Top Shot (2010) s03e07 Episode Script
Tricked Out
Previously on "Top Shot" Former winners Iain Harrison and Chris Reed return as coaches.
Y'all are gonna have to take one of the damn rocks out there and start shooting at it.
- Good.
Hit it.
- Smoke it.
Red Team improvises It sounds ridiculous, but it worked.
Low! And pulls out a win in the team challenge.
- Yeah! Whoo! - Yeah! Jake's behavior continues to disrupt the Blue Team.
Jake In some of these group settings, he just goes way off the reservation.
You voted me into elimination.
Off.
We're all trying to be sportsmen and gentlemen.
Jake's ruining that for the entire house.
But in the corner-shot elimination challenge Jake smokes the course with a perfect run and sends Paul home.
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 and from all walks of life.
Amateurs and professionals, military, recreation, and exhibition shooters.
Each shows the timeless skills of a true marksman Not just with one weapon, with any weapon.
They will compete in a gauntlet of challenges until only one remains, to claim the $100,000 prize and the title of "Top Shot.
" Seeing Jake walk through that door and not Paul was like seeing my grandmother naked.
It's something you'd never want to see, ever.
All right, so, real quick, man, I didn't think I should be at elimination today.
I know you guys felt like I should be.
I'm just gonna tell you right now, I'm not gonna go to every elimination like Kelly did just because you don't like me.
This is a single-elimination tournament.
Everyone in this room is either gonna have to be eliminated or win.
If I have to start with you right now and go through four eliminations, then that's what I'm willing to do.
I think Jake maybe changed some impressions of the Blue Team.
But as quickly as he changed them, he changed them right back.
I ain't gonna be nobody's whipping boy.
You're not just gonna send me into elimination.
Billy did the worst on his performance.
It's nothing against you personally.
It's an overall assessment, Jake.
Which is fine.
I'm cool with that.
But you're not, Jake.
I'm just letting you know you're not! No, no.
But I'm just letting you know what's gonna happen.
- But, Jake, you're not cool with it.
- You're not cool with it.
That's the point.
You got your feelings hurt.
You're not cool with going to elimination.
I'm perfectly fine.
I'm moving outside.
I'm on my own program now.
If you want my help, then you ask for my help, give me immunity in the next elimination challenge.
- If not, then it.
- Let's go.
- That's fine.
- I'm ready to roll with that.
Well, then, good.
My Blue Team is trying to turn on me a little bit, and if I have to, I can hunker down and get it done without them at all.
That's why I'm moving outside.
They're gonna think about it, and they're gonna understand that probably they made a mistake sending me and letting Billy get out of this one.
I got a bed.
I got something to keep the rain off my head.
I mean, I could sleep out here for a couple years if I had to.
My wife's in her third trimester.
I just got wind that things might be taking a turn for the worse, and we're looking at a possible complication.
My family's first, and that's a priority in my life.
Morning, shooters.
- Morning.
- Morning.
Well, congratulations are in order.
With Paul gone, you've all made it into the top 10, and we're all tied up Five apiece.
Before we get started, Billy, tell me what's going on with you.
Well, my wife's pregnant, and it took a turn for the worse Complications.
Now it's a high-risk pregnancy.
I'm gonna be removing myself from the competition and gonna be with my wife.
Well, there's absolutely no question you're making the right decision.
So, we hate to lose you.
You know, take a minute and say goodbye to these guys, man.
It's gonna be tough leaving, but I got to do what I got to do.
Good luck to the other guys, and my family is first.
All right, listen up.
The teams are now uneven.
Since the Blue Team lost a team member for personal reasons and not through the competition, the Red Team will get to decide who they're gonna sit out at tomorrow's challenge.
Got it? All right, let's get back to it.
We've come to the point in our competition where we test a skill you should all be familiar with.
Whether you're any good at it is a whole other matter.
It's becoming a "Top Shot" tradition Exhibition shooting.
The expert for today's practice is a living legend in the shooting world Jerry Miculek.
No way.
Jerry's considered the fastest revolver shooter alive and holds five world records in revolver speed shooting.
Everyone in shooting knows of Jerry Miculek.
He's a real legend.
In the world of revolvers, you know, Jerry He's the king, without a doubt.
He's Elvis.
For this challenge, you'll be using a handgun and a rifle.
The Smith & Wesson was personally picked by Jerry for this challenge and is known for its accuracy.
The rifle you'll be using is the Valquartsen deluxe semiauto.
This is a heavily customized.
22 designed for competition shooting.
In practice, you'll each work on a skill that will be used in the team challenge.
There are four skills.
I suggest each team member choose a skill to work on.
Nobody can prep you for this challenge better than Jerry, a legendary Top Shot in his own right, so listen closely.
Everybody, I think, has indulged a little bit in trick shooting, and it's just a whole lot of fun.
- Phil.
- Phil.
- Good to meet you.
- Hey, Jerry.
- I know this guy.
- How you doing, man? Jerry and I have a little bit of history.
We've shot in competition together.
I've shot against Jerry several times.
I got lucky to beat him once.
We're going to start off with.
22 semiautomatic rifle.
This is gonna be really fun stuff.
What we have downrange, part of the challenge, you've got some little dots there.
They're 3/4 of an inch.
They're gonna be offhand.
And you notice next to it, some 1/4-ih dowel rods.
Gonna try to cut those sticks with a.
22-caliber bullet, so you have to hold pretty center there.
Pretty simple, pretty hard.
Who wants to try it first? Mike's gna go first here.
We immediately asked each other what we were more comfortable with.
Phil and I are obviously more comfortable with shoulder-method weapons.
There you go.
Good shot.
Dead center.
Mike got up.
He fired some rounds.
He was looking very good.
See what I'm talking about, keeping the trigger prepped when you're getting in there? Absolutely.
Jerry had a lot to offer when it came to getting my cross hairs right on that target and breaking my trigger at the precise time.
Phil went on to shoot the dowels.
You've got about of vertical to play with.
So what's gonna be really important is just watching that cross hair up and down.
When you're shooting a corner inch *** with a.
22 round, you have a little Marge of error there.
Nice.
Yeah, Phil.
Got a piece of it.
Good.
Nice! Yeah, Phil.
Very good.
Next up, e're gonna be shooting a 686 revolver.
All these shots are very hard in their own right.
Just grab it by the butt like this.
Keep it pointing downrange and mount it.
Shooting with the little finger, with the revolver upside-down.
What the shooter has to adapt to is the long double-action pull and the consistency of the pull.
We decided to make a three-way decision on the revolver.
It's either gonna be myself or Gary sitting out.
Way low.
Yeah, I dropped that at the last minute.
I don't have the world's strongest pinky finger.
It's fairly small and quaint.
It's tough.
Good.
- There we go.
- Good shot, Gar.
Very nice.
Same spot you hit.
I was doing pretty good there, so that's the station that I landed on.
Next up, we'll make a it a little bit more difficult.
It's gonna be blindfolded.
The blindfold shot to me is gonna be definitely the hardest of all the competitions they're gonna do.
So, you want to try to work with it in the center of your face.
You also have to have the muscle memory there to repeat your performance with your eyes closed.
Envision where you're gonna be.
And you just work on your knees.
Muscle memory is key when you're blindfolded.
Low.
It's not an easy shot.
Shooting is 100% visual.
You know, it's all using your eyes.
You take your eyes away, it's like doing anything blindfolded.
You have to go on feeling and what you remember.
There you go.
Nice! I wanted that station just because I have more experience with a revolver, so I figured, you know, it'd be better for me to take the hardest one.
Okay, guys, that was a pretty good practice session.
You all were introduced to some pretty wild stuff here.
