British Lee-Enfield Model SHT’22/IV Rifle, courtesy www.iCollector.com.
Our friend Dennis Santiago was a technical advisor for History Channel’s Top SHOT TV show. One of the notable Top Shot episodes involved the “Mad Minute”, a marksmanship drill practiced by the British Army in the decades preceding World War I. Dennis observed that the Top Shot competitors didn’t fare too well in their “Mad Minute” attempts, not scoring many hits in the allotted one-minute time period. That prompted Dennis to give it a try himself — seeing how many hits he could score in one minute with an authentic Lee-Enfield rifle. So, a while back, Dennis ran the drill at a range in California. One of the notable Top Shot episodes involved the “Mad Minute”, a marksman
Dennis Does the Mad Minute:
Dennis, an active high power rifle competitor and instructor, enjoyed his “Mad Minute” exercise, though he assures us that this takes practice to perfect. Dennis tells us: “Here is a ‘Mad Minute’ drill, done using a period correct Lee-Enfield (SMLE) No.1 Mk III rifle and Mk VII ammo. I got to the Queen’s Regulations (15 hits in one minute) on the second run and put a good group on the target at 200 yards. This is ‘jolly good fun’ to do every once in a while. This is ‘living history’ — experiencing a skill from a time when the sun never set on the British Empire.”
“Mad Minute” was a pre-World War I term used by British Army riflemen during training at the Hythe School of Musketry to describe scoring a minimum of 15 hits onto a 12″ round target at 300 yards within one minute using a bolt-action rifle (usually a Lee-Enfield or Lee-Metford rifle). It was not uncommon during the First World War for riflemen to greatly exceed this score. The record, set in 1914 by Sergeant Instructor Alfred Snoxall, was 38 hits. (From WikiPedia.)
History of the Mad Minute Commentary by Laurie Holland
The original military requirement of the “Mad Minute” saw the soldier ready to fire with a round in the chamber, nine in the magazine, safety on. This course of fire is still followed by the GB Historic Breechloading Arms Association and other bodies in their recreated “Mad Minute” competitions.
The first 10 would go quickly, but reloads were critical, this not done by a magazine change as in a modern tactical or semi-auto rifle, but through slick use of ‘chargers’. It is this aspect which fouls so many of my colleagues up as it is very easy to cause a jam and a large part of 60 seconds can go in sorting it out!
Charger clips were selected for those that just held the rounds firmly enough to stop then falling out, were sand-papered and polished with a stove / fireplace polish called ‘Zebrite’ so that the rimmed rounds would slip through the clips like corn through a goose.
If you’re unfamiliar with the cock-on-closing Enfield action, it seems clumsy. With intensive practice it is very smooth and can be operated incredibly quickly. The trick is to whip the bolt back onto its stop and initiate a rebound movement that takes it and the cartridge well into the chamber thereby reducing the effort required to close the bolt and chamber the round.
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British Lee-Enfield Model SHT’22/IV Rifle, courtesy www.iCollector.com.
This past week, at SHOT Show, we met up with our friend Dennis Santiago. We chatted about Dennis’s experiences as a technical advisor for History Channel’s Top SHOT TV show. One of the notable Top Shot episodes involved the “Mad Minute”, a marksmanship drill practiced by the British Army in the decades preceding World War I. Dennis observed that the Top Shot competitors didn’t fare too well in their “Mad Minute” attempts, not scoring many hits in the alloted one-minute time period. That prompted Dennis to give it a try himself — seeing how many hits he could score in one minute with an authentic Lee-Enfield rifle. So, a while back, Dennis ran the drill at a range in California.
Dennis Does the Mad Minute:
Dennis, an active high power rifle competitor and instructor, enjoyed his “Mad Minute” exercise, though he assures us that this takes practice to perfect. Dennis tells us: “Here is a ‘Mad Minute’ drill, done using a period correct Lee-Enfield (SMLE) No.1 Mk III rifle and Mk VII ammo. I got to the Queen’s Regulations (15 hits in one minute) on the second run and put a good group on the target at 200 yards. This is ‘jolly good fun’ to do every once in a while. This is ‘living history’ — experiencing a skill from a time when the sun never set on the British Empire.”
