.
Well, red team, here we are again.
Third team challenge And third time in a row you guys failed to deliver.
Denny, will the performances of your teammates Today at the challenge affect your vote today? You know, I think each of us have our own way Of evaluating how we're gonna vote, And I don't think it's -- You know, I don't think it's right To dictate to one team member how you should vote.
It's my decision.
Okay.
Bill, how are you gonna base your vote? I'd rather not reveal that just yet.
I'm gonna let my bullet do the talking.
Fair enough.
Well, at this point, you guys know how it works.
You each have a target behind me.
When I call you up, You will shoot the target of the person you want to nominate.
Once everyone has had a chance to vote, The two players with the most hits Will compete tomorrow in the elimination round.
Let's get to it.
Bill, you said you wanted to let your bullets do the talking.
Let's get the conversation started.
You'll go first.
The first two times at the nomination range, I was voting for the betterment of the team.
Today, it was strictly personal.
I can hardly stand to even see kelly or hear his voice.
Therefore, I want to see that kid gone, And I'd like to see him gone sooner rather than later.
Kelly, you're on the board with one hit, And it's your turn to vote.
[ sighs .]
[ gunshot .]
Bill, you now have one hit.
Brad, your turn.
Brad: I've been trying to base some of my votes on performance.
I don't like playing politics, Because ultimately, I want to come out of this competition Knowing that I beat somebody.
[ gunshot .]
Andre dropped a number of arrows off to the side And, you know, wasn't really on target.
So that's why I voted for him.
Bill, kelly, andre, all three of you guys have one vote.
Andre, it's your turn.
Peter, your turn.
I saw that coming a mile away.
Brad, you are definitely In tomorrow's elimination challenge.
Denny, it's time for you To decide who he will compete against.
Your turn to vote.
Denny: Walking up to that range, There's a lot of things going on in your head.
You know, I had narrowed it down to two people.
Both these guys are different.
I like both of them.
I'm friends with all these guys.
I just had to vote for bill.
I was just swayed in bill's direction.
Man, it wasn't easy.
It wasn't easy.
Bill, you and brad Will be in the elimination challenge tomorrow.
I'll see both of you tomorrow morning at practice.
The rest of you guys, I'll see you at the challenge.
You can all head back to the house.
Donaldson: Coming up on "top shot" I'm mad because I'm gonna be competing With a [bleep.]
bow and arrow.
Why don't we play a game of pool for it? Bill: Brad is upset.
Andre: Cocky crybaby.
I hope you whup his tail.
Nomination had everything to do with personality Within a team that has begun crumbling.
Tara: Uh-oh.
Hi, gentlemen.
What's up? Look, I'm not mad because I got voted for.
I'm mad because I'm a [bleep.]
ipsc grand master, And I'm gonna be competing with a [bleep.]
bow and arrow.
Why don't we play a game of pool for it instead? I'm just -- I'm just pissed off.
Adam: Brad comes through the door visibly upset, Really wound up about the archery and the weapon And it's not for him, he's a pistol shooter.
We all knew that.
But he was wrong to be, You know, to have that kind of an outburst.
You get voted for, whatever -- that's not a big deal.
I just don't like having to [bleep.]
compete for my life In a game of [bleep.]
bows and arrows.
Yeah, well, I mean, it's projectiles.
A bow and arrow? What the [bleep.]
is that? Adam: Indians thought it was badass.
This is about the top shot.
It's about shooters of various disciplines Shooting everything through history well.
So he's got to not be wound around the axle Over the particular weapon.
He's got to be an expert in what he does And apply that craftsmanship, That marksmanship, to all weapons.
I'll shoot a firearm against anybody anytime.
If I lose, then I lose.
But shooting a [bleep.]
bow and arrow is a joke.
Well, that's how it rolls.
I know, but it's just stupid.
It's stupid.
I don't plan on losing, but still.
No, I'm just saying.
I just wanted to hear if this guy was talking crap on me.