All in all, I think the team stands a good chance.
You had a good performance, and I hope you enjoyed the practice.
Thank you, guys.
The practice went very smooth.
I think as a team, we have good momentum.
We have a group of five guys that are very skilled shooters.
- I'm Dustin.
- Jerry.
Jake Zweig.
- Jake.
- How you doing, sir? - Alex.
When Jerry's introduced, I want to be all ears.
I mean, here's a world-renowned, world-record holder in shooting.
I usually come in from the I'm right-handed.
I like to come in from the left side and just track it.
And that instant that you stop your swing, you break your shot.
- Nice! - Wow! Dead center.
Beautiful.
- Nice shot.
- That'll do.
I got a pinky problem over here.
I'm gonna hit it with that one.
The upside-down pinky shot was a challenge to begin with.
I got my pinky chopped off on a school bus.
And so it put me at a disadvantage as far as using both pinkies to fire the gun.
- Good.
- Good job, Jake.
We're down to four people, so I'm kind of biting the bullet in this one.
Go ahead and point at the target.
Then close your eyes and then come back up to the target, see if it's there.
This blindfold shot requires a lot of consistency and also just being calibrated.
So, I have to consistently come up to the right location.
There you go.
Little 6:00 still.
You're in the target zone.
That's all that matters.
Killed it.
Nice.
Nicely done.
Nicely done.
- Mike - His ability to triangulate and get into the body position consistently was very impressive.
He was the right choice, definitely, for the blindfold event.
Okay, Blue Team, that's pretty good practice.
You got introduced to some pretty hard scenarios here.
Good shooting, all you guys, and good luck.
Thank you.
Jake in practice today, he really gave it his all.
I'm impressed.
We need to see that out of him more.
We walk into the challenge.
The first station closest to us is these two big glass jugs.
Next, we see cds.
Saw the cotton swabs on mine.
I was like, "wait a minute.
Mine just got smaller.
" Coming up on "Top Shot" I got three rounds for three targets.
That was the most stressed out I've been since I've been here.
Go.
I have to nail this thing dead-on for this thing to count.
Yeah! That was probably the most amazing thing I've ever seen in a shot.
Morning, shooters.
- Morning.
- Morning.
Welcome to the team challenge.
Jake, last time I talked with you at the challenge, you're done with the Blue Team.
Ready to move outside, just ready to get into ***, I think you've said.
- Did you moved outside? - Yeah.
How did that worked out for you? It's owesome.
*** So, you guys are a team at this point? Jake? Guess will find up today.
Well, I'm sure with all we'll been trying to figure out exactly what kind of exhibition shots we have in store for you.
Out on the range are four stations where you will attempt some amazing shots from the world of e exhibition shooting.
The shots will get increasingly difficult as we move along.
Both teams will send one shooter to each station based on the skills you worked on in practice.
At the first station, you'll shoot the Smith & Wesson pulling the trigger with your pinky finger At three beer bottles You get three shots.
Whoever has more hits wins one point foror his team.
At the second station are three cotton swabs Using the Valquartsen.
22 rifle, you'll try to hit the cotton swabs.
If the cotton swab is struck in any way, it counts as a point.
Whoever hits the most targets wins one point for his team.
At the third station, we placed three compact discs Using the.
22 rifle, you'll have to thread the needle Fire a bullet through the center hole without touching the CD at all.
And we've saved the toughest for last.
At the final station, you'll be using the 686 again.
This time, you'll be blindfolded.
The targets are three-gallon jugs set 25 feet downrange.
You'll get three opportunities to fire two rounds at the two targets.
There is no getting around it.
This is extremely difficult to pull off.
Because of the degree of difficulty, each time you hit both bottles, you'll earn one point for your team.
So if you have a perfect run at this station, you have the possibility of earning up to three points for your team.
The team that earns the most points wins and is safe from elimination.
Red Team, you have one more competitor.
You guys get to choose who's gonna sit this one out.
Who's it gonna be? It's gonna be me.
- Chris sitting this one out.
- Yes, sir.
For this challenge, the teams will alternate shooting order.
We've flipped a coin.
Red Team, you guys are up first.
Who are you sending to the first station? That'd be me.
Gary gonna take on the Smith & Wesson, shooting with his pinky.
Head on up.
You got this.
Put the pressure on them, Gary.
Come on.
I was real confident in Gary.
In practice, he was hitting mostly bull's-eyes.
And I knew he's a pistol shooter.
Marksman, ready SetGo.
Gary Smith & Wesson 6, upside-down, with his pinky.
- Yes! - First shot is a hit.
Two more targets to take out.
- Yeah.
- Good shooting, Gary.
Thataway! Gary goes two for two.
- Gary! - Attaboy, Gary! - Nice work.
- No problem! Come on back over, Gary.
Smokes all three bottles.
Way to go, Gary.
Good luck, Jake.
Yeah! Gary went up there, and he immediately set the tone.
He went three for three, did a great job.
All right, Jake, here we go.
Marksman, ready SetGo.
What the Jake misses on his first shot.
That's all it takes right there.
I knew I had missed as soon as it went off.
We went down 1-0, and it was a pain in the ass.
All right, Red Team leads 1-0.
Blue Team, who are you sending up? Dustin gonna take on the cotton swabs with the.
22.
It went from 1/4-inch to 1/8-inch targets.
It was like, whatever.
And so I'm just going through in my head what I'm gonna have to do to shoot them out.
SetGo.
First shot is a miss.
Second shot grazes the swab.
That's a hit.
Third shot is a hit.
Dustin goes two for three.
Good job, Dustin.
Good shooting, Dustin.
That was cool.
- Go, Phil.
- All right, Phil.
Phil gonna step up to the course.
I got three rounds for three targets.
That was probably the most stressed out I've been since I've been here.
Marksman, ready SetGo.
Phil misses on his first shot.
Phil's second shot grazes the swab.
That is a hit.
To force a sudden-death round, he must hit the last swab.
Right when I fired, I knew I was low-right of it.
I was trying too hard to hold it on the target.
Dustin wins the second station for the Blue Team.
Teams are now tied 1-1.
Moving on to the third station.
Red Team, who's shooting through the compact disc? Michael Marelli.
Head on up to the firing line.
Let's go, Mike.
We have to shoot through the little, tiny hole in the middle of a compact disc.
This is not an easy shot.
It's tied.
You know, now it's up to Mike.
He's got to perform.
Marksman, ready SetGo.
Mike misses on the first shot.
Mike misses his second shot.
Mike in a hurry, hits all three discs.
You couldn't nick the CD.
So, I knew I have to nail this thing dead-on for this thing to count.
All Alex has to do is send one shot cleanly through a compact disc without making contact, and the Blue Team will get a point at this station.
I'm an engineer by education and practice, so it's kind of like a big puzzle.
It's challenging, and it's intriguing.
I like it.
Go.
It was hard to see because the plastic in the center of the cd was clear and kind of a cloudy day.
It was hard to see the plastic.
Ohh! That one hit, huh? Alex's second shot clips the CD.
He has one more chance to score a point for the Blue Team.
It was clean, and it went right through, and I could tell right there, I mean, that was a clean shot.
Alex sneaks one shot through the compact disc.
Thanks, guys.
Gives the Blue Team a point.
They take the lead 2-1.
Moving on to the fourth and final station, worth a possible three points.
So, it is anyone's game at this point.
Mike and Cliff, this last station will be three rounds.
Each round is worth a point.
All right, Mike, come on up.
The blindfold shot is fairly difficult.
You're not relying on your eyes.
You've got to rely on these other senses.
My methodology is just to close my eyes and get my natural point of aim.