“Mad Minute” was a pre-World War I term used by British Army riflemen during training at the Hythe School of Musketry to describe scoring a minimum of 15 hits onto a 12″ round target at 300 yards within one minute using a bolt-action rifle (usually a Lee-Enfield or Lee-Metford rifle). It was not uncommon during the First World War for riflemen to greatly exceed this score. The record, set in 1914 by Sergeant Instructor Alfred Snoxall, was 38 hits. (From WikiPedia.)
History of the Mad Minute Commentary by Laurie Holland
The original military requirement of the “Mad Minute” saw the soldier ready to fire with a round in the chamber, nine in the magazine, safety on. This course of fire is still followed by the GB Historic Breechloading Arms Association and other bodies in their recreated “Mad Minute” competitions.
The first 10 would go quickly, but reloads were critical, this not done by a magazine change as in a modern tactical or semi-auto rifle, but through slick use of ‘chargers’. It is this aspect which fouls so many of my colleagues up as it is very easy to cause a jam and a large part of 60 seconds can go in sorting it out!
Charger clips were selected for those that just held the rounds firmly enough to stop then falling out, were sand-papered and polished with a stove / fireplace polish called ‘Zebrite’ so that the rimmed rounds would slip through the clips like corn through a goose.
If you’re unfamiliar with the cock-on-closing Enfield action, it seems clumsy. With intensive practice it is very smooth and can be operated incredibly quickly. The trick is to whip the bolt back onto its stop and initiate a rebound movement that takes it and the cartridge well into the chamber thereby reducing the effort required to close the bolt and chamber the round.
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The hit History Channel TV series Top Shot returns for an ALL STAR season Wednesday, May 29 at 10:00 pm Eastern, 9:00 pm Central. This season will feature a All-Star crew of competitors. The show’s producers say: “This season, it’s all about skill. No teams. No nomination range. Politics and alliances are a thing of the past.”
Past Top Shot champions Iain Harrison, Chris Reed, Dustin Ellermann, and Chris Cheng will also take part in the All-Star season. Colby Donaldson returns as host. And yes our buddy Kelly Bachand is back behind the trigger. Kelly tells us: “I can’t reveal what happens, but rest assured, this will be an exciting new series — there’s some serious talent in this line-up”. Donaldson agrees: “We brought back the best of the best — All Stars, All Skills.”
Check out the Top Shot All-Stars sneak peek below:
What You’ll See in Season Five of Top Shot
Season Five comes fully loaded with formidable, history-inspired challenges and a vast array of weapons. The first episode calls for mastery of a Soviet semi-automatic rifle, which was used in the 1941 Nazi invasion; a Tactical OBR with 20-round magazines; the Milkor M32A1 grenade launcher; and an FN-FAL self-loading selective-fire battle rifle, popular among NATO troops. In addition, competitors must conquer a mortar-rigged barbed wire fence, an unstable platform and a bull’s eye target, where elimination is just a fraction of an inch away.
Top Shot fans are excited about the new All-Star format. But, not all fan-favorites from the past will be returning this season. One Facebook commenter noted: “I’m definitely excited, but they should have brought back JJ Racaza (probably best shooter not to win) and Tara (only female to not get eliminated).”
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Metal Flowers Media (MFM), a talent agency for TV shows, is now casting a new guns-related show for the History Channel. This new show “is in the early stages of development”, and MFM asked AccurateShooter.com to help the agency find “gun enthusiasts who are extremely knowledgeable and love firearms”.
MFM is a well-known agency that has cast many popular shows including: Storage Wars, The Colony, One Man Army, Ice Road Truckers, and Frontiersmen. Here’s the text of MFM’s official ‘Casting Call’ press release:
“A nationwide search has begun to find the most enthusiastic, energetic people who know and love everything about guns! This new series will celebrate firearms in all forms. These gun experts will have their dreams come true as they get the chance to be featured on the History Channel! If you eat, sleep and breathe all things firearms – if you are the biggest ‘gun-nut’ – then this is the opportunity you have been waiting for! Casting Directors at Metal Flowers Media (The Colony, American Guns) are currently seeking people who are an encyclopedia of firearms. This gun know-it-all must be able to blow your typical gun enthusiast away with their knowledge of firearms. If you are 21 + and are able to spit a wide range of ‘gun talk’ we want to hear from you!”
