Season Number: | 4 |
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Network: | History |
Num Episodes: | 12 |
The fourth season of the History channel television series Top Shot premiered on February 14, 2012.[1] [2] [3]
The season contains twelve episodes, and was filmed in Santa Clarita, California. The season was won by Chris Cheng.
Gregory Littlejohn, Kyle Sumpter, Chee Kwan, William Bethards, and Gabby Franco returned for Top Shot: All-Stars. Littlejohn finished in 16th, Kwan finished in 14th, Sumpter finished in 13th, Franco finished in 12th, and Bethards finished in 5th, meaning that Season 4 was the only season without a representative in the finale.
Contestant | Occupation/Background | Original Team | Merged Team | Eliminated |
---|---|---|---|---|
Craig Buckland 47, Sandisfield, MA | Chemist, National and International Competitive Shooter, 3x World Champion and 4x National Champion, IDPA 5-Gun Master | None | 18th Place | |
Forrest McCord 21, Houston, TX | Kinesiology Student, World Champion Pistol Shooter, Former U.S. Junior Shooting Team Member, IPSC World Shoot Gold Medalist, USPSA Competitive Shooter | None | 17th Place | |
Frank Melloni 28, Middle Island, NY | High School Custodian, Self-Taught Shooter, World War II Firearms Collector | Blue Team | 16th Place | |
Keith Gibson 28, Ghent, NY | Grass-Fed Cattle Farmer, Former U.S. National Guard Combat Medic, Former U.S. Army Veteran, Junior Olympic Shooting Camp Member, Army Basic Rifle Marksmanship Award Winner, Private Pistol Instructor, IDPA Shooter | Red Team | 15th Place | |
Michelle Viscusi 21, Gilbert, AZ | Military Police Officer/Border Patrol, Former Army National Guardsman, Weapons Accessories Company Model | Blue Team | 14th Place | |
Colin Gallagher 35, Wichita, KS | Police Sergeant, New Recruit Weapons Trainer, Criminal Profiling Training | Blue Team | 13th Place | |
Eric "Iggy" Keyes 39, Chicago, IL | Police Officer, Former Homicide and Narcotics Detective, Former SWAT Team Member, Skilled Pistol and Rifle Shooter, Weightlifter | Red Team | 12th Place | |
Tim Trefren 34, Thayne, WY | Professional Big Game Guide, Business Owner, Bow Hunter, Skilled Archer, 2x World Champion Moose Caller | Red Team | 11th Place | |
Dylan Fletcher 30, Alpharetta, GA | Knife Maker, Businessman/Entrepreneur, Skilled Knife Thrower, Pistol and Rifle Shooter | Blue Team | 10th Place | |
Terry Vaughan 40, London, UK | Professional Speaker for Personal Safety, NRA Pistol Instructor, Former British Royal Marine Commando | Blue Team | 9th Place | |
Gabby Franco 30, Doral, FL | Firearms Instructor/Business Owner, Former Venezuelan Shooting Team Member and Olympian, Pan American Games Silver Medalist, South American Games Gold Medalist, Tactical and IPSC Competitive Shooter | Red Team | Green Team | 8th Place |
47, Fredericksburg, VA | FBI Law Enforcement Specialist/Firearms Instructor, Former Marine, Marine Corps Shooting Team Member and Coach, Ex-Virginia State Trooper, National and State 3-gun Competitive Shooter, Gold Lauchheimer Trophy Winner, FBI Shooting Team National Record Holder in 3-gun | Blue Team | 7th Place | |
Chee Kwan 23, San Gabriel, CA | Range Master, State Certified Firearms Instructor, Former Marine Infantryman, Recreational Shooter, 3x Rifle and Pistol Expert | Red Team | 6th Place | |
Kyle Sumpter 50, Kent, WA | Police Commander, Former SWAT Team Member, Washington State IDPA and Steel Championship Winner | Red Team | 5th Place | |
Augie Malekovich 34, Belle Vernon, PA | Financial Advisor, Former Department of Homeland Security Agent, Former Marine, Triple Nickel Award Winner | Blue Team | 4th Place | |
Gary Shank 28, Reno, NV | Firearms Instructor, Civil War Reenactor, Historical Firearms Appraiser, Former Gun Library Manager, Local ISPA and USPSA Shooter, Cowboy Action 3-Gun Competitor | Red Team | 3rd Place | |
31, Waterloo, IL | Federal Police Officer, USAF Veteran, Former Air Force Security Forces Member, World Champion Grenadier, ISPC Shooter | Blue Team | 2nd Place | |
