Top Shot (season 2)

Top Shot (season 2)
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	12
Release
Original network	History
Original release	February 8 – April 26, 2011

The second season of the History Channel television series Top Shot, titled Top Shot Reloaded commenced airing on February 8, 2011, and concluded on April 26, 2011. The season contained twelve episodes, and was filmed over a period of 35 days in the fall of 2010 in Santa Clarita, California. The winner of the season was American Chris Reed.

Chris Reed later appeared as a coach in Seasons 3 and 4; George Reinas also appeared as a coach in Seasons 4 and 5.

Brian Zins, Joe Serafini, and Jamie Franks returned for Top Shot: All-Stars. Franks finished in 10th, Serafini finished in 8th, and Zins finished in 4th. According to Colby Donaldson's Twitter, George Reinas was invited to compete as well.

Contestants

Contestant	Occupation / Background	Original Team	Merged Team	Eliminated
Travis Marsh 37, Ruth, CA	Environmental Business Project Manager, eight-time State Champ for Running Game Targets, 14 years on the U.S. Shooting Team with rifle, 10-time National Junior Champ	Blue Team	20	16th Place
Athena Lee 32, Katy, TX	Oil company contractor & firearms instructor, competition shooter with various awards since 1999. USPSA Open Division Master (and one of only a handful of female Master class shooters)	Red Team	20	15th Place
John Guida 44, Buffalo, NY	Restaurant owner, 12-year USPSA member, competition shooter with various awards.	Red Team	20	14th Place
Jermaine Finks 38, Lancaster, PA	Federal agent & firearms instructor, US Army veteran, former Pennsylvania State Constable, Department of Homeland Security instructor in tactics, defensive measures and firearms.	Blue Team	20	13th Place
Maggie Reese 31, Chino, CA	Professional shooter, 13 years of experience in shooting sports with various awards.	Blue Team	20	12th Place
Eric Anderson 46, Webster, FL	Landfill supervisor, Marine Corps veteran and marksmanship instructor, certified hunting safety instructor for Florida fish and wildlife conservation, former police officer.	Red Team	20	11th Place
Chris Tilley 25, Raleigh, NC	Professional shooter & firearms retailer and instructor, competition shooter with various awards, USPSA Grand Master	Blue Team	20	10th Place
Kyle Frasure 23, Anaheim Hills, CA	Server, competition shotgun shooter, expert .22 caliber rifle shooter, various awards.	Blue Team	20	9th Place
Daryl Parker 44, Ft. Smith, AR	Sheriff's lieutenant, Marine Corps veteran, certified Law Enforcement Firearms instructor.	Blue Team	20	8th Place
Jay Lim 35, Fullerton, CA	Golf instructor, competition pistol and archer shooter with various awards, Olympic training.	Blue Team	Green Team	7th Place
Ashley Spurlin	United States Air Force Combat Controller.[1][2][3]	Blue Team		6th Place
Jamie Franks 31, Selma, NC	US Navy rescue swimmer, graduate of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Skills and Practical Weapons courses and Anti-Terrorism Force Protection/Deadly Force Training, Navy rifle and pistol marksmanship expert.	Red Team		5th Place
Joe Serafini 28, Bourbonnais, IL	Construction worker, Company High Shooter in Marine boot camp, Champion archer, qualified expert with both the M16 and Beretta 9mm pistols.	Red Team		4th Place
George Reinas 26, Cinnaminson, NJ	USAF US Air Force CPEC instructor certified, Air Force Security Forces pre-deployment Instructor.	Red Team		3rd Place
Brian "Gunny" Zins 41, Poland, OH	Independent security contractor, former US Marine Corps Military Police Officer, combat marksmanship instructor for Marine Corps with rifle and pistol, Trained in FBI advanced firearms. 10-time NRA Conventional Pistol (Bullseye) Champion.	Red Team		2nd Place
Chris Reed 37, Greenwood, MS	Realtor, Marine Corps honor graduate and Company High Shooter, competition shooter with various awards.	Red Team		Winner