The blindfold goes on, and I just got to use the muscle memory to come up and rip the shots.
Shooter ready.
Stand by.
Go.
Damn it.
Colby takes the blindfold off.
Unfortunately, I hit the posts that were right underneath.
Cliff, come on up.
Cliff gets three attempts.
He's got to hit two for us to get the win.
He's definitely got to hit one for us to at least tie and force the Blue Team to hit one for the win.
Colby pulls the blindfold over, and then you're just trying to remember, where was the gun? Marksman, ready SetGo.
You got to have it exactly level and not right or left without your eyes.
That's what makes it hard.
First shot.
Moving over to take his second shot.
I had no idea.
Was it high, low, right, or left? I mean, the gun felt like it was right in my hand, but without seeing it, there's no way to know, you know, where you hit.
All right, Mike, head back up.
That first shot, my windage was okay.
My vertical was not dialed in.
I was miscalibrated there.
Go.
And I try to bring it up to that same set point again.
Damn it.
But I still don't hear anything, so I'm like, dang it.
I got two more misses.
It's bad I missed the targets, but it's good that I could see my hits in the 4x4 posts.
The trick is not to have Colby move your head while he's pulling the blindfold down, 'cause if you move your head off that spot, you know, the gun's not gonna be in the right place.
SetGo.
We can't tell him where he's hitting, and unless he hits the board, there's no way he can tell where he's hitting.
That's pretty nerve-racking.
Mike, you've got one more shot to secure a win for the Blue Team.
I have a lot of faith in Mike, 'cause Mike's got that robotic muscle system of his.
He can pull it off.
Coming up on "Top Shot" Now I'm thinking, "okay, I got to get this together.
I got to break these darn jugs.
" All right, Blue Team leads 2-1.
Mike could win it by hitting both jugs.
If not, he leaves the door open for the Red Team.
Shooter ready? Stand by.
Go.
So, now I'm rolling into the final attempt.
Now I'm thinking, "okay, I got to get this together.
"I got to get a little bit higher up in my vertical and break these darn jugs.
" Yeah! That's a hit! Yeah! Yeah! He nailed it dead-center, and I was just like -.
You know, probably the most amazing thing I've ever seen in a shot.
Dude, that's big time, kid.
That's big time.
I mean, man, that's tough to do.
Mike scores a point for the Blue Team.
Cliff, no real need in you coming up.
Blue Team wins.
Congratulations.
You guys are safe from elimination for now.
Red Team, you don't have that luxury.
You got a few hours to make some tough decisions.
Big Mike from the Blue Team, he was able to pull off one of the hardest trick shots I've ever seen.
Red Team didn't pull it off today.
We're feeling strong, like we had the upper hand, and then we came home with a loss today.
That doesn't exactly feel like the best thing in the world, and we lost that momentum that we'd previously gained.
I'm going into this meeting right now with the assumption that my name is gonna be one of the two in the elimination.
I'll start.
So, today we lost.
These were all very difficult shots.
I missed my targets.
If you guys think that that was adding to our loss, it's up to you guys.
I only have one bullet, and I have to shoot somebody's target, so just so everybody knows where my bullet's going, Mike, it has to go to yours.
No problem.
Based on everything.
Nothing personal, buddy.
I hate to do it, but I got to shoot yours, Mikey.
That's fine.
I won't take anything personal.
I know you won't.
I'm gonna have to throw my round on yours, too, Mike.
I can't see voting for anybody else.
In my opinion right now, Mike is the weakest link in the Red Team.
Yeah, I lost mine.
I don't You know, I mean, they were all hard shots.
That's for sure.
The three of us who lost, you know, Phil got one of his targets.
You know, Mike didn't get any.
I didn't get any.
Even if you did, though, because of my loss, we would have only maybe tied it.
I can't vote myself, so it's gonna be Mike will get my vote.
I have no idea who to vote for.
I have no idea.
Red Team, welcome back to the nomination range.
You must now decide which two members you're gonna send to the elimination challenge.
Let's get to it.
Gary, you're gonna be the first man up.
Michael, you will definitely be in tomorrow's elimination challenge.
You're the last guy to vote.
Now it is on me.
I have to choose.
Who am I gonna take with me? I'm gonna have to start thinking about who I'm gonna be able to take out in this next elimination.
I'm picking Cliff because he has one expertise.
He is a pistol-minded person.
He is a pistol shooter.
And "Top Shot" is not just about pistols.
Cliff and I have already been through elimination challenges before.
I don't think either one of us has an advantage when it comes to this.
Well, it looks like it's gonna be Michael and Cliff facing off in the elimination challenge.
All you guys can head back to the house.
You two, I'll see you in the morning at practice.
Out of everyone left in this house, if I had to choose one person to face, it would be Mike, so, you know, I'm fine with it.
It's come to a point where I'm not picking for the team's interest.
I'm picking who I think I'm gonna beat in the elimination.
It's basically a craps throw.
If they throw a pistol at us, Cliff's gonna have a major advantage.
The cool thing is if you beat him, you just beat Cliff.
Grand master.
Yeah.
World-record holder.
Bragging rights.
Yeah.
See how it goes.
Coming up on "Top Shot" Who's ready to do a little shooting from the hip? Good.
Shooting from the hip is one of the most difficult things to do.
The slightest little difference is gonna miss the target completely.
Geez.
My worst nightmare.
Michael and Cliff, welcome to practice for the elimination challenge.
In the team challenge, you and your teammates attempted some pretty difficult exhibition shots.
For this challenge, you're gonna take exhibition shooting to a whole new level.
And it's gonna require you learn a marksmanship skill from the past that few modern-day shooters have ever mastered Shooting from the hip.
Jerry Miculek is back to help get you ready for the challenge.
Jerry is an expert at shooting from the hip.
In the old West, gunfighters had to draw and shoot fast if they hoped to stay alive.
So they developed the ability to hit their opponent by firing low and from the hip without using gun sights.
Today you'll firing The Schofield 5-inch barrel Pinkerton model.
Schofield revolver was originally a cavalry pistol.
With break-open design, it could be operated one-handed, which made it quick and easy to eject and reload the single-action revolver while on horseback.
It is referred to as the Pinkerton model 'cause the barrel was shortened 5 inches so Pinkerton detectives could easily conceal it.
My worst nightmare A revolver.
You guys are gonna practice separately.
Michael, you'll be going first.
Get it done.
You guys have fun.
I'll see you tomorrow at the challenge.
Cliff, you can come with me.
Am I gonna grab it with these two fingers? You'll grab it just like you would your Glock, - with all your hand.
- Okay.
And leave the trigger finger parallel to the muzzle.
Right.
Now, what I'd suggest You can use two hands to fire these things.
- Like this? - You can.
Most people have never fired a Schofield.
You can also use your other hand to cock it to fire it.
Okay.
I'd bet money none of these guys have ever seen one or put one in their hand, much less had time on the range with one to train.
When you're actually firing from the hip like this, you want to be aware of your target, and you want to be aware of your line of sight all the way back to the handgun.
- Okay.
- You have a soft focus.
I see the target, but I'm also seeing where the projectile is coming from.
Okay.
See, I'm not staring here, and I'm not staring there.
I see everything.
You're kind of seeing the whole picture.
I'm seeing the whole Like watching TV.
What shooting from the hip means is that the gun is gonna be low on the line of sight.
It's gonna be down at your belt level.
It's gonna be hard to line it up to the target.
Might want to come up a little bit.
There you go.
What we're gonna need to do to train these couple of guys to shoot well from the hip is to get them to perceive their natural point.
- High right? - High right.
Yep.
Try to get a reference for where you are.