Chris Cheng 31, Mission Viejo, CA | IT Professional, Firearm Enthusiast, Skilled Pistol, Rifle and Shotgun Shooter. Self-taught. | Red Team | Winner |
Contestant | Episodes | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |||||
1 | Chris | WIN | SAFE | WIN | WIN | SAFE | NOM | WIN | WIN | NOM | WIN | SAFE | WIN | WIN | TOP SHOT | |
2 | Gregory | NOM | WIN | SAFE | NOM | WIN | WIN | SAFE | NOM | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | BTM2 | SAFE | SECOND PLACE | |
3 | Gary | WIN | SAFE | WIN | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | WIN | SAFE | NOM | SAFE | WIN | OUT | ||
4 | Augie | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | NOM | OUT | |||
5 | Kyle | WIN | NOM | WIN | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | ||||
6 | Chee | WIN | SAFE | WIN | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | WIN | SAFE | OUT | |||||
7 | William | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | WIN | NOM | SAFE | OUT | ||||||
8 | Gabby | WIN | SAFE | WIN | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | WIN | OUT | ||||||
9 | Terry | SAFE | WIN | NOM | SAFE | WIN | WIN | SAFE | OUT | |||||||
10 | Dylan | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | WIN | WIN | OUT | ||||||||
11 | Tim | WIN | SAFE | WIN | WIN | NOM | OUT | |||||||||
12 | Iggy | WIN | SAFE | WIN | WIN | OUT | ||||||||||
13 | Colin | SAFE | WIN | SAFE | OUT | |||||||||||
14 | Michelle | SAFE | WIN | OUT | ||||||||||||
15 | Keith | WIN | OUT | |||||||||||||
16 | Frank | OUT | ||||||||||||||
17 | Forrest | OUT | ||||||||||||||
18 | Craig | OUT |
The player's team won the team challenge (Episodes 1 - 8)
The player(s) won an individual challenge, or placed high enough to earn immunity from elimination for the current round (Episodes 9 - 11); the player(s) won an elimination challenge to avoid elimination (Episode 12)
The player's team lost the team challenge, but the player was not nominated for elimination (Episodes 1 - 8); the player(s) lost an individual challenge, but was not nominated for elimination (Episode 9 - 11)
The player was nominated for elimination, but won an elimination challenge (Episodes 1 - 11); the player was in the bottom two shooters, but won an elimination challenge (Episode 12)
The player lost an elimination challenge and was eliminated
The player(s) was eliminated in the preliminary challenge of Episode 1
The player came in second in the final challenge
The player won the $100,000 grand prize and the title of Top Shot in the final challenge
Premiere date | Preliminary challenge weapon(s) | Preliminary challenge | Blue Team members | Red Team members | Eliminated players |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
February 14, 2012 | Fire one shot at a target from 200 yards. Players are ranked by distance to the center of the bullseye; odd and even ranks join the Blue and Red Teams, respectively. The two farthest shots are eliminated. | Augie, Dylan, Gregory, Colin, Terry, Michelle, Frank, William | Chee, Tim, Keith, Chris, Gary, Kyle, Gabby, Iggy | Craig, Forrest | |
Team challenge weapon(s) | Team challenge | Benched player(s) | Winning team | ||
Ruger Vaquero revolver | "The Perfect Run Challenge": From 35 feet, shooters fire at separate grids of 48 targets (8 rows of 6). Target size decreases from 10" at the top to 4.5" at the bottom. One shooter per row; all 6 targets on a row must be shot without a miss to eliminate it. First team to eliminate all 8 rows wins. | N/A | Red Team | ||
Elimination challenge weapon(s) | Elimination challenge | Nominated players | Eliminated player | ||
M1 carbine | "Sidecar Shootout Challenge": While riding in a motorcycle sidecar, fire at 10 targets from 15-25 yards. Maximum 15 rounds per player. Higher number of hits wins; ties are broken by fewer total rounds fired. | Gregory, Frank | Frank |
No practice sessions were held for the preliminary and team challenges. The trainer for the elimination challenge was Garry James, historical firearms expert and former United States Army ordnance officer.