If you fit the bill, have a vast knowledge of firearms, and would be interested in appearing on a new History Channel TV show, send an email to: barnett [at] metalflowersmedia.com .
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Top Shot fans, mark you calendars. The fourth season of Top Shot on the History Channel begins in one week. The Season 4 premiere airs Tuesday, February 14 (Valentine’s Day) at 10:00 PM Eastern. The selection of firearms (and other weapons) should be even more interesting this season. And, with a bigger budget to play with, Top Shot’s producers are ramping up the level of challenges. Season 4 begins with the biggest twist in Top Shot history: two competitors are sent packing immediately after a surprise shoot-off in the opening minutes of the first episode. Later, two shooters get a taste of WWII combat as they fire an M1 Carbine from a motorcycle sidecar and attempt to stay in the game. Colby Donaldson returns as host.
Here are Video Profiles of Three Season 4 Competitors (others at link below):
Michelle Viscusi (U.S. Army Nat’l Guard MP, serving with the Border Patrol)
We ran into Dustin Ellermann of ‘Top Shot’ fame at the Volquartsen booth at SHOT Show. Dustin is Top Shot’s Season 3 Champion. Dustin demonstrated his shooting abilities with a totally dominating performance on the Season 3 Final episode. And before that Dustin made what was probably the most difficult rifle shot ever on Top Shot — hitting a golf ball with a .22LR rifle at 100 yards — with no sighter shots and no windflags. That’s not easy, even with a rimfire benchrest rifle and $15/box ammo.
In the video interview above, Dustin explains how he made his now-famous golf ball shot, and he also talks about some of the more extreme marksmanship challenges on Top Shot — such as shooting at plates while being attached to a giant rotating wheel suspended off the ground.
In winning the Top Shot Season 3 title, Dustin, a self-taught shooter in his first-ever real competition, beat 15 other skilled marksman, most with much more impressive “shooting resumes”. Displaying poise, speed, and superior accuracy, Dustin proved he had the “right stuff”. Time and time again, Dustin sent “big name” shooters (with years of competition experience) packing. And throughout the Top Shot season, Dustin, a Christian Camp Director, kept a positive attitude and exhibited good sportsmanship.
Dustin is a “natural” — a born marksman. But he’s not just a “gun guy”. In real life he serves as a minister, accountant, lumberjack, husband, father of two and foster father of three. Dustin lives in the middle of the Angelina National Forest and considers himself a Renaissance man.
From Fellow Top Shot Competitor Kelly Bachand (Season 1)
On an NRA radio segment before Top Shot Season 3 got underway, Colby Donaldson said that in Season 3 we would see one of the most talented shooters Top Shot has ever had, while not using Dustin’s name for obvious reasons. Colby went on to say that the performance was nearly unbelievable. When the season was complete, and Dustin was crowned champion, Colby declared: “Dustin may be the best shooter we ever had. He surprised everybody, it was across the board”.
I watched Dustin surprise the other competitors and America over and over again on Top Shot Season 3. I grew to respect him as I saw that his deep faith in God encouraged humility and sincerity that was lacking in many other competitors. Whether watching twelve hits in a row while spinning upside down, or watching Dustin hit a golf ball at 100 yards with no practice shots, he impressed us all at some point. To me, however, even more impressive was the way Dustin always remained humble and showed good sportsmanship towards those he had out-shot. I congratulate Dustin on his win, and was glad to be able to meet him recently. — Kelly B.
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Editor’s Note: We told you last week that Dustin Ellermann was the best natural marksman among Top Shot Season 3 competitors, and sure enough Dustin proved it, with a totally dominating performance in the final head-to-head battle. And before that Dustin made what was probably the most difficult rifle shot ever on Top Shot — hitting a golf ball with a .22LR rifle at 100 yards — with no sighter shots and no windflags. You try that sometime. It ain’t easy, even with a rimfire benchrest rifle and $15/box ammo.