Something consistent you can come back to.
- Geez.
- Little bit high.
Doesn't take much motion.
That's why you really want to lock that wrist.
Getting a vertical sight alignment down while shooting from the hip is one of the most difficult things to do.
See where you hit? Yep.
Keep it there.
Try it again.
See there? Now, you got a sweet spot.
Fire another one without moving it.
There you go.
See there? You have to feel what you're seeing so you can start to repeat it.
You're on the paper there.
Right on the bottom.
Good.
Toward the end of the session, the light bulb came on, and Mike was in the moment.
Very nice.
Thank you.
Just high.
Stay up high.
Correct it.
Make the shot.
Good.
Center of mass.
Excellent.
He had one run where he was absolutely spot perfect.
He was doing everything he was supposed to do.
Good.
You're on the paper low right.
He was able to come back and hit on command.
Good.
Excellent.
Wow.
- Getting the hang of it.
- Very good.
Hey, Jerry, good to see you again.
How you doing, Cliff? - Welcome to the practice range.
- Thank you.
I've competed against Cliff a lot of times.
I'm here to do my best as an instructor to give him whatever he needs to get the job done.
You have any questions whatsoever I got you.
I got you.
Don't hesitate to ask.
So, draw and.
.
Find your reference.
What you want to try to develop is a relationship at that point through your body.
How far out? As close as I can get it? Well, what's ever productive for you.
Just not this.
Right.
Right.
Has to be around waist level.
- That was high.
- That's high.
Yeah.
The first couple go arounds wasn't too good.
I was going high a lot.
I was low that time.
Kind of tricky to get two hands on it like that.
The way I was gripping the gun was my normal grip, and that was kind of getting in the way.
I wasn't able to hold the gun right.
So Jerry corrected that.
I just had in my head the way I normally shoot a revolver, and it's usually not down at hip level.
Good.
You're in the target box.
You see them? Center.
Very nice.
The slightest little difference is gonna miss the target completely.
I mean, you're talking about You know, it's very, very minor adjustments to make big corrections on the target.
So, it's definitely not gonna be easy.
To the right.
Oh, yeah, I see it.
Elevation was beautiful.
Just to the right.
Dead center.
Cut to center.
Ah! I'm starting to see what you mean by the focus, the soft focus.
That's a good run right there.
Starting to figure it.
All right.
This kind of competition, you know, it's what I do.
You know, I compete.
Every time I shoot, it's under pressure.
I've won plenty, and I've lost plenty.
I know what they both feel like, and either one can happen any time you go up to shoot.
Since I was 11 or 12 years old, my grandfather let me shoot my first shotgun at flying Clay targets, and I was addicted to it.
My entire foundation and everything that I've learned about shooting has been taught to me by my grandfather, Alvin Marelli.
Presently, I'm in law enforcement.
I've got a pistol on my side every day.
I shoot a little more practically.
I wouldn't be here in this competition today.
Come on in, marksmen.
Red Team, welcome to the elimination challenge.
Who's ready to do a little shooting from the hip? Cliff is.
Michael, eh, maybe.
All right, let's get to it, guys.
Out on the range, we've set up a classic showdown right out ofhe days of the old West, one that any gunslinger worth his salt would be itching to take part in.
Here's how it's gonna work.
You will compete one at a time.
are 1012-inch plates.
In between the firing line and the targets is a hitching rail.
You'll have to shoot from the hip under the rail at your targets.
When you walk up to the firing line, two holsters will be strapped to you, one on each hip.
Each holster will hold a Schofield revolver loaded with five rounds.
On my "go," you'll start firing.
After emptying the first gun, you'll holster it, then unholster the second, and continue firing.
The shooter who takes out the most targets wins and stays alive.
The loser says "so long" to any chance of winning "Top Shot.
" All right, fellas, we flipped a coin.
Michael, you are up first.
Head up to the firing line.
I'm going into this confident.
I'm thinking I got this.
Coming up on "Top Shot" and 10 rounds to hit 'em.
Man, maybe this thing can go into a sudden death.
One shot left.
For the elimination challenge, you will replicate the Western gunfighting skill of shooting from the hip.
The shooter who hits the most targets wins.
The winner of the challenge also receives a $2,000 Bass Pro shops gift card.
For the loser, it is happy trails.
Cliff, so that you don't have an unfair advantage, we're gonna have you step away from the course until it is your turn.
All right, Michael, go ahead and strap on the schofields.
Let's do this.
All I'm doing is thinking about the fundamentals that Jerry has taught me.
I am relying on them to hit as many of these plates as I can.
We're watching Mike kind of get himself lined up and warmed up.
Because he's so tall, he's using the hitching post as a guide.
And he's just gonna use that to keep his arms level as he sweeps across to shoot at the plates.
Marksman, ready SetGo.
Michael drawing the Schofield.
Shooting from the hip.
Michael misses on his first shot.
Michael just low on his second shot.
Third shot is a miss.
Four misses.
But he's outside.
He's right on the Nick of the wood there, so now he's got a base of where he needs to aim.
Now he's got a point on the board.
Unfortunately, that was the last round.
So, now he's got to holster that one up.
Switching out the Schofield.
*** Take out some plates.
Misses on that shot.
Three rounds left.
Michael connects! Two points.
One shot left.
He was that close to busting the third one, but at the end, after 10 rounds, he only got two plates broken.
Michael, you can take off the gun belt, head back to the bench.
We're gonna reset the course.
Then we'll bring in Cliff.
I got 2 plates out of 10.
It's better than no plates out of 10.
I got hope.
Cliff, you can go ahead and holster up.
Putting on a two-gun rig is great.
It's a lot of fun.
It really makes you feel like you're back in the old West.
Cliff is looking calm, cool, collected.
Cliff never looks nervous.
For some reason, the guy doesn't get nervous.
This is the guy I picked? All right.
and 10 rounds to hit 'em.
Here we go, Cliff.
Marksman, ready SetGo.
It's obvious that Cliff has a completely different game plan for this challenge.
He steps back a little bit from the hitching post, and he's shooting with the gun in nice and tight in front of his body.
First shot is a hit.
Second shot is a hit.
Third shot misses.
Then he misses, and you can kind of see Mike getting a little fire in his stomach, like, man, maybe this thing can go into a sudden death.
Fourth shot's a miss.
Cliff misses on the fifth.
Time to switch guns.
*** Cliff's got to refocus.
Misses on his sixth shot.
Just high.
Misses on his seventh shot.
We're ti at this point.
If he misses his next three shots, we're going into sudden death.
I got a chance.
Connects on his eighth shot.
Two shots left.
Connects again! That's four hits for Cliff.
Five hits for Cliff! Nice round.
He laid it on me.
I was outshot.
Michael, you took out two plates.
Cliff, you took out five.
Congratulations, you are still in this competition.
Come get your gift card to Bass Pro shops.
Nice shooting.
Thanks, Colby.
I appreciate it.
You got it.
You can rejoin your team.
Good job, man.
All right.
Michael, unfortunately, you have fired your last shot, buddy.
You have been eliminated from "Top Shot.
" Take a moment to say goodbye to your teammates before you head out.
All right, guys, it's been real.
I think my grandfather will end up being very proud of me.
A Marelli made it to "Top Shot.
" I think I performed great in this competition.
I made it farther than I had ever hoped to.
- See you, buddy.
- Have it easy.
I'm considering getting a new tattoo.
I'm gonna tattoo a revolver to my hip so I will always be ready to shoot from the hip.
On the next episode of "Top Shot" - Archery takes center stage - There it is.
But some struggle with the recurve bow.
The arrows fly at the team challenge.
There's nothing conventional about this.