Premiere date | Team challenge weapon(s) | Team challenge | Benched player(s) | Winning team |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 21, 2012 | M1918A1 Browning Automatic Rifle | "In the Trenches Challenge": Crawl through sand under 40 feet of barbed wire, then jump into a trench and fire at separate sets of 7 targets from 100-150 yards. One shooter per target; the next shooter cannot start onto the course until the current target has been hit. First team to hit all targets wins. | Chee | Blue Team |
Elimination challenge weapon(s) | Elimination challenge | Nominated for elimination | Eliminated player | |
Milkor USA M32A1 grenade launcher | "Capture the Frag Challenge": Fire at separate sets of 4 targets each from 50-75 yards, starting with the closest. First to hit all targets wins. | Keith, Kyle | Keith |
The trainer for both challenges was Craig "Sawman" Sawyer, Navy SEALs instructor and former sniper.
Premiere date | Team challenge weapon(s) | Team challenge | Benched player(s) | Winning team |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 28, 2012 | Benelli M4 shotgun, loaded with slugs Benelli Vinci shotgun, loaded with birdshot | "Double Tap Challenge": Teams compete separately, with one shooter at a time per weapon. The M4 shooter must hit an 8" moving target to launch two clay targets for the Vinci shooter. Each shooter then goes to the back of the line for the weapon he/she did not use. One point per clay hit; higher score after 4 minutes wins. | N/A | Red Team |
Elimination challenge weapon(s) | Elimination challenge | Nominated for elimination | Eliminated player | |
Benelli Nova shotgun | "Horse Race Challenge": From 35 feet, shooters fire buckshot loads at separate 3-target wheels to make them roll along 35-foot tracks. Once a shooter's wheel passes a marker on the track, he/she may switch to slugs. First shooter to get his/her wheel to the other end wins. | Terry, Michelle | Michelle |
The trainer for the team challenge was Chris Reed, the winner of Season 2. The trainer for the elimination challenge was Taran Butler, national/world shotgun champion.
Premiere date | Team challenge weapon(s) | Team challenge | Benched player(s) | Winning team |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 6, 2012 | BowTech StrykeZone 350 crossbow | "Crossbow Shootout Challenge": From 20 yards, pairs of shooters (one per team) fire at separate sets of 8" targets on rotating wheels. Six rounds are played; one target each in Round 1, with another target added in each successive round. One point per target hit; a round ends as soon as one shooter has hit all of his/her targets. Higher total score wins. | Tim | Red Team |
Elimination challenge weapon(s) | Elimination challenge | Nominated for elimination | Eliminated player | |
Smith & Wesson M&P 40 pistol | "Tick Tock Challenge": From 35 feet, shooters fire at targets on opposite sides of separate walls, causing a pendulum with 10 balloon targets to swing through a triangular opening. Balloons range from 8" at the bottom to 3.5" at the top. First to hit all 10 balloons wins. | Greg, Colin | Colin |
The trainer for the team challenge was Chris Brackett, archery expert. The trainer for the elimination challenge was Julie Golob, national/world pistol champion.