In winning the Top Shot Season 3 title, Dustin, a self-taught shooter in his first-ever real competition, beat 15 other skilled marksman, most with much more impressive “shooting resumes”. Displaying poise, speed, and superior accuracy, Dustin proved he had the “right stuff”. Time and time again, Dustin sent “big name” shooters (with years of competition experience) packing. And throughout the Top Shot season, Dustin, a Christian Camp Director, exhibited good sportsmanship, unlike one foul-mouthed ex-Navy SEAL. Bravo, Dustin — you deserved this victory.
Dustin Ellermann from Zavalla, Texas Wins $100,000 Top Shot Prize
The good thing about being sent to the elimination round on the The History Channel’s Top Shot TV show is that you get to shoot some pretty cool weapons. Everything from full-auto pistols to Gatling Guns. Bad news is you could be going home. For Dustin Ellermann, that possibility almost became reality during the first round of the season finale. Escaping elimination, Ellermann went on to win the overall title in a rout, soundly trouncing second-place “Big Mike” Hughes.
In the closing credits, Dustin said: “I came, I shot, I won. My victory proves that, hey, normal everyday people can be good shooters and can have fun doing it. I actually won this thing!”
Starting with a Glock 34s and a dueling tree, Ellermann took the lessons he learned from the first round and sent Chris Collins home with a perfect 12 for 12 as time ran out.
Next was the shooting gallery. With an assortment of firearms and targets, Dustin started things off by nailing a golf ball with a Volquartsen .22LR rifle at 100 yards. Mike and Gary couldn’t match that. The competition continued until Mike called for shooting an AK-47 with one hand. Mike and Gary were successful while Dustin was not. Then Gary, down by one point, failed to hit his final “called” shot (with a .40sw pistol at 25 yards), so Gary was eliminated.
That set up Dustin with Mike Hughes for the final one-on-one elimination round. This required the two men to move rapidly through multiple stages, using a variety of weapons: 1875 revolver, Benelli slug-gun, re-curve bow, semi-auto rifle, and so on. Mike and Dustin were pretty much even with the 1875, with Mike having a slight edge. But then Dustin “dusted” Hughes on the shotgun stage. Dustin was fast and accurate, while Mike struggled big time. Mike literally lost his sights. Using the notch instead of the front sight to zero in on the target, Mike spent the rest of the challenge killing the jars, never getting beyond the Benelli stage.
Meanwhile, Dustin was methodically cleaning the course in record time. He made his bow-and-arrow trick shot on the first try. From there it was two rapid shots with the Vltor TS3 (AR-type rifle), a quick thumbs up to the wife and a few more rounds through a Smith & Wesson 500. One final Tannerite flash from the S&W 500 target signaled Dustin’s dominating victory. Dustin Ellermann became Season 3’s Top Shot. And it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
It’s too late to audition for Top Shot Season 4, but if you want to learn some of the skills required to be a Top Shot, then sign up for a class at http://nrainstructors.org/ near you.
The Season 3 Finale of Top Shot on the History Channel airs this evening. Only four competitors remain. Tonight, one will win the title of “Top Shot” and a $100,000 prize. So set your Tivos for 10:00 pm Eastern Time and get ready for a very entertaining hour of television this evening (October 25th).
The four remaining shooters are: Chris Collins, Dustin Ellermann, Mike Hughes, and Gary Quesenberry. We’re rooting for Dustin, a modest Christian Camp Director who taught himself to shoot. Though he had virtually no competitive shooting experience prior to Top Shot, Dustin has been fast and steady. He’s out-shot more experienced competitors in every episode, all the while showing humility and good sportsmanship. In the very difficult “Wheel of Fire” challenge last week, Dustin hit dozens of targets, while most of his fellow competitors struggled to hit one or two!
Dustin is a “natural” — a born marksman. We’d have to say he’s the favorite to win it all, based on past performances. Dustin is motivated to win: “I’m from Zavalla, Texas, a small town of 647 people — I sure don’t want to let them down.” A minister, accountant, lumberjack, husband, father of two and foster father of three, Dustin lives in the middle of the Angelina National Forest and considers himself a Renaissance man.