You can't have practice for this.
I mean, it looks like it's gonna be almost impossible.
Y'all are gonna have to take one of the damn rocks out there and start shooting at it.
- Good.
Hit it.
- Smoke it.
Red Team improvises It sounds ridiculous, but it worked.
Low! And pulls out a win in the team challenge.
- Yeah! Whoo! - Yeah! Jake's behavior continues to disrupt the Blue Team.
Jake In some of these group settings, he just goes way off the reservation.
You voted me into elimination.
Off.
We're all trying to be sportsmen and gentlemen.
Jake's ruining that for the entire house.
But in the corner-shot elimination challenge Jake smokes the course with a perfect run and sends Paul home.
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 and from all walks of life.
Amateurs and professionals, military, recreation, and exhibition shooters.
Each shows the timeless skills of a true marksman Not just with one weapon, with any weapon.
They will compete in a gauntlet of challenges until only one remains, to claim the $100,000 prize and the title of "Top Shot.
" Seeing Jake walk through that door and not Paul was like seeing my grandmother naked.
It's something you'd never want to see, ever.
All right, so, real quick, man, I didn't think I should be at elimination today.
I know you guys felt like I should be.
I'm just gonna tell you right now, I'm not gonna go to every elimination like Kelly did just because you don't like me.
This is a single-elimination tournament.
Everyone in this room is either gonna have to be eliminated or win.
If I have to start with you right now and go through four eliminations, then that's what I'm willing to do.
I think Jake maybe changed some impressions of the Blue Team.
But as quickly as he changed them, he changed them right back.
I ain't gonna be nobody's whipping boy.
You're not just gonna send me into elimination.
Billy did the worst on his performance.
It's nothing against you personally.
It's an overall assessment, Jake.
Which is fine.
I'm cool with that.
But you're not, Jake.
I'm just letting you know you're not! No, no.
But I'm just letting you know what's gonna happen.
- But, Jake, you're not cool with it.
- You're not cool with it.
That's the point.
You got your feelings hurt.
You're not cool with going to elimination.
I'm perfectly fine.
I'm moving outside.
I'm on my own program now.
If you want my help, then you ask for my help, give me immunity in the next elimination challenge.
- If not, then it.
- Let's go.
- That's fine.
- I'm ready to roll with that.
Well, then, good.
My Blue Team is trying to turn on me a little bit, and if I have to, I can hunker down and get it done without them at all.
That's why I'm moving outside.
They're gonna think about it, and they're gonna understand that probably they made a mistake sending me and letting Billy get out of this one.
I got a bed.
I got something to keep the rain off my head.
I mean, I could sleep out here for a couple years if I had to.
My wife's in her third trimester.
I just got wind that things might be taking a turn for the worse, and we're looking at a possible complication.
My family's first, and that's a priority in my life.
Morning, shooters.
- Morning.
- Morning.
Well, congratulations are in order.
With Paul gone, you've all made it into the top 10, and we're all tied up Five apiece.
Before we get started, Billy, tell me what's going on with you.
Well, my wife's pregnant, and it took a turn for the worse Complications.
Now it's a high-risk pregnancy.
I'm gonna be removing myself from the competition and gonna be with my wife.
Well, there's absolutely no question you're making the right decision.
So, we hate to lose you.
You know, take a minute and say goodbye to these guys, man.
It's gonna be tough leaving, but I got to do what I got to do.
Good luck to the other guys, and my family is first.
All right, listen up.
The teams are now uneven.
Since the Blue Team lost a team member for personal reasons and not through the competition, the Red Team will get to decide who they're gonna sit out at tomorrow's challenge.
Got it? All right, let's get back to it.
We've come to the point in our competition where we test a skill you should all be familiar with.
Whether you're any good at it is a whole other matter.
It's becoming a "Top Shot" tradition Exhibition shooting.
The expert for today's practice is a living legend in the shooting world Jerry Miculek.
No way.
Jerry's considered the fastest revolver shooter alive and holds five world records in revolver speed shooting.
Everyone in shooting knows of Jerry Miculek.
He's a real legend.
In the world of revolvers, you know, Jerry He's the king, without a doubt.
He's Elvis.
For this challenge, you'll be using a handgun and a rifle.
The Smith & Wesson was personally picked by Jerry for this challenge and is known for its accuracy.
The rifle you'll be using is the Valquartsen deluxe semiauto.
This is a heavily customized.
22 designed for competition shooting.
In practice, you'll each work on a skill that will be used in the team challenge.
There are four skills.
I suggest each team member choose a skill to work on.
Nobody can prep you for this challenge better than Jerry, a legendary Top Shot in his own right, so listen closely.
Everybody, I think, has indulged a little bit in trick shooting, and it's just a whole lot of fun.
- Phil.
- Phil.
- Good to meet you.
- Hey, Jerry.
- I know this guy.
- How you doing, man? Jerry and I have a little bit of history.
We've shot in competition together.
I've shot against Jerry several times.
I got lucky to beat him once.
We're going to start off with.
22 semiautomatic rifle.
This is gonna be really fun stuff.
What we have downrange, part of the challenge, you've got some little dots there.
They're 3/4 of an inch.
They're gonna be offhand.
And you notice next to it, some 1/4-ih dowel rods.
Gonna try to cut those sticks with a.
22-caliber bullet, so you have to hold pretty center there.
Pretty simple, pretty hard.
Who wants to try it first? Mike's gna go first here.
We immediately asked each other what we were more comfortable with.
Phil and I are obviously more comfortable with shoulder-method weapons.
There you go.
Good shot.
Dead center.
Mike got up.
He fired some rounds.
He was looking very good.
See what I'm talking about, keeping the trigger prepped when you're getting in there? Absolutely.
Jerry had a lot to offer when it came to getting my cross hairs right on that target and breaking my trigger at the precise time.
Phil went on to shoot the dowels.
You've got about of vertical to play with.
So what's gonna be really important is just watching that cross hair up and down.
When you're shooting a corner inch *** with a.
22 round, you have a little Marge of error there.
Nice.
Yeah, Phil.
Got a piece of it.
Good.
Nice! Yeah, Phil.
Very good.
Next up, e're gonna be shooting a 686 revolver.
All these shots are very hard in their own right.
Just grab it by the butt like this.
Keep it pointing downrange and mount it.
Shooting with the little finger, with the revolver upside-down.
What the shooter has to adapt to is the long double-action pull and the consistency of the pull.
We decided to make a three-way decision on the revolver.
It's either gonna be myself or Gary sitting out.
Way low.
Yeah, I dropped that at the last minute.
I don't have the world's strongest pinky finger.
It's fairly small and quaint.
It's tough.
Good.
- There we go.
- Good shot, Gar.
Very nice.
Same spot you hit.
I was doing pretty good there, so that's the station that I landed on.
Next up, we'll make a it a little bit more difficult.
It's gonna be blindfolded.
The blindfold shot to me is gonna be definitely the hardest of all the competitions they're gonna do.
So, you want to try to work with it in the center of your face.
You also have to have the muscle memory there to repeat your performance with your eyes closed.
Envision where you're gonna be.
And you just work on your knees.
Muscle memory is key when you're blindfolded.
Low.
It's not an easy shot.
Shooting is 100% visual.
You know, it's all using your eyes.
You take your eyes away, it's like doing anything blindfolded.
You have to go on feeling and what you remember.
There you go.
Nice! I wanted that station just because I have more experience with a revolver, so I figured, you know, it'd be better for me to take the hardest one.
Okay, guys, that was a pretty good practice session.
You all were introduced to some pretty wild stuff here.
All in all, I think the team stands a good chance.
