Top Shot - Season 3

the only "litmus test" that matters to the people paying to produce the show is ratings. I am sure they are trying to appeal to a broader audience than just us. I wouldnt call skill with other projectiles as "silly"

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Remember though that just because the producers DO something, doesn't mean its helping ratings. Motive does not mean results.

I can understand a lot of stuff on the show that we wouldn't like that would appeal to a broader audience - the drama aspect being one. I don't think the rocks is really opening it up much.

Honestly - I know when I see them shoot an interesting gun I get excited. If they throw the Browning HP up there I think "Hey, this is gonna be fun to watch!". Even though I'm not much of an archery person (I own a bow but have shot it maybe 3 times in the past two years), I can also understand that some segment of the population will get excited if they see an archery contest.

However, do you honestly think that any significant percentage of viewers see the rock throw challenge and jump up to exclaim "Awe yeah boy they're throwing ROCKS tonight!!!!".

I agree about the need for longer ranges and smaller targets with rifles. It seemed like a lot of the time they are shooting about a 10 MOA target with a sub-MOA rifle, and a lot of 50 and 100 yard targets with 600, 1000, and 1500 yard rifles. It seemed like there were too many 1st-round hits with the rifles compared to with the other weapons... a sure sign that they need to make the challenges harder. The .50 BMG challenge might have been a bit harder with a mover, but even still it was much bigger than man-size, and many of them got it on the first shot. If the rifle challenges are too easy, it doesn't really give the rifle guys a chance to really showcase their ability, and thereby gives the pistol guys an advantage, since the pistol challenges are really where the wheat gets separated from the chaff. The rifle challenges mostly come down to who can get the rounds off faster. It kind of misses one of the most important and most challenging things about rifle marksmanship -- turning your body into the most stable possible platform for the rifle. Also at 100 yards, the effects of wind don't even hardly come into play with just about any modern centerfire rifle. And when the rifles are already zeroed for the distance you're shooting, it just turns into point and click.

I guess Dustin kinda cut through all that when he made them shoot about a 2 MOA target with a .22 at 100 yards, firing a cartridge that actually requires you to take bullet drop into account at that distance. Stuff like that should be more like what the rifle challenges are.

A shot can be defined as an "aimed discharge of a missile". Rocks fit within that definition. And, having killed a jackrabbit with a rock, I can attest that it is a marksmanship skill and is not nearly as easy as it looks (it is a lot easier to kill a jackrabbit with a 22).

That said, I agree that the leather thong slingshot and atlatl would be interesting to see in action. And neither is without significant historical context. However, both of these may be too difficult for the average shooter.

This is the first season where I thought the best shot actually won. It was also the first season where I thought the finalists were all gentleman.

I should probably go on the show because I've never failed to shoot a one hole group with any weapon I've ever picked up. I usually spoil that by shooting a second shot, but still...

at least not unless they are going to add a boxing competition to the next Top Shot season.

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I bet we would have had a different winner if that was the case this season...

To tell the truth I kind of liked the idea of a rock throwing part. That is what allowed us humans to survive way back in the day and develop to where we are now-accurate rock throwing. At least that's what I read in the smithsonian one time while waiting for a proctology exam. Wait, too much info?

Anyways, I just could not believe how bad these guys were at throwing rocks!

They can skip the primitive weapons, as far as I am concerned. I would not want to be eliminated because I didn't brush up on my rock throwing before going to a "Top Shot" competition, selection for which was based on one's SHOOTING credentials or ability. Unless they warn all contenstants to poactice rock throwing, then make the targets cans on a fence at 15 or 20 yards, I won't be impressed. If we are gong to watch SUPERIOR rock throwning, then lets make it olympic level.

I really liked the throwing of the rocks during the finale. Not because I think it's a great shooting skill, but I just laughed at how ridiculous it looked seeing two grown men shoot a pistol, throw rocks, then on to the shotgun. It was humorous to me.
Dustin was definitely my favorite throughout the season. He had the best attitude and it couldn't have been a more satisfying ending...unless it was a little closer.

Justin was an amazing shot all season. The only time of weakness was when Gary beat him in the pistol challenge however; he made up for it in the second round. Imagine if he went pro and gain more experience. I believe he has the talent to be one of the top shooters out there.

Dustin had the right attitude: playing for fun.

All these folks w/ labels of "champion" or "grandmaster" had high expectations. I suspect Jake, being a SEAL, had a reputation to uphold as well.