He's the only one that voted for me.
I chose brad at the nomination range, And that was just pretty much Based on a lot of personal reasons.
He's always complaining, always whining, and, you know, He just doesn't seem like the type of guy That just will accept it for what it is and carry on.
Cocky crybaby.
Cocky crybaby.
He's down there talking some trash.
Bill: About me? He went from crying about it to talking trash.
"oh, I don't plan on losing at all.
" I hope you whup his tail.
Please.
First him, And then that little punk, little [bleep.]
douche kelly.
God, that kid rubs me the wrong -- I've had people rub me the wrong way before, But not like this.
Oh, my god, that kid.
Yeah, that's kind of how brad does me.
He's somebody that if I had on my squad, I would, like -- I would give him hell.
Brad in the military -- I don't believe brad would survive one day In the ranks with some of the people I've served with.
It is what it is.
You're gonna get some bad equipment.
You're gonna be in places you don't want to be.
You're gonna do some things you don't want to do.
You know, shut your mouth, charlie mike, Continue mission, and be successful in the end.
I'm rooting for you.
Thank you.
It's no surprise to me that I'm up against brad tomorrow.
A lot of it has to do -- This entire voting bloc today at the nomination range Had nothing to do with skill.
It had everything to do with personality Within a team that has begun crumbling.
Why'd you vote for kelly? Kelly rubs me like -- Imagine wearing 80-grit sandpaper And then having to do a 5k run And then cool off in a pool of salty lemon water.
That's how that [bleep.]
kid rubs me.
I just wanted to know if it was a skill -- He said something yesterday So unbelievably [bleep.]
disrespectful, I was literally in awe That those words could come out of somebody's mouth.
Adam: He's a young kid, but, yeah, okay.
So I didn't know if it was a behind-the-scenes thing.
You could have been [bleep.]
5 years old And not said what he said.
It's like, "who [bleep.]
raised you?" And that was the last [bleep.]
straw.
It's like, "I will vote for you.
I will shoot against you.
You are gonna go [bleep.]
down.
I can't stand you.
" Come on in, gents.
Bill, brad, welcome to the practice session For the elimination challenge.
In the team challenge, We tested your archery skills with the traditional longbow.
Today, you'll be firing a similar weapon.
If the longbow was the machine gun of the middle ages, Then the crossbow was the antitank missile.
It was one of the only weapons That could take a knight off horseback and pierce his armor.
Today, you'll be using a modern hunting crossbow Designed for high speed, Flat trajectory, and pinpoint accuracy.
U.
S.
Crossbow hunting association champion Bill troubridge joins us today To help you guys prepare for the elimination challenge.
You'll train separately with this crossbow As you practice hitting targets on those bales of hay behind me.
Brad, you're first.
I was actually very pleasantly surprised To find that it was something with optics and a trigger.
It's a whole lot different than shooting a longbow, So I'm happy about that.
When you cock the bow, Your foot has to stay in the stirrup, Because if you're pulling up on that string -- And you let it go And it comes off your foot, The bow's gonna come up and make your acquaintance In a most unpleasant way, okay? Troubridge: The toughest thing about learning to use a crossbow, Really, is cocking it perfectly straight.
If you don't cock it perfectly straight, It's not gonna shoot straight.
Now grab the string and pull up At the same time you pull down on the other side.
Okay.
The contestants are going to have to get used to using That rope-cocking aid.
They're gonna have to pay attention Or they're gonna make mistakes.
I'm gonna put this against my chest.
This comes in here.
This loops around.
Cut in, Push in, stand up.
Safety on.
Around the neck.
Pick up the arrow.
You're a good student.
I've taught a lot of people.
Not many of them pick it up like that.
Firing.
[ breathes deeply .]
[ crossbow fires .]
good to go.
Brad: I spent a lot of my time practicing the reloads Because I would imagine it's gonna be a crucial component.
[ crossbow fires .]
Center of mass.