You had a good performance, and I hope you enjoyed the practice.
Thank you, guys.
The practice went very smooth.
I think as a team, we have good momentum.
We have a group of five guys that are very skilled shooters.
- I'm Dustin.
- Jerry.
Jake Zweig.
- Jake.
- How you doing, sir? - Alex.
When Jerry's introduced, I want to be all ears.
I mean, here's a world-renowned, world-record holder in shooting.
I usually come in from the I'm right-handed.
I like to come in from the left side and just track it.
And that instant that you stop your swing, you break your shot.
- Nice! - Wow! Dead center.
Beautiful.
- Nice shot.
- That'll do.
I got a pinky problem over here.
I'm gonna hit it with that one.
The upside-down pinky shot was a challenge to begin with.
I got my pinky chopped off on a school bus.
And so it put me at a disadvantage as far as using both pinkies to fire the gun.
- Good.
- Good job, Jake.
We're down to four people, so I'm kind of biting the bullet in this one.
Go ahead and point at the target.
Then close your eyes and then come back up to the target, see if it's there.
This blindfold shot requires a lot of consistency and also just being calibrated.
So, I have to consistently come up to the right location.
There you go.
Little 6:00 still.
You're in the target zone.
That's all that matters.
Killed it.
Nice.
Nicely done.
Nicely done.
- Mike - His ability to triangulate and get into the body position consistently was very impressive.
He was the right choice, definitely, for the blindfold event.
Okay, Blue Team, that's pretty good practice.
You got introduced to some pretty hard scenarios here.
Good shooting, all you guys, and good luck.
Thank you.
Jake in practice today, he really gave it his all.
I'm impressed.
We need to see that out of him more.
We walk into the challenge.
The first station closest to us is these two big glass jugs.
Next, we see cds.
Saw the cotton swabs on mine.
I was like, "wait a minute.
Mine just got smaller.
" Coming up on "Top Shot" I got three rounds for three targets.
That was the most stressed out I've been since I've been here.
Go.
I have to nail this thing dead-on for this thing to count.
Yeah! That was probably the most amazing thing I've ever seen in a shot.
Morning, shooters.
- Morning.
- Morning.
Welcome to the team challenge.
Jake, last time I talked with you at the challenge, you're done with the Blue Team.
Ready to move outside, just ready to get into ***, I think you've said.
- Did you moved outside? - Yeah.
How did that worked out for you? It's owesome.
*** So, you guys are a team at this point? Jake? Guess will find up today.
Well, I'm sure with all we'll been trying to figure out exactly what kind of exhibition shots we have in store for you.
Out on the range are four stations where you will attempt some amazing shots from the world of e exhibition shooting.
The shots will get increasingly difficult as we move along.
Both teams will send one shooter to each station based on the skills you worked on in practice.
At the first station, you'll shoot the Smith & Wesson pulling the trigger with your pinky finger At three beer bottles You get three shots.
Whoever has more hits wins one point foror his team.
At the second station are three cotton swabs Using the Valquartsen.
22 rifle, you'll try to hit the cotton swabs.
If the cotton swab is struck in any way, it counts as a point.
Whoever hits the most targets wins one point for his team.
At the third station, we placed three compact discs Using the.
22 rifle, you'll have to thread the needle Fire a bullet through the center hole without touching the CD at all.
And we've saved the toughest for last.
At the final station, you'll be using the 686 again.
This time, you'll be blindfolded.
The targets are three-gallon jugs set 25 feet downrange.
You'll get three opportunities to fire two rounds at the two targets.
There is no getting around it.
This is extremely difficult to pull off.
Because of the degree of difficulty, each time you hit both bottles, you'll earn one point for your team.
So if you have a perfect run at this station, you have the possibility of earning up to three points for your team.
The team that earns the most points wins and is safe from elimination.
Red Team, you have one more competitor.
You guys get to choose who's gonna sit this one out.
Who's it gonna be? It's gonna be me.
- Chris sitting this one out.
- Yes, sir.
For this challenge, the teams will alternate shooting order.
We've flipped a coin.
Red Team, you guys are up first.
Who are you sending to the first station? That'd be me.
Gary gonna take on the Smith & Wesson, shooting with his pinky.
Head on up.
You got this.
Put the pressure on them, Gary.
Come on.
I was real confident in Gary.
In practice, he was hitting mostly bull's-eyes.
And I knew he's a pistol shooter.
Marksman, ready SetGo.
Gary Smith & Wesson 6, upside-down, with his pinky.
- Yes! - First shot is a hit.
Two more targets to take out.
- Yeah.
- Good shooting, Gary.
Thataway! Gary goes two for two.
- Gary! - Attaboy, Gary! - Nice work.
- No problem! Come on back over, Gary.
Smokes all three bottles.
Way to go, Gary.
Good luck, Jake.
Yeah! Gary went up there, and he immediately set the tone.
He went three for three, did a great job.
All right, Jake, here we go.
Marksman, ready SetGo.
What the Jake misses on his first shot.
That's all it takes right there.
I knew I had missed as soon as it went off.
We went down 1-0, and it was a pain in the ass.
All right, Red Team leads 1-0.
Blue Team, who are you sending up? Dustin gonna take on the cotton swabs with the.
22.
It went from 1/4-inch to 1/8-inch targets.
It was like, whatever.
And so I'm just going through in my head what I'm gonna have to do to shoot them out.
SetGo.
First shot is a miss.
Second shot grazes the swab.
That's a hit.
Third shot is a hit.
Dustin goes two for three.
Good job, Dustin.
Good shooting, Dustin.
That was cool.
- Go, Phil.
- All right, Phil.
Phil gonna step up to the course.
I got three rounds for three targets.
That was probably the most stressed out I've been since I've been here.
Marksman, ready SetGo.
Phil misses on his first shot.
Phil's second shot grazes the swab.
That is a hit.
To force a sudden-death round, he must hit the last swab.
Right when I fired, I knew I was low-right of it.
I was trying too hard to hold it on the target.
Dustin wins the second station for the Blue Team.
Teams are now tied 1-1.
Moving on to the third station.
Red Team, who's shooting through the compact disc? Michael Marelli.
Head on up to the firing line.
Let's go, Mike.
We have to shoot through the little, tiny hole in the middle of a compact disc.
This is not an easy shot.
It's tied.
You know, now it's up to Mike.
He's got to perform.
Marksman, ready SetGo.
Mike misses on the first shot.
Mike misses his second shot.
Mike in a hurry, hits all three discs.
You couldn't nick the CD.
So, I knew I have to nail this thing dead-on for this thing to count.
All Alex has to do is send one shot cleanly through a compact disc without making contact, and the Blue Team will get a point at this station.
I'm an engineer by education and practice, so it's kind of like a big puzzle.
It's challenging, and it's intriguing.
I like it.
Go.
It was hard to see because the plastic in the center of the cd was clear and kind of a cloudy day.
It was hard to see the plastic.
Ohh! That one hit, huh? Alex's second shot clips the CD.
He has one more chance to score a point for the Blue Team.
It was clean, and it went right through, and I could tell right there, I mean, that was a clean shot.
Alex sneaks one shot through the compact disc.
Thanks, guys.
Gives the Blue Team a point.
They take the lead 2-1.
Moving on to the fourth and final station, worth a possible three points.
So, it is anyone's game at this point.
Mike and Cliff, this last station will be three rounds.
Each round is worth a point.
All right, Mike, come on up.
The blindfold shot is fairly difficult.
You're not relying on your eyes.
You've got to rely on these other senses.
My methodology is just to close my eyes and get my natural point of aim.
The blindfold goes on, and I just got to use the muscle memory to come up and rip the shots.