It's better to go in with the attitude of "nothing to lose".

Any guesses to the type of folks on for next season?

A friend of mine Russ will be on. We shoot together. Talked to him about
some things. He is a quite person. Real nice guy. That's all I can say. Oh
he told me the weather was around 100 in the shade when he was there.
It will be on in April I think.

The "bad guy" always has a certain appeal. Despite all of the hate on Jake Zweig, I bet that if someone from Top Shot said, "One lucky (unlucky? THR reader will be selected to spend a day at the range (just shooing different guns, no competition) and then in the evening a sit-down dinner with their choice of either Jake Zweig or Dustin Ellerman" (all expenses paid) there's a fair to even chance that person would pick Jake and not Dustin.

Personally, I'd prefer Dustin as a range buddy, even if for a day, but I have very little doubt that shooting with Jake would be offbeat and interesting.

No - I'd pass on Jake. Too old to put up with jerks.

Planning to walk around pounding on pots and pans for Psy-ops? Don't need to watch him eat.

But the end competitions were what the show should be - decent guys, neat challenges (not the rocks).

Just pondering the precision of aiming stones at a small target and it hit me.

Wonder why they haven't brought in hand darts yet--like parlor darts with a dartboard.

How bout 'Yard Darts?'

They've brought in just about every other means of launching a projectile at a target.

Hey! Think we'll ever see blow darts or even 'Spit Wads?'

Actually, I'm only half-kidding.

Punkin-Chunkin? Catapults? Mortar Launchers?

Ohhhh it's alllll comin.

Quit giving them ideas.

I think they need to dip a little deeper into the Spec Ops well for contestants in these reality shows, One Man Army had some bad showings as well IIR but Jake takes the cake.

parsimonious_instead said:

a sit-down dinner with their choice of either Jake Zweig or Dustin Ellerman" (all expenses paid) there's a fair to even chance that person would pick Jake and not Dustin.

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I get to deal with enough pompous windbags at work all day...no going to spend my free time with one

I missed half of last season, have they done a crossbow comp yet? A really old school wooden crossbow without modern sights would be kind of cool to see, and it would seem unlikely anyone has used one.
And I wouldn't want to sit down and talk to Jake. I'd spend too much time trying to psychoanalyze him. Neither one of us would enjoy the meal.

They had blowguns last season in an elimination challenge

Would be cool if next season they used atlatls.

I believe y'all are correct on the Blow Guns.

And I wouldn't want to sit down and talk to Jake. I'd spend too much time trying to psychoanalyze him. Neither one of us would enjoy the meal.

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I don't think you'd have to dig very deep with Jake, Shawn. His issues don't seem too intriguingly mysterious.

He just seems very childish with great shooting skills but incapable of accepting failure or defeat.

None of us are great with that, but his choice of how to handle it, or 'not' handle it for that matter, really takes the 'all-time-low' Cake.

I think I "get" him. In a war time strategy, perhaps his plan would have worked. But in a competition where, let's face it, acting like an a-hole is just as likely to get you kicked off as being a bad shooter, he handicapped himself. I'd like to think that I would vote for people based on performance, but I would have had no problem if during his little tyrade one of them had just said "Yeah, we all voted for you because your acting like a D-bag". If he had just played the game on shooting ability alone, he probably would have been at least in the final four. He claims his "psy-ops" crap got Mike eliminated, but we all saw that he just wasn't that good a shooter. Sarah was eliminated for the same reason. All his "psy-ops" only got one person eliminated. Himself.
The best strategy to help yourself out on the show, is to be the best shooter for your team. The better you and your team mates are, the less likey you are to be eliminated. Vote the weakest out during the team stage. Then when it's green time, I agree with him on trying to get the strongest ones eliminated, to make it easier for yourself. That means outshooting them during regular competition, and when the bottom three are determined, vote for the strongest one. There is nothing unsportsman-like about trying to take out the strongest player when it's an individual competition. That's a winning strategy. Jake just played on green team from the beginning and it hurt him.
That's probably more than 2 cents right there...

Any guesses to the type of folks on for next season?

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I dunno. Is Omarosa any good with a 9mm?

Any guesses to the type of folks on for next season?

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I'm betting it will be a mix similar to the previous seasons, It makes for good TV despite what some here say.

X-Rap said:

I'm betting it will be a mix similar to the previous seasons, It makes for good TV despite what some here say.

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I agree. Though I hope they can find someone somewhat less despicable than Jake for next season.