Nobody likes to be in the elimination challenge, But fortunately, they were able to give me a weapon That I feel that I'm pretty comfortable with, That I got enough practice time to work in, And pretty much, if I screw up, It's my own fault this afternoon.
So I'm looking forward to going in Pretty much as prepared as I possibly can be.
Hey, bill, I'm bill.
Nice to meet you.
How are you? This is a new deal.
Well, I think you're gonna be surprised.
Crossbows are very similar to firearms.
Back about 700 years or 600 years ago, When the very first firearms were coming out, Crossbows had already been around for over 1,000 years.
When they designed the first firearms, They designed them around the crossbow.
So this is the egg, and the gun is the chicken.
You got it.
All right, I gotcha.
Okay, do you want to try shooting it? What do you think, man? You look like you're ready.
White is on the right? Mm-hmm.
Hook it here.
Hook it on one side.
Oh, across the back first.
Hook one side.
Okay, now stand up.
Bill: The crossbow's a little slow to load.
It takes a full-body effect to get it done.
[ crossbow fires .]
That's pretty accurate.
But once it's in there, The crossbow that we are using with the scope that was on it Were really dialed in quite well.
We're going out to 40 yards.
[ crossbow fires .]
Troubridge: Looked good.
You can really see the trajectory, too.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, when I was up on the range with bill, He was a really excellent instructor.
He helped me get dialed in like that.
There was really a very, very small learning curve.
Nice.
Yeah.
Now you're getting it.
I think I got it figured out.
Tara: How you feel? Shot enough matches to be mentally prepared for something.
Good.
Brad: Neither of us have any experience with this weapon, So it's pretty much just a question Of who's gonna pick it up and adapt to it more quickly.
Man: Yo, just go out there and have fun, brad, like enjoy it, dude.
And ultimately, I just hope I come back.
I want to dial in myself with this new weapon And get acclimated to it And then, you know, deliver a good performance.
Bill: Brad and I both seem to be very focused.
And I want to stick around.
I am really trigued with this.
I miss my family.
I miss my home.
I miss everything about my life being here.
But, quite honestly, I want to send brad home Because I want to stick around And win $100,000 at the end of this deal.
Bring it on in, red team.
All right, four of you guys are safe from elimination.
You can go ahead and take a seat on the bench over there.
Bill, brad, it's time for you two to go toe-to-toe.
Donaldson: Coming up on "top shot" Marksmen, ready.
Go! [ crossbows fire .]
Bill: The arrows are going all over the place.
The wind was kind of swirling around.
At this point, this challenge is a complete tie.
Today's elimination challenge is inspired By one of the most famous stories in crossbow history.
Legend has it that in the 14th century, William tell refused to bow to an emperor.
As punishment, he was ordered To shoot an apple off his son's head, Or they would both be executed.
On November 18, 1307, Tell fired his crossbow And split the apple right down the middle.
His son -- not even scratched.
So, here's how the challenge is gonna work.
We've put apples on targets at 10, 20, 30, and 40 yards.
On my command, you will both begin firing your crossbow At the apples in ascending order.
The person who hits all the apples first wins the challenge.
The loser won't be executed, But you will be eliminated from "top shot.
" Gentlemen, take your positions.
Let's get this going.
Troubridge: The big, slow arrows that crossbows shoot Tend to be affected a lot by wind.
We've got a little bit of wind today, And this is gonna really figure into things.
Marksmen, ready.
Go! Brad -- first one to get his bow ready.
Bill: [bleep.]
what am I doing here? [ crossbow fires .]
Brad's first shot is a miss.
Bill's still struggling to get his bow cocked.
Bill scores a hit on his first arrow.
Bill now moving on to the 20-yard apple.
[ crossbow fires .]
Brad hits the first apple.
[ crossbow fires .]
Bill scores with his second arrow.
Two apples left.
[ crossbow fires .]
Brad hits the second apple.
Both men have hit the first two apples And have two apples remaining.