Shooter ready.
Stand by.
Go.
Damn it.
Colby takes the blindfold off.
Unfortunately, I hit the posts that were right underneath.
Cliff, come on up.
Cliff gets three attempts.
He's got to hit two for us to get the win.
He's definitely got to hit one for us to at least tie and force the Blue Team to hit one for the win.
Colby pulls the blindfold over, and then you're just trying to remember, where was the gun? Marksman, ready SetGo.
You got to have it exactly level and not right or left without your eyes.
That's what makes it hard.
First shot.
Moving over to take his second shot.
I had no idea.
Was it high, low, right, or left? I mean, the gun felt like it was right in my hand, but without seeing it, there's no way to know, you know, where you hit.
All right, Mike, head back up.
That first shot, my windage was okay.
My vertical was not dialed in.
I was miscalibrated there.
Go.
And I try to bring it up to that same set point again.
Damn it.
But I still don't hear anything, so I'm like, dang it.
I got two more misses.
It's bad I missed the targets, but it's good that I could see my hits in the 4x4 posts.
The trick is not to have Colby move your head while he's pulling the blindfold down, 'cause if you move your head off that spot, you know, the gun's not gonna be in the right place.
SetGo.
We can't tell him where he's hitting, and unless he hits the board, there's no way he can tell where he's hitting.
That's pretty nerve-racking.
Mike, you've got one more shot to secure a win for the Blue Team.
I have a lot of faith in Mike, 'cause Mike's got that robotic muscle system of his.
He can pull it off.
Coming up on "Top Shot" Now I'm thinking, "okay, I got to get this together.
I got to break these darn jugs.
" All right, Blue Team leads 2-1.
Mike could win it by hitting both jugs.
If not, he leaves the door open for the Red Team.
Shooter ready? Stand by.
Go.
So, now I'm rolling into the final attempt.
Now I'm thinking, "okay, I got to get this together.
"I got to get a little bit higher up in my vertical and break these darn jugs.
" Yeah! That's a hit! Yeah! Yeah! He nailed it dead-center, and I was just like -.
You know, probably the most amazing thing I've ever seen in a shot.
Dude, that's big time, kid.
That's big time.
I mean, man, that's tough to do.
Mike scores a point for the Blue Team.
Cliff, no real need in you coming up.
Blue Team wins.
Congratulations.
You guys are safe from elimination for now.
Red Team, you don't have that luxury.
You got a few hours to make some tough decisions.
Big Mike from the Blue Team, he was able to pull off one of the hardest trick shots I've ever seen.
Red Team didn't pull it off today.
We're feeling strong, like we had the upper hand, and then we came home with a loss today.
That doesn't exactly feel like the best thing in the world, and we lost that momentum that we'd previously gained.
I'm going into this meeting right now with the assumption that my name is gonna be one of the two in the elimination.
I'll start.
So, today we lost.
These were all very difficult shots.
I missed my targets.
If you guys think that that was adding to our loss, it's up to you guys.
I only have one bullet, and I have to shoot somebody's target, so just so everybody knows where my bullet's going, Mike, it has to go to yours.
No problem.
Based on everything.
Nothing personal, buddy.
I hate to do it, but I got to shoot yours, Mikey.
That's fine.
I won't take anything personal.
I know you won't.
I'm gonna have to throw my round on yours, too, Mike.
I can't see voting for anybody else.
In my opinion right now, Mike is the weakest link in the Red Team.
Yeah, I lost mine.
I don't You know, I mean, they were all hard shots.
That's for sure.
The three of us who lost, you know, Phil got one of his targets.
You know, Mike didn't get any.
I didn't get any.
Even if you did, though, because of my loss, we would have only maybe tied it.
I can't vote myself, so it's gonna be Mike will get my vote.
I have no idea who to vote for.
I have no idea.
Red Team, welcome back to the nomination range.
You must now decide which two members you're gonna send to the elimination challenge.
Let's get to it.
Gary, you're gonna be the first man up.
Michael, you will definitely be in tomorrow's elimination challenge.
You're the last guy to vote.
Now it is on me.
I have to choose.
Who am I gonna take with me? I'm gonna have to start thinking about who I'm gonna be able to take out in this next elimination.
I'm picking Cliff because he has one expertise.
He is a pistol-minded person.
He is a pistol shooter.
And "Top Shot" is not just about pistols.
Cliff and I have already been through elimination challenges before.
I don't think either one of us has an advantage when it comes to this.
Well, it looks like it's gonna be Michael and Cliff facing off in the elimination challenge.
All you guys can head back to the house.
You two, I'll see you in the morning at practice.
Out of everyone left in this house, if I had to choose one person to face, it would be Mike, so, you know, I'm fine with it.
It's come to a point where I'm not picking for the team's interest.
I'm picking who I think I'm gonna beat in the elimination.
It's basically a craps throw.
If they throw a pistol at us, Cliff's gonna have a major advantage.
The cool thing is if you beat him, you just beat Cliff.
Grand master.
Yeah.
World-record holder.
Bragging rights.
Yeah.
See how it goes.
Coming up on "Top Shot" Who's ready to do a little shooting from the hip? Good.
Shooting from the hip is one of the most difficult things to do.
The slightest little difference is gonna miss the target completely.
Geez.
My worst nightmare.
Michael and Cliff, welcome to practice for the elimination challenge.
In the team challenge, you and your teammates attempted some pretty difficult exhibition shots.
For this challenge, you're gonna take exhibition shooting to a whole new level.
And it's gonna require you learn a marksmanship skill from the past that few modern-day shooters have ever mastered Shooting from the hip.
Jerry Miculek is back to help get you ready for the challenge.
Jerry is an expert at shooting from the hip.
In the old West, gunfighters had to draw and shoot fast if they hoped to stay alive.
So they developed the ability to hit their opponent by firing low and from the hip without using gun sights.
Today you'll firing The Schofield 5-inch barrel Pinkerton model.
Schofield revolver was originally a cavalry pistol.
With break-open design, it could be operated one-handed, which made it quick and easy to eject and reload the single-action revolver while on horseback.
It is referred to as the Pinkerton model 'cause the barrel was shortened 5 inches so Pinkerton detectives could easily conceal it.
My worst nightmare A revolver.
You guys are gonna practice separately.
Michael, you'll be going first.
Get it done.
You guys have fun.
I'll see you tomorrow at the challenge.
Cliff, you can come with me.
Am I gonna grab it with these two fingers? You'll grab it just like you would your Glock, - with all your hand.
- Okay.
And leave the trigger finger parallel to the muzzle.
Right.
Now, what I'd suggest You can use two hands to fire these things.
- Like this? - You can.
Most people have never fired a Schofield.
You can also use your other hand to cock it to fire it.
Okay.
I'd bet money none of these guys have ever seen one or put one in their hand, much less had time on the range with one to train.
When you're actually firing from the hip like this, you want to be aware of your target, and you want to be aware of your line of sight all the way back to the handgun.
- Okay.
- You have a soft focus.
I see the target, but I'm also seeing where the projectile is coming from.
Okay.
See, I'm not staring here, and I'm not staring there.
I see everything.
You're kind of seeing the whole picture.
I'm seeing the whole Like watching TV.
What shooting from the hip means is that the gun is gonna be low on the line of sight.
It's gonna be down at your belt level.
It's gonna be hard to line it up to the target.
Might want to come up a little bit.
There you go.
What we're gonna need to do to train these couple of guys to shoot well from the hip is to get them to perceive their natural point.
- High right? - High right.
Yep.
Try to get a reference for where you are.
Something consistent you can come back to.
- Geez.
- Little bit high.
Doesn't take much motion.