Premiere date | Team challenge weapon(s) | Team challenge | Benched player(s) | Winning team |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 13, 2012 | Kentucky flintlock pistol | "Swing Into Action Challenge": Swing from one elevated platform to another over a 20-foot gap, then fire one shot at a set of 5 glass jugs from 30 feet with one hand and swing back. One shooter per jug; the next shooter must wait to swing out until the previous one has either swung back or climbed up. First team to hit all 5 jugs wins. | Gary, Kyle | Blue Team |
Elimination challenge weapon(s) | Elimination challenge | Nominated for elimination | Eliminated player | |
Heckler & Koch USP Tactical pistol (.45 caliber) | "Moving Porthole Challenge": While keeping pace on foot with a moving wall, fire through a window at 20 glass jars placed 25–45 feet downrange. Higher number of hits in one run along the course wins; ties are broken with a second run. | Iggy, Tim | Iggy |
The trainer for the team challenge was Russ Combs, national flintlock champion. The trainer for the elimination challenge was Steve Gilcreast, former Army Ranger and SWAT team leader.
Premiere date | Team challenge weapon(s) | Team challenge | Benched player(s) | Winning team |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 20, 2012 | 3.2" bag gun (firing 4.6-pound aluminum projectiles) | "Blast Off Challenge": Each player gets one chance to sight a target 300 yards away, while the rest of his/her teammates position and fire the cannon. Closest shot to the center of the bullseye wins. | Chee | Blue Team |
Elimination challenge weapon(s) | Elimination challenge | Nominated for elimination | Eliminated player | |
Atlatl | "Atlatl Battle Challenge": Players take alternating throws at their choice of 3 targets from 30/45/60 feet. Points are awarded based on range and distance to the center of the target. Higher score after 10 rounds wins. | Tim, Chris | Tim |
The trainer for the team challenge was Rick Pohlers, cannon expert. The trainer for the elimination challenge was Jack Dagger, primitive weapons expert.
Premiere date | Team challenge weapon(s) | Team challenge | Benched player(s) | Winning team |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 27, 2012 | Remington M1911 pistol Volquartsen Ruger 10/22 rifle | "Trick Shot Challenge": Each shooter competes at one of 5 stations.
3 attempts at each of the first 4 stations (1 point each). 4 attempts at station 5 (3 points each). Higher total score wins. | N/A | Red Team |
Elimination challenge weapon(s) | Elimination challenge | Nominated for elimination | Eliminated player | |
SIG Sauer P229 pistol Browning Buck Mark pistol | "Tops & Bottoms Challenge": Shooters fire at separate racks of 10 bowling pins from 35 feet. The tops of the pins have been sawed off and set back on the bodies. They must use the Browning to shoot the tops off, then switch to the SIG to hit the bodies. One point per target hit; no points awarded if a pin's body is hit first. Higher score after 2 minutes wins. | Dylan, William | Dylan |
The trainer for both challenges was Robert Vogel, 11-time national shooting champion.
Premiere date | Team challenge weapon(s) | Team challenge | Benched player(s) | Winning team |
---|---|---|---|---|
April 3, 2012 | Webley Mk VI revolver | "Moving Speedfire Challenge": Shoot at separate moving grids of 30 targets from 35 feet. One player at a time per team, 6 shots per player. First team to hit all targets wins. | Gabby | Red Team |
Elimination challenge weapon(s) | Elimination challenge | Nominated for elimination | Eliminated player | |
Lee–Enfield Mk III rifle | "Mad Minute Challenge": Fire at a 24" target from 200 yards. Higher number of hits in 60 seconds wins; ties are broken by fewer total rounds used. | Terry, Gregory | Terry |
The trainer for both challenges was Iain Harrison, the winner of Season 1.
The "mad minute" originated as a pre-World War I term used by British riflemen during training to describe scoring 15 hits onto a 12" round target at 300 yd within one minute using a bolt-action rifle. The term still exists in modern military parlance to describe any short period of intense weapons fire.
The teams were dissolved in this episode. All players received green shirts and began to compete against each other for the rest of the season. After the individual challenge, all players voted for one of the players who had not won immunity. The top two vote-getters then competed in an elimination challenge as in previous episodes.