Contestant progress

#	Contestant	Episodes
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
1	Chris R.	WIN	SAFE	WIN	WIN	SAFE	WIN	WIN	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	NOM	WIN	SAFE	TOP SHOT
2	Brian	WIN	SAFE	WIN	WIN	SAFE	WIN	WIN	WIN	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	WIN	SECOND PLACE
3	George	WIN	SAFE	WIN	WIN	SAFE	WIN	WIN	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	BTM2	OUT
4	Joe	WIN	SAFE	WIN	WIN	SAFE	WIN	WIN	WIN	SAFE	NOM	SAFE	OUT
5	Jamie	WIN	NOM	WIN	WIN	NOM	WIN	WIN	WIN	NOM	WIN	OUT
6	Ashley	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	NOM	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
7	Jay	SAFE	WIN	NOM	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	NOM	OUT
8	Daryl	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	NOM	SAFE	OUT
9	Kyle	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	NOM	WIN	SAFE	OUT
10	Chris T.	NOM	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	OUT
11	Eric	WIN	SAFE	WIN	WIN	OUT
12	Maggie	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	OUT
13	Jermaine	SAFE	WIN	OUT
14	John	WIN	SAFE	LEFT
15	Athena	WIN	OUT
16	Travis	OUT

     The player's team (episodes 1–8) won the team challenge.

     The player(s) (episodes 9–12) won the individual challenge.

     The player's team (episodes 1–8) lost the challenge, but the player was not nominated for elimination; or the player (episodes 9–11) did not win the individual challenge but was not nominated for elimination

     The player was nominated for elimination, but won an elimination challenge; or the player (episode 12) was in the bottom two challengers but won a tiebreaker

     The player lost an elimination challenge and was eliminated from the competition.

     The player voluntarily withdrew from the competition.

     The player won the $100,000 grand prize.

     The player came in second.

Episodes

Episode 1: "Sharpshooter Surprise"

Premiere date	Preliminary challenge weapon(s)	Preliminary challenge	Red Team Winner	Blue Team Winner
February 8, 2011	Sharps rifle	Players take one shot each at a 10-inch target from 200 yards. The two closest shots to the center of the bullseye get to pick the teams.	Chris R.	Jay
	Team challenge weapon(s)	Team challenge	Benched player(s)	Winning team
	M1911 pistol	Shoot solid-color billiard balls (1–8) from 25–50 feet in ascending order, avoiding the striped balls (9–15) on the range. One shot per player per turn.	N/A	Red Team
	Elimination challenge weapon(s)	Elimination challenge	Nominated for elimination	Eliminated player
	Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 Magnum revolver	Shoot at 8 suspended targets that move toward the player from 80 feet out. Players must hit as many targets as possible before they fall to the ground and out of play.	Chris T., Travis	Travis

No practice sessions were held for the preliminary and team challenges. The trainer for the elimination challenge was Bill Davis, a .44 Magnum expert.

Episode 2: "Shoot or Be Shot"

Premiere date	Team challenge weapon(s)	Team challenge	Benched player(s)	Winning team
February 15, 2011	Colt Official Police .38 revolver, Paintball gun	Run a relay race with 7 stations, firing at 3 targets from 30/40/50 feet at each; one shot per target. As players run from one station to the next, they must avoid paintballs fired by the other team, with a score deduction for each hit.	John	Blue Team
	Elimination challenge weapon(s)	Elimination challenge	Nominated for elimination	Eliminated player
	Thompson submachine gun	From 25 feet, shoot through a porthole in a door at a red line on an 8-inch-wide board, trying to split it. Maximum six 50-round magazines per player.	Jamie, Athena	Athena

The trainer for the team challenge was Steve Gilcreast, SWAT firearms trainer and Ranger School graduate. The trainer for the elimination challenge was Michael Friend, machine gun expert.

Episode 3: "Uphill Battle"

Premiere date	Team challenge weapon(s)	Team challenge	Benched player(s)	Winning team
February 22, 2011	M1A rifle	Run an uphill relay race with 4 shooting stations and targets at 75/100 yards. Each team splits into three pairs, with each player in a pair shooting one target and spotting the other. Once a pair completes a station, the next pair must run up from the starting line to get the rifle and move to the next station. The pair from the first station also shoots the fourth one to destroy an ammunition dump.	Kyle	Red Team
	Elimination challenge weapon(s)	Elimination challenge	Nominated for elimination	Eliminated player
	Glock 17 9×19mm pistol	Shoot at 20 "friend" and 20 "foe" targets, set 25/35/50/65 feet behind a wall that opens and closes randomly. Each player has two full magazines and 30 seconds to hit the "foes" while avoiding the "friends."	Jermaine, Jay	Jermaine

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

Before the start of the team challenge, John withdrew from the competition, citing injuries to both legs. Since this decision left the Blue Team with one extra player, they were allowed to decide for themselves who would be benched.

^1 There was a second-place tie between Jay and Kyle. It was broken by Maggie's vote.
^2 Jay and Jermaine each scored 6 points, Jay with 6 "foes" and no "friends," Jermaine with 7 "foes" and 1 "friend." Since Jay hit fewer "friends," he won the challenge.