At this point, this challenge is a complete tie.
[ exhales deeply .]
[ crossbow fires .]
Brad scores on his third apple.
Bill misses the third apple.
Bill: Got a first-round hit on the first apple at 10 yards, Get a first-round hit on the apple at 20 yards, And then I struggled.
One apple remaining for brad, and this challenge is over.
[ crossbow fires .]
Bill misses on his third shot.
[ crossbow fires .]
Oh! Brad -- shooting at the fourth apple, Just inches away, sticks it in the wood.
[ exhales deeply .]
[ crossbow fires .]
Wind seems to be playing a factor today.
Bill still struggling to hit the third apple.
Bill: The arrows are going all over the place.
The wind was kind of swirling around.
[ crossbow fires .]
[bleep.]
[bleep.]
me.
Arrows were really flying rather unpredictably.
[ crossbow fires .]
Brad -- another shot just under the apple.
Brad: I wasn't entirely on with a couple of arrows at 40 yards.
[ crossbow fires .]
Bill hits the third apple.
We are back to a tie.
Both men have one apple remaining.
Come on, bill.
[ crossbow fires .]
That's it! Brad wins! Cease fire.
[ sighs .]
Man.
That was close.
That was tense.
You sweating? [ bill laughs .]
Nice shooting, bill.
Good job, man.
Nicely done.
Bill: So, we get up, and colby announces, "go.
" Grab the crossbow.
I'm having a little bit of trouble Actually getting the string that you put on there To pull it back.
Brad: The reason I won today is simply Because I was able to get more arrows downrange than bill.
I was reloading faster than he was.
Peter: You know, I hate to see bill go, But, you know, brad, Even though he kind of annoys the crap out of me -- I want to strangle him sometimes -- I'm glad that he's on our team because he does have skill.
But if he proves himself to still be a d-bag, You know, I'll vote for him again.
Kelly: You're never glad to see a teammate leave.
However, bill was very disagreeable with me, So it's a little easier than with some others.
Bill: It wasn't a blowout by any means, But brad did a very good job, and he's a good man.
I'm happy that he's going back to the house.
I'm not happy that I'm leaving, But I'm happy that I was beat by a very good man.
Brad, congratulations.
Your game continues.
You can come over here and rejoin your team.
Brad: I wouldn't say that anybody's views have changed about me.
People had their own reasons for voting for me, you know, And they followed through with those.
I anticipate I might get voted for again in the future, But, I mean, this is a competition.
That's the nature of the game, And hopefully, if I do get voted for a third time, I'll just be able to pull it off again.
Bill, nice work, man.
That was some good shooting, But unfortunately, you have fired your last shot.
You have officially been eliminated from "top shot.
" Take a moment to say goodbye to your buddies and head on out.
Thanks.
Thanks, man.
I'm gonna miss you the most, andre.
Bill: This whole experience with "top shot," I have enjoyed.
Having been a member of the red team, This is the last time I'll be wearing this shirt.
I have to say I have a lot of respect for these guys.
Everything that the red team has gone through The last three weeks over these challenges Has been mentally exhausting.
We'll see you, bill.
Men, have fun.
Happy trails, man.
Closer than I thought it was gonna be.
I'd like to wish my team the very best of luck, And I hope to stay in touch with some of these guys, Maybe run into some of these folks down the road.
Donaldson: On the next episode of "top shot," The teams face a test of skill that applies to any weapon.
Black.
[ gunshots .]
These decisions mean the difference Between hitting a friend or foe.
Kelly stumbles with the ar-15.
[ gunshots .]
I was surprised at practice.
Kelly had some difficulty.
Donaldson: Blake and j.
J.
Show they're not just pistol experts.
Blake and j.
J.
Were phenomenal in practice today -- Absolutely phenomenal.
Donaldson: But the team challenge Takes the competitors by surprise.
Everybody is taken back a little bit Because not only is it a marksmanship event, But it's also a memory event.