Top Shot season 4 explained

Season Number:4
Bgcolour:
  1. 5d3954
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.

Contestants

ContestantOccupation/BackgroundOriginal TeamMerged TeamEliminated
Craig Buckland
47, Sandisfield, MA
Chemist, National and International Competitive Shooter, 3x World Champion and 4x National Champion, IDPA 5-Gun Master None18th 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 ShooterNone17th Place
Frank Melloni
28, Middle Island, NY
High School Custodian, Self-Taught Shooter, World War II Firearms Collector Blue Team16th 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 Team15th Place
Michelle Viscusi
21, Gilbert, AZ
Military Police Officer/Border Patrol, Former Army National Guardsman, Weapons Accessories Company Model Blue Team14th Place
Colin Gallagher
35, Wichita, KS
Police Sergeant, New Recruit Weapons Trainer, Criminal Profiling Training Blue Team13th 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 Team12th Place
Tim Trefren
34, Thayne, WY
Professional Big Game Guide, Business Owner, Bow Hunter, Skilled Archer, 2x World Champion Moose Caller Red Team11th Place
Dylan Fletcher
30, Alpharetta, GA
Knife Maker, Businessman/Entrepreneur, Skilled Knife Thrower, Pistol and Rifle Shooter Blue Team10th Place
Terry Vaughan
40, London, UK
Professional Speaker for Personal Safety, NRA Pistol Instructor, Former British Royal Marine CommandoBlue Team9th 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 TeamGreen Team8th 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 Team7th Place
Chee Kwan
23, San Gabriel, CA
Range Master, State Certified Firearms Instructor, Former Marine Infantryman, Recreational Shooter, 3x Rifle and Pistol ExpertRed Team6th Place
Kyle Sumpter
50, Kent, WA
Police Commander, Former SWAT Team Member, Washington State IDPA and Steel Championship WinnerRed Team5th Place
Augie Malekovich
34, Belle Vernon, PA
Financial Advisor, Former Department of Homeland Security Agent, Former Marine, Triple Nickel Award Winner Blue Team4th 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 Team3rd Place

31, Waterloo, IL
Federal Police Officer, USAF Veteran, Former Air Force Security Forces Member, World Champion Grenadier, ISPC Shooter Blue Team2nd Place
Chris Cheng
31, Mission Viejo, CA
IT Professional, Firearm Enthusiast, Skilled Pistol, Rifle and Shotgun Shooter. Self-taught.Red TeamWinner

Contestant progress

ContestantEpisodes
123456789101112
1ChrisWINSAFEWINWINSAFENOMWINWINNOMWINSAFEWINWINTOP SHOT
2GregoryNOMWINSAFENOMWINWINSAFENOMSAFESAFEWINBTM2SAFESECOND PLACE
3GaryWINSAFEWINWINSAFESAFEWINWINSAFENOMSAFEWINOUT
4AugieSAFEWINSAFESAFEWINWINSAFESAFEWINSAFENOMOUT
5KyleWINNOMWINWINSAFESAFEWINWINSAFESAFEOUT
6CheeWINSAFEWINWINSAFESAFEWINWINSAFEOUT
7WilliamSAFEWINSAFESAFEWINWINNOMSAFEOUT
8GabbyWINSAFEWINWINSAFESAFEWINWINOUT
9TerrySAFEWINNOMSAFEWINWINSAFEOUT
10DylanSAFEWINSAFESAFEWINWINOUT
11TimWINSAFEWINWINNOMOUT
12IggyWINSAFEWINWINOUT
13ColinSAFEWINSAFEOUT
14MichelleSAFEWINOUT
15KeithWINOUT
16FrankOUT
17ForrestOUT
18CraigOUT

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

Episodes

Episode 1: "Sweating Bullets"

Premiere datePreliminary challenge weapon(s)Preliminary challengeBlue Team membersRed Team membersEliminated players
February 14, 2012Fire 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, WilliamChee, Tim, Keith, Chris, Gary, Kyle, Gabby, IggyCraig, Forrest
Team challenge weapon(s)Team challengeBenched 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 challengeNominated playersEliminated 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, FrankFrank

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.

Episode 2: "In the Trenches"

Premiere dateTeam challenge weapon(s)Team challengeBenched player(s)Winning team
February 21, 2012M1918A1 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.CheeBlue Team
Elimination challenge weapon(s)Elimination challengeNominated for eliminationEliminated 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, KyleKeith

The trainer for both challenges was Craig "Sawman" Sawyer, Navy SEALs instructor and former sniper.

Episode 3: "Shotgun Showdown"

Premiere dateTeam challenge weapon(s)Team challengeBenched player(s)Winning team
February 28, 2012Benelli 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/ARed Team
Elimination challenge weapon(s)Elimination challengeNominated for eliminationEliminated 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, MichelleMichelle

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.

Episode 4: "Crossbow Crossfire"

Premiere dateTeam challenge weapon(s)Team challengeBenched player(s)Winning team
March 6, 2012BowTech 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. TimRed Team
Elimination challenge weapon(s)Elimination challengeNominated for eliminationEliminated 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, ColinColin

The trainer for the team challenge was Chris Brackett, archery expert. The trainer for the elimination challenge was Julie Golob, national/world pistol champion.

Episode 5: "Swing Into Action"

Premiere dateTeam challenge weapon(s)Team challengeBenched player(s)Winning team
March 13, 2012Kentucky 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, KyleBlue Team
Elimination challenge weapon(s)Elimination challengeNominated for eliminationEliminated 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, TimIggy

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.