Episode 4: "Compound Fracture"

Premiere date	Team challenge weapon(s)	Team challenge	Benched player(s)	Winning team
March 1, 2011	BowTech Assassin compound bow	From 35 feet, shoot through six long curved tubes of decreasing diameter (3 inches to 1.5 inches), with a target at the far end of each. One player per tube, one shot per turn. Shorter time to hit all targets wins the challenge.	N/A	Red Team
	Elimination challenge weapon(s)	Elimination challenge	Nominated for elimination	Eliminated player
	BowTech Assassin compound bow	While standing on an elevated platform, players shoot at balloon targets that pop up at random from behind three tree trunks 35 feet away. They have 3 minutes to hit up to 8 targets in their assigned colors.	Kyle, Maggie	Maggie

The trainer for both challenges was Chris Brackett, a compound bow expert.

Episode 5: "Quickfire Face-Off"

Premiere date	Team challenge weapon(s)	Team challenge	Benched player(s)	Winning team
March 8, 2011	M1911 pistol	Each team shoots at its own grid of 100 targets from 35 feet. One player at a time, two full magazines per player. Each team is provided with 100 rounds loaded into magazines, but must load any additional rounds themselves. First team to hit all targets wins.	Brian	Blue Team
	Elimination challenge weapon(s)	Elimination challenge	Nominated for elimination	Eliminated player
	2011 RazorCat race gun	From 25 feet, shoot at 22 targets in each of two colors, set on three concentric spinning rings. Players have two 20-round magazines and 60 seconds to hit as many targets in their assigned color as possible.	Jamie, Eric	Eric

The trainers for both challenges were Simon "J.J." Racaza and Blake Miguez, two contestants from Season 1.

^3 The RazorCat race gun is named after J.J. "Razor" Racaza. Less than 100 have been made.

Episode 6: "Bury the Hatchet"

Premiere date	Team challenge weapon(s)	Team challenge	Benched player(s)	Winning team
March 15, 2011	Tomahawk	From 13 feet, teams take alternating throws at a square grid of 36 targets. Once a target has been hit, it is out of play. First team to make an unbroken horizontal/vertical/diagonal line of four targets wins.	N/A	Red Team
	Elimination challenge weapon(s)	Elimination challenge	Nominated for elimination	Eliminated player
	Blowgun	From 30 feet, players shoot at separate grids of 32 balloon targets. Each balloon has a smaller one inside. They have 2 minutes to break as many of the outer balloons as possible without hitting the inner ones.	Daryl, Chris T.	Chris T.

The trainer for both challenges was Jack Dagger, primitive weapons expert.

Episode 7: "Trick Shot Showdown II"

Premiere date	Team challenge weapon(s)	Team challenge	Benched player(s)	Winning team
March 22, 2011	M1911 pistol Colt Official Police .38 revolver Ruger Security-Six .357 Magnum revolver	Recreations of exhibition shots, all at 25 feet and with one player per station. 1) Fire three shots from the M1911 at an axe blade, trying to split the bullet and hit balloons on both sides. 2) Use the Colt to shoot the corncob pipes out of the mouths of three mannequins. 3) Fire two Rugers at the same time, trying to hit three pairs of plates in vertical racks. 4) Same as 3, but with the plates in horizontal racks.	Brian	Red Team
	Elimination challenge weapon(s)	Elimination challenge	Nominated for elimination	Eliminated player
	Ruger Security-Six .357 Magnum revolver	The player is strapped to a vertical wheel, spun through five revolutions, and stopped upside down. He must then draw and fire six shots, trying to hit up to six bottles 35 feet away.	Ashley, Kyle	Kyle

The trainer for the team challenge was Steve Doran, firearms instructor. The trainer for the elimination challenge was Taran Butler, national/world pistol champion.

^4 The daring shot was performed for years by exhibition shooter Bob Geesey, who would shoot a pipe out of his wife's mouth.
^5 The upside-down shot was performed by Johnny "Cowboy Kid" Baker, who was adopted by Buffalo Bill.

Episode 8: "Catch .22"

Premiere date	Team challenge weapon(s)	Team challenge	Benched player(s)	Winning team
March 29, 2011	Ruger 10/22 carbine	Each team has 5 minutes to fire at 80 stationary/moving targets set up in a shooting gallery 50 feet away. One player at a time, 20 shots per turn.	Joe, Chris R.	Red Team
	Elimination challenge weapon(s)	Elimination challenge	Nominated for elimination	Eliminated player
	Smith & Wesson Model 317 kit gun (.22 revolver) Ruger 10/22 carbine	Shoot at two sets of 10 targets each, at 25 feet (revolver) and 50 feet (rifle). Targets in each set are arranged behind each other in a line, in descending order of size from 7 inches to 1.5 inches. First player to hit all 20 targets wins.	Daryl, Jay	Daryl

The trainer for both challenges was Spencer Hoglund, historical weapons expert and four-time national champion speed shooter.