Premiere date | Individual challenge weapon(s) | Individual challenge | Winning player(s) | Eliminated player |
---|---|---|---|---|
April 10, 2012 | Accuracy International AX338 rifle, using .338 Lapua Magnum ammunition | "1500 Yard Shot Challenge": Shoot at a 30-inch target from 1,500 yards; maximum 10 minutes and 20 rounds per player. The four fastest times to hit it are safe; next three are eligible for nomination; slowest is immediately eliminated. | Augie, Chee, Gary, Gregory | Gabby |
Elimination challenge weapon(s) | Elimination challenge | Nominated for elimination | Eliminated player | |
Henry rifle | "Not Just the Bull's Eye Challenge": Shooters fire at separate sets of 5 targets from 45–55 feet. Each target consists of 3 sections, a bullseye and 2 outer rings (may be shot in any order). First to hit all sections of every target wins. | Chris, William | William |
The trainers for both challenges were Kelly Bachand and George Reinas, contestants from Seasons 1 and 2.
Premiere date | Individual challenge weapon(s) | Individual challenge | Winning player(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
April 17, 2012 | FN Five-seven pistol | "Rappel Challenge": A 3-story, 30-foot tower is used, with a pair of windows at each story. Starting at the top, climb down a rope to each story, then shoot at 3 targets per window. Target size and distance decrease with each lower story (70, 50, 30 feet). Shooter must unload and holster the Five-Seven after finishing each window. The three fastest times to hit all targets are safe from elimination. | Chris, Kyle, Augie | |
Elimination challenge weapon(s) | Elimination challenge | Nominated for elimination | Eliminated player | |
Mossberg 500 "Chainsaw" shotgun FN FS2000 rifle | "Back Alley Breach Challenge": Run a course with 3 stations while wearing full SWAT protective gear. At each station, use the Mossberg to breach a door, then switch to the FS2000 and shoot 3 targets. Size and distance increase at each station (35, 45, 50/60/70 feet). Shorter time to hit all targets wins. | Gary, Chee | Chee |
The trainer for both challenges was Jeff Gonzales, former Navy SEAL and counter-terrorism instructor.
Premiere date | Individual challenge weapon(s) | Individual challenge | Winning player(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
April 24, 2012 | M1919 Browning machine gun | "Have Machine Gun, Will Travel Challenge": While riding in an M2A1 halftrack, fire at 15 targets from 25–100 feet. Target sizes range from 12" to 25"; maximum 100 rounds per player. The two highest numbers of hits in one pass along the course are safe. | Greg, Chris | |
Elimination challenge weapon(s) | Elimination challenge | Nominated for elimination | Eliminated player | |
FN PS90 carbine | "Keep in Memory Challenge": Shooters study 10 objects in a box, then cross a 20-foot rope and fire at separate racks of 30 objects, trying to hit only the duplicates of the ones in the box. Correct and incorrect hits award and deduct one point each, respectively. Shooters may return to their boxes as needed. Higher score after 1 minute and 15 seconds wins. | Augie, Kyle | Kyle |
The trainer for both challenges was Craig "Sawman" Sawyer, Navy SEALs instructor and former sniper.
No practice sessions were held in this episode. The six individual shooters eliminated prior to the final challenge returned to watch it, along with Allen Treadwell, a professional shooter sponsored by Bass Pro Shops.
Premiere date | Elimination challenge weapon(s) | Elimination challenge | Winning player(s) | Eliminated player |
---|---|---|---|---|
May 1, 2012 | Winchester Model 1873 rifle | Two shooters at a time fire at 12 double-sided targets from 50 feet, trying to flip as many as possible to their assigned color. The winners of the first-round matches advance; the losers play a third match, with the loser of this one being eliminated. Ties are broken with a rematch. | 1st round: Chris, Gary (won in rematch with Gregory) 2nd round: Gregory | Augie |
Pistols: Remington M1911, Browning Buck Mark, FN Five-seven Long Guns: Lee–Enfield Mk III rifle, M14 rifle, Benelli M4 shotgun | Two rounds are played, with every shooter picking one weapon, target, distance, and shooting stance in each. All three shooters try each shot; no weapon or target may be used more than once. The lowest number of hits is eliminated. Targets include jars, bowls, bottles, and mugs. | Gregory, Chris (guaranteed win after 5th shot) | Gary | |
Final challenge weapon(s) | Final challenge | Eliminated player | Top Shot | |
Kentucky flintlock pistol Henry rifle Webley Mk VI revolver Colt Peacemaker revolver BowTech StrykeZone 350 crossbow M1918A1 Browning Automatic Rifle Milkor USA M32A1 grenade launcher | Run a course with 7 shooting stations:
First to complete all stations wins. | Gregory | Chris |
Premiering after the final episode, Top Shot Season Four Behind the Bullet, was a one-hour documentary involving behind-the-scene interviews and footage taken before, during, and after the season four competition. At the end of the episode, the show profiled each of the contestants, post-competition.