That's why you really want to lock that wrist.
Getting a vertical sight alignment down while shooting from the hip is one of the most difficult things to do.
See where you hit? Yep.
Keep it there.
Try it again.
See there? Now, you got a sweet spot.
Fire another one without moving it.
There you go.
See there? You have to feel what you're seeing so you can start to repeat it.
You're on the paper there.
Right on the bottom.
Good.
Toward the end of the session, the light bulb came on, and Mike was in the moment.
Very nice.
Thank you.
Just high.
Stay up high.
Correct it.
Make the shot.
Good.
Center of mass.
Excellent.
He had one run where he was absolutely spot perfect.
He was doing everything he was supposed to do.
Good.
You're on the paper low right.
He was able to come back and hit on command.
Good.
Excellent.
Wow.
- Getting the hang of it.
- Very good.
Hey, Jerry, good to see you again.
How you doing, Cliff? - Welcome to the practice range.
- Thank you.
I've competed against Cliff a lot of times.
I'm here to do my best as an instructor to give him whatever he needs to get the job done.
You have any questions whatsoever I got you.
I got you.
Don't hesitate to ask.
So, draw and.
.
Find your reference.
What you want to try to develop is a relationship at that point through your body.
How far out? As close as I can get it? Well, what's ever productive for you.
Just not this.
Right.
Right.
Has to be around waist level.
- That was high.
- That's high.
Yeah.
The first couple go arounds wasn't too good.
I was going high a lot.
I was low that time.
Kind of tricky to get two hands on it like that.
The way I was gripping the gun was my normal grip, and that was kind of getting in the way.
I wasn't able to hold the gun right.
So Jerry corrected that.
I just had in my head the way I normally shoot a revolver, and it's usually not down at hip level.
Good.
You're in the target box.
You see them? Center.
Very nice.
The slightest little difference is gonna miss the target completely.
I mean, you're talking about You know, it's very, very minor adjustments to make big corrections on the target.
So, it's definitely not gonna be easy.
To the right.
Oh, yeah, I see it.
Elevation was beautiful.
Just to the right.
Dead center.
Cut to center.
Ah! I'm starting to see what you mean by the focus, the soft focus.
That's a good run right there.
Starting to figure it.
All right.
This kind of competition, you know, it's what I do.
You know, I compete.
Every time I shoot, it's under pressure.
I've won plenty, and I've lost plenty.
I know what they both feel like, and either one can happen any time you go up to shoot.
Since I was 11 or 12 years old, my grandfather let me shoot my first shotgun at flying Clay targets, and I was addicted to it.
My entire foundation and everything that I've learned about shooting has been taught to me by my grandfather, Alvin Marelli.
Presently, I'm in law enforcement.
I've got a pistol on my side every day.
I shoot a little more practically.
I wouldn't be here in this competition today.
Come on in, marksmen.
Red Team, welcome to the elimination challenge.
Who's ready to do a little shooting from the hip? Cliff is.
Michael, eh, maybe.
All right, let's get to it, guys.
Out on the range, we've set up a classic showdown right out ofhe days of the old West, one that any gunslinger worth his salt would be itching to take part in.
Here's how it's gonna work.
You will compete one at a time.
are 1012-inch plates.
In between the firing line and the targets is a hitching rail.
You'll have to shoot from the hip under the rail at your targets.
When you walk up to the firing line, two holsters will be strapped to you, one on each hip.
Each holster will hold a Schofield revolver loaded with five rounds.
On my "go," you'll start firing.
After emptying the first gun, you'll holster it, then unholster the second, and continue firing.
The shooter who takes out the most targets wins and stays alive.
The loser says "so long" to any chance of winning "Top Shot.
" All right, fellas, we flipped a coin.
Michael, you are up first.
Head up to the firing line.
I'm going into this confident.
I'm thinking I got this.
Coming up on "Top Shot" and 10 rounds to hit 'em.
Man, maybe this thing can go into a sudden death.
One shot left.
For the elimination challenge, you will replicate the Western gunfighting skill of shooting from the hip.
The shooter who hits the most targets wins.
The winner of the challenge also receives a $2,000 Bass Pro shops gift card.
For the loser, it is happy trails.
Cliff, so that you don't have an unfair advantage, we're gonna have you step away from the course until it is your turn.
All right, Michael, go ahead and strap on the schofields.
Let's do this.
All I'm doing is thinking about the fundamentals that Jerry has taught me.
I am relying on them to hit as many of these plates as I can.
We're watching Mike kind of get himself lined up and warmed up.
Because he's so tall, he's using the hitching post as a guide.
And he's just gonna use that to keep his arms level as he sweeps across to shoot at the plates.
Marksman, ready SetGo.
Michael drawing the Schofield.
Shooting from the hip.
Michael misses on his first shot.
Michael just low on his second shot.
Third shot is a miss.
Four misses.
But he's outside.
He's right on the Nick of the wood there, so now he's got a base of where he needs to aim.
Now he's got a point on the board.
Unfortunately, that was the last round.
So, now he's got to holster that one up.
Switching out the Schofield.
*** Take out some plates.
Misses on that shot.
Three rounds left.
Michael connects! Two points.
One shot left.
He was that close to busting the third one, but at the end, after 10 rounds, he only got two plates broken.
Michael, you can take off the gun belt, head back to the bench.
We're gonna reset the course.
Then we'll bring in Cliff.
I got 2 plates out of 10.
It's better than no plates out of 10.
I got hope.
Cliff, you can go ahead and holster up.
Putting on a two-gun rig is great.
It's a lot of fun.
It really makes you feel like you're back in the old West.
Cliff is looking calm, cool, collected.
Cliff never looks nervous.
For some reason, the guy doesn't get nervous.
This is the guy I picked? All right.
and 10 rounds to hit 'em.
Here we go, Cliff.
Marksman, ready SetGo.
It's obvious that Cliff has a completely different game plan for this challenge.
He steps back a little bit from the hitching post, and he's shooting with the gun in nice and tight in front of his body.
First shot is a hit.
Second shot is a hit.
Third shot misses.
Then he misses, and you can kind of see Mike getting a little fire in his stomach, like, man, maybe this thing can go into a sudden death.
Fourth shot's a miss.
Cliff misses on the fifth.
Time to switch guns.
*** Cliff's got to refocus.
Misses on his sixth shot.
Just high.
Misses on his seventh shot.
We're ti at this point.
If he misses his next three shots, we're going into sudden death.
I got a chance.
Connects on his eighth shot.
Two shots left.
Connects again! That's four hits for Cliff.
Five hits for Cliff! Nice round.
He laid it on me.
I was outshot.
Michael, you took out two plates.
Cliff, you took out five.
Congratulations, you are still in this competition.
Come get your gift card to Bass Pro shops.
Nice shooting.
Thanks, Colby.
I appreciate it.
You got it.
You can rejoin your team.
Good job, man.
All right.
Michael, unfortunately, you have fired your last shot, buddy.
You have been eliminated from "Top Shot.
" Take a moment to say goodbye to your teammates before you head out.
All right, guys, it's been real.
I think my grandfather will end up being very proud of me.
A Marelli made it to "Top Shot.
" I think I performed great in this competition.
I made it farther than I had ever hoped to.
- See you, buddy.
- Have it easy.
I'm considering getting a new tattoo.
I'm gonna tattoo a revolver to my hip so I will always be ready to shoot from the hip.
On the next episode of "Top Shot" - Archery takes center stage - There it is.
But some struggle with the recurve bow.
The arrows fly at the team challenge.
There's nothing conventional about this.
You can't have practice for this.
I mean, it looks like it's gonna be almost impossible.