^6 There was a three-way tie between Jay, Daryl, and Ashley. Donaldson drew Ashley's name and announced that he would be safe from elimination.

Episode 9: "The 1,000 Yard Shot"

The teams were dissolved in this episode. All players received green shirts and began to compete directly against one another for the rest of the season.

After the individual challenge, all players voted on the nomination range. The top two vote-getters then competed in an elimination challenge as in earlier episodes.

Premiere date	Individual challenge weapon(s)	Individual challenge		Winning player
April 5, 2011	Barrett M82A1 rifle (.50 BMG)	Shoot at a 30-inch target from 1,000 yards; maximum 5 minutes and 15 rounds per player. Fastest time to hit the target is safe from elimination.		Brian
	Elimination challenge weapon(s)	Elimination challenge	Nominated for elimination	Eliminated player
	M1 Garand rifle	Each player fires up to 16 rounds at 10 hidden targets that pop up, one at a time, from 100–125 yards. The kneeling position must be used for the first 5 targets, the prone position for the last 5.	Jay, Jamie	Jay

The trainer for both challenges was Ryan Cleckner, former Army Ranger Sniper from 1st Ranger Bn/75th Ranger Regiment and sniper instructor.

^7 1,000 yards is the longest shot trainees take before graduating from sniper school.

Episode 10: "The Shakedown"

Premiere date	Individual challenge weapon(s)	Individual challenge		Winning player
April 12, 2011	Pistols: SIG Sauer P228, Browning Hi-Power Rifles: AR-15, FN FAL	Each player has 3 minutes to complete a course with 4 stations, firing from an unstable platform at each. 1. Platform suspended from chains; SIG; 3 targets at 35 feet. 2. Platform balanced on inner tubes; Browning; 3 targets at 35 feet. 3. Platform suspended from ropes; AR-15; 2 targets at 50/100 yards. 4. Balance on a suspended beam; FAL; 2 targets at 50/100 yards. Fastest time to finish the course is safe from elimination.		Jamie
	Elimination challenge weapon(s)	Elimination challenge	Nominated for elimination	Eliminated player
	Browning Hi-Power pistol	Each player has 40 seconds and 20 rounds to shoot up to 10 stationary targets from 35–50 feet, without hitting the swinging targets in front of them.	Ashley, Joe	Ashley

The trainer for both challenges was Iain Harrison, the winner of Season 1.

Episode 11: "Down to the Wire"

Premiere date	Individual challenge weapon(s)	Individual challenge		Winning player(s)
April 19, 2011	Glock 17 9×19mm pistol	Each player is strapped into a harness and hauled up 125 feet by a construction crane. While in a controlled fall, he shoots at 10 ground targets placed 25–50 feet downrange. Highest number of hits is safe from elimination.		George
	Elimination challenge weapon(s)	Elimination challenge	Nominated for elimination	Eliminated player
	Benelli M2 (Super 90) shotgun	While riding at 25 miles per hour in the back of a Humvee, shoot at 8 clay targets launched in pairs and singles along the route.	Jamie, Chris R.	Jamie

The trainer for the individual challenge was Matt Burkett, practical shooting expert. The trainer for the elimination challenge was Cory Kruse, shotgun world champion.

Episode 12: "Season Two Finale"

No practice sessions were held in this episode. The five individual players eliminated prior to the final challenge returned to watch it.