Frank Melloni has opened his own firearms training academy.Keith Gibson is starting a new grass-fed dairy farm.Michelle Viscusi recently completed a photo shoot for Maxim.Colin Gallagher is back working as a Police Sergeant in Wichita. He has returned the bandana to Greg (Episode 4).Iggy Keyes has been shooting in local gun competitions.Tim Trefren recently left on his first trip of the spring bear-hunting season.Dylan Fletcher has started shooting locally in the USPSA, IPSC and IDPA.Terry Vaughan continues to travel as a professional speaker on body language.Gabby Franco is back in Miami teaching precision shooting.William Bethards will be competing at the National Rifle and Pistol Championship.Chee Kwan has applied to become a U.S. Marshal.Kyle Sumpter has been running lethal force and firearms training courses.Augie Malekovich has been teaching air rifle shooting to paralyzed veterans.Gary Shank has started a new job selling firearms.Gregory Littlejohn has been shooting USPSA matches. He spent most of his $6000 from Bass Pro Shops on ammo.Chris Cheng is excited to start his pro shooting career. He has yet to spend any of his championship winnings.Episode | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7! | 8 | 9 | 10! | 11 | 12 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nominated | Gregory 4/8 Votes | Kyle 3/8 Votes | Terry 4/7 Votes | Gregory 2/6 Votes | Tim 3/7 Votes | Chris 2/6 Votes | William 2/5 Votes | Gregory 2/4 Votes | Chris 3/7 Votes | Gary 3/6 Votes | Augie 3/5 Votes | None | None | None | |||
Eliminated | Frank 3/8 Votes | Keith 3/8 Votes | Michelle 2/7 Votes | Colin 3/6 Votes | Iggy 3/7 Votes | Tim 2/6 Votes | Dylan 2/5 Votes | Terry 2/4 Votes | William 2/7 Votes | Chee 2/6 Votes | Kyle 1/5 Votes | Augie | Gary | Gregory | |||
Contestants | Votes | ||||||||||||||||
1 | Chris | Keith | Iggy | Chee | William | Gary | Augie | None | None | None | |||||||
2 | Gregory | Frank | Terry | Colin | Dylan | Terry | William | Chee | Gary | None | None | None | |||||
3 | Gary | Keith | Tim | Tim | Kyle | None | Augie | None | None | ||||||||
4 | Augie | Frank | Michelle | Gregory | None | Gregory | Chris | Gary | Kyle | None | |||||||
5 | Kyle | None | Iggy | Tim | Chris | Chee | Augie | ||||||||||
6 | Chee | Keith | None | None | Kyle | Gary | |||||||||||
7 | William | Gregory | Terry | Colin | Dylan | Terry | Chris | ||||||||||
8 | Gabby | Kyle | Tim | Chris | |||||||||||||
9 | Terry | None | Michelle | Gregory | William | Gregory | |||||||||||
10 | Dylan | Gregory | Colin | Colin | William | ||||||||||||
11 | Tim | Kyle | Iggy | Chris | |||||||||||||
12 | Iggy | Kyle | Tim | ||||||||||||||
13 | Colin | Gregory | Terry | None | |||||||||||||
14 | Michelle | Frank | Terry | ||||||||||||||
15 | Keith | None | |||||||||||||||
16 | Frank | Gregory | |||||||||||||||
17 | Forrest | None | |||||||||||||||
18 | Craig | None |