Episode 6: "Blast from the Past"

Premiere dateTeam challenge weapon(s)Team challengeBenched player(s)Winning team
March 20, 20123.2" 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.CheeBlue Team
Elimination challenge weapon(s)Elimination challengeNominated for eliminationEliminated 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, ChrisTim

The trainer for the team challenge was Rick Pohlers, cannon expert. The trainer for the elimination challenge was Jack Dagger, primitive weapons expert.

Episode 7: "Trick Shot Shoot Off"

Premiere dateTeam challenge weapon(s)Team challengeBenched player(s)Winning team
March 27, 2012Remington M1911 pistol
Volquartsen Ruger 10/22 rifle
"Trick Shot Challenge": Each shooter competes at one of 5 stations.
  1. From 30 feet, fire the M1911 to drive a bowling pin backward through two others without knocking them down.
  2. Same as 1, but now the pin must go diagonally backward and knock over at least one of the others.
  3. From 75 feet, fire the Volquartsen and hit a bottle opener so that it pops the cap off a soda bottle.
  4. Hit the bottom bucket in a stack of two with the M1911 from 30 feet, knocking the top one into the air, then hit the top one before it reaches the ground.
  5. Shoot a gumball from 35 feet with the Volquartsen without hitting the golf tee on which it sits.

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/ARed Team
Elimination challenge weapon(s)Elimination challengeNominated for eliminationEliminated 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, WilliamDylan

The trainer for both challenges was Robert Vogel, 11-time national shooting champion.

Episode 8: "The Mad Minute"

Premiere dateTeam challenge weapon(s)Team challengeBenched player(s)Winning team
April 3, 2012Webley 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.GabbyRed Team
Elimination challenge weapon(s)Elimination challengeNominated for eliminationEliminated 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, GregoryTerry

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.

Episode 9: "The Longest Shot"

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 dateIndividual challenge weapon(s)Individual challengeWinning player(s)Eliminated player
April 10, 2012Accuracy 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, GregoryGabby
Elimination challenge weapon(s)Elimination challengeNominated for eliminationEliminated 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, WilliamWilliam

The trainers for both challenges were Kelly Bachand and George Reinas, contestants from Seasons 1 and 2.

Episode 10: "SWAT Throwdown"

Premiere dateIndividual challenge weapon(s)Individual challengeWinning player(s)
April 17, 2012FN 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 challengeNominated for eliminationEliminated 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, CheeChee

The trainer for both challenges was Jeff Gonzales, former Navy SEAL and counter-terrorism instructor.

Episode 11: "Have Machine Gun Will Travel"

Premiere dateIndividual challenge weapon(s)Individual challengeWinning player(s)
April 24, 2012M1919 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 challengeNominated for eliminationEliminated 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, KyleKyle

The trainer for both challenges was Craig "Sawman" Sawyer, Navy SEALs instructor and former sniper.

Episode 12: "The Ultimate Prize"

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 dateElimination challenge weapon(s)Elimination challengeWinning player(s)Eliminated player
May 1, 2012Winchester Model 1873 rifleTwo 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 challengeEliminated playerTop 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:
  1. Hit 2 jugs at 25 feet with the flintlock.
  2. Fire the Henry to knock down two 3-part targets at 50 feet.
  3. Using the Webley, hit 9 jars in a moving rack from 35 feet.
  4. Hit two rows of 6 targets each with the Colt. One row contains 10" targets, the other 8"; all targets in a row must be shot without a miss to close it out.
  5. Hit 3 targets on a rotating wheel at 25 yards with the BowTech.
  6. From the prone position, shoot 2 targets at 125/150 yards with the BAR.
  7. Use the Milkor to hit 2 targets at 50/75 yards.

First to complete all stations wins.

GregoryChris

Epilogue: Behind the Bullet

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.

Nomination Range

Episode1234567!8910!1112
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
NoneNoneNone
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
AugieGaryGregory
ContestantsVotes
1ChrisKeithIggyCheeWilliamGaryAugieNoneNoneNone
2GregoryFrankTerryColinDylanTerryWilliamCheeGaryNoneNoneNone
3GaryKeithTimTimKyleNoneAugieNoneNone
4AugieFrankMichelleGregoryNoneGregoryChrisGaryKyleNone
5KyleNoneIggyTimChrisCheeAugie
6CheeKeithNoneNoneKyleGary
7WilliamGregoryTerryColinDylanTerryChris
8GabbyKyleTimChris
9TerryNoneMichelleGregoryWilliamGregory
10DylanGregoryColinColinWilliam
11TimKyleIggyChris
12IggyKyleTim
13ColinGregoryTerryNone
14MichelleFrankTerry
15KeithNone
16FrankGregory
17ForrestNone
18CraigNone
  1. Episode 1: Forrest and Craig were eliminated in a preliminary challenge.
  2. Episode 9: Gabby was eliminated due to having the worst performance in the individual challenge. At the nomination range, William and Kyle tied for second place with 2 votes each; Kyle won a shoot-off to gain immunity.
  3. Episode 11: Gary and Kyle tied for second place with one vote each; Gary won a shoot-off to gain immunity.

Notes and References

  1. Mueller, Chris. "Top Shot Season 4: What Kind of Crazy Competitions Will the Show Feature?", Bleacher Report. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
  2. Finger, Stan (February 5, 2012). "Wichita Police Sergeant Featured in History Channel's Top Shot", The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
  3. http://www.history.com/shows/top-shot/bios Top Shot season 4 contestants