Premiere date	Elimination challenge weapon(s)	Elimination challenge	Winning player(s)	Eliminated player
April 26, 2011	Browning Hi-Power pistol	Two players at a time have 30 seconds to shoot at separate sets of 20 targets from 30 feet. The targets are split into groups of 5; each player can shoot four plates in the center to expose one of his own groups and cover one of his opponent's. The winners of the first-round matches advance, with the losers competing against each other in a second round. The loser of this match is eliminated.	1st round: Brian, Chris R. 2nd round: George	Joe
	Handguns: Browning Hi-Power pistol, Ruger Security-Six .357 Magnum revolver, Colt Official Police .38 revolver Rifles: M1A, AR-15, Sharps	Two rounds are played, with each player choosing a weapon, target, and distance in both; all three players try every shot. No weapon or target may be chosen more than once. After all six weapons have been used, the player with the fewest hits is eliminated. Targets available include jars, shot glasses, plates, tin cans, and poker chips.	Brian (guaranteed win after 4th shot) Chris R.	George
	Final challenge weapon(s)	Final challenge	Eliminated player	Top Shot
	Tomahawk Compound bow Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 Magnum revolver FN FAL rifle M1911 pistol Ruger 10/22 carbine Barrett M82A1 rifle	Run a course with 7 shooting stations: 1. Throw the tomahawk to hit a log 11 feet away. 2. Use the bow to fire an arrow into a tube from 35 feet and break a glass jug at the far end. 3. Fire the S&W to hit two targets at 25/50 feet. 4. Standing on an unstable platform, shoot two targets at 50/100 yards with the FAL. 5. Shoot a grid of 16 targets at 35 feet with the M1911. 6. Using the Ruger, hit a line of 5 targets at 50 feet, arranged one behind the other in descending order of size. 7. Hit a target at 1,000 yards with the Barrett. First player to finish the course wins.	Brian	Chris R.

Epilogue: Behind the Bullet

Premiering after the final episode, Top Shot Behind the Bullet, was a one-hour documentary involving behind-the-scene interviews and footage taken before, during, and after the season two competition. At the end of the episode, the show profiled each of the contestants, post-competition.

• Travis Marsh is starting a junior shooting program in his community.
• Athena Lee will compete on the Women's Open Team in Greece.
• John Guida is running the family restaurant and competing locally.
• Jermaine Finks is still working for Homeland Security.
• Maggie Reese will be competing at the World Shoot in Greece.
• Eric Anderson continues to compete in mounted shooting.
• Chris Tilley is competing in world championships.
• Kyle Frasure has been shooting with Maggie and Jay.
• Daryl Parker just published his first novel.
• Jay Lim is still a golf instructor. He hopes to be an NRA certified pistol instructor soon.
• Ashley Spurlin is currently in Afghanistan.
• Jamie Franks has just returned from a deployment in Afghanistan.
• Joe Serafini is back working construction and competing in archery tournaments.
• George Reinas is finishing his Air Force service and is a guest instructor at CPEC.
• Brian Zins is going into production with his own line of ammunition.
• Chris Reed is hoping to teach more people about hunting and marksmanship. He plans on investing his winnings for his kids' education.

Nomination Range

		Original Teams									Merged Team
#
	Episode	1	2	3		4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	Nominated	Chris T. 3/8 Votes	Jamie 3/8 Votes	None	Jay 2/8 Votes	Kyle 3/6 Votes	Jamie 3/6 Votes	Daryl 3/5 Votes	Ashley 2/4 Votes	Jay 1/3 Votes	Jamie 3/7 Votes	Joe 2/6 Votes	Chris R. 2/5 Votes	None	None	None
	Eliminated	Travis 3/8 Votes	Athena 3/8 Votes	John No Votes	Jermaine 5/8 Votes	Maggie 3/6 Votes	Eric 2/6 Votes	Chris T. 2/5 Votes	Kyle 2/4 Votes	Daryl 1/3 Votes	Jay 3/7 Votes	Ashley 3/6 Votes	Jamie 3/5 Votes	Joe	George	Brian
	Contestants	Votes
1	Chris R.		Jamie	None			Jamie				Jay	Ashley	Jamie	None	None	None
2	Brian		Athena	None			Eric				Jamie	Joe	Chris R.	None	None	None
3	George		Athena	None			Jamie				Jamie	Brian	Jamie	None	None
4	Joe		Jamie	None			Eric				Jay	Ashley	Jamie	None
5	Jamie		None	None			None				Jay	Ashley	Chris R.
6	Ashley	None			Jermaine	Kyle		Daryl	Kyle	Daryl	Jamie	Joe
7	Jay	Chris T.			Jermaine	Maggie		Chris T.	Kyle	Ashley	Joe
8	Daryl	Chris T.			Jay	Maggie		Chris T.	Ashley	Jay
9	Kyle	Travis			Jermaine	Maggie		Daryl	Ashley
10	Chris T.	Travis			Jermaine	Kyle		Daryl
11	Eric		Athena	None			Jamie
12	Maggie	Travis			Jermaine	Kyle
13	Jermaine	Kyle			Kyle
14	John		Jamie	None
15	Athena		None
16	Travis	Chris T.

References

1. http://www.keesler.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-090226-073.pdf
2. Angela Cutrer (2009-09-23). "Keesler combat controllers honor fallen friends". Keesler.af.mil. Retrieved 2014-03-24.
3. http://usafcca.org/cca/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/CCA-News-Issue-24.pdf