The “dark horse” among the three other Top Shot Finalists is “Big Mike” Hughes. Mike was actually eliminated in a previous episode, but he was invited back after former Navy SEAL Jake Zweig quit the show rather than go to an elimination challenge. Hughes, as the last competitor to leave before Zweig’s surprising withdrawal, was given a second chance. Mike faced elimination again last week, but he performed brilliantly in a zip-line challenge to make the Final Four. In the video below, you can watch Hughes win last week’s elimination, with a perfect 20 for 20 run:
Trick Shooting with Jerry Miculek
Here is a sample from the trick shooting episode a few weeks back. On this segment, legendary pistol shooter Jerry Miculek demonstrates some amazing trick shots, including snapping Q-tips in half with a .22LR rifle.
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Top Shot fans… get ready. The third season of the hit TV show Top Shot premiers on the History Channel Tuesday, August 9th at 10:00pm (9:00pm Central). Visit History.com for photos and bios of all Season 3’s sixteen new competitors. Those vying for the $100,000 Top Shot grand prize include Mike Hughes, a USPSA production division shooter from Washington, and ace ICORE and USPSA wheelgunner Cliff Walsh of Florida. Other practical pistol shooters include Amanda Hardin from Alabama and Mark Schneider of Florida. Watch the video below for a Season 3 sneak peek, including short profiles of all the competitors.
Top Shot Season 3 Preview — Meet the Cast
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This story, by Lars Dalseide, appears courtesy the NRA Blog
Chris Reed of The History Channel’s Top Shot TV Show has been a busy man as of late. The final episode of Season 2, which aired just over a week ago, saw Chris get the best of 10-time NRA pistol Champ Brian Zins during the final round to officially claim the title of Top Shot. Two days later, reporter Lars Dalseide found him on the floor of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center for the NRA’s 140th Annual Meetings and Exhibits.
“Oh man it’s been crazy at times,” said Reed. “Every day events like grocery shopping or a thing with the kids can turn into a mad house. But I’m enjoying it all while I can.”
A self-described “good ole country boy” from Tennessee, Chris Reed’s sudden rise to fame doesn’t mean his role in the household has changed all that much. He still gets the kids ready for school, performs assigned chores around the house, and prepares a mean dinner. Still, they were nice enough to reserve Tuesday nights to see if Dad could survive one more week on the show. “My friends and family have been very supportive throughout the show,” Reed explained. “We’ve all got together for a Top Shot party every Tuesday night for the last 12 weeks. It’s been a blast.”
Read has received plenty of attention: “It’s almost rock star status — Lot of folks ask for pictures and autographs … it’s been real nice. Get this, people in charge of my high school reunion called. They want to move it up a year and give it a Top Shot theme. That’s something.”
Even though season two of The History Channel’s Top Shot has officially come to a close, that doesn’t mean the relationship built in the hills of Santa Clarita, California have ended as well.
“I still keep up with George and Joe. I’ve talked to Gunny quite a bit. We all stay fairly close and talk about once a week. If I can work it out, maybe come up to Camp Perry (for the Pistol Championships) and give Gunny the what for. I’m squared away on that.”
The second season of the History Channel’s hit TV series Top Shot debuts tonight (2/8/2011) at 10:00 pm (9:00 Central). The second year’s package of shows, aka “Top Shot Reloaded”, will follow the first year’s format for the most part, with team and individual challenges involving a variety of weapons, both historical and modern. Sixteen new contestants, including our friend and 3-Gun Ace, Maggie Reese, will compete for a $100,000 prize. View the Top Shot Season 2 Sneak Peak Video below:
New Guns, New Challenges, and a “Whole Lot of Explosions”
Producers say that the new show will have “more action, less talking”, more pyrotechnics, and some startling new challenges. Top Shot Host Colby Donaldson says: “In the first five minutes of Episode One [Season 2], everyone’s going to see that this is a very different season. We had to go above and beyond to create challenges that would actually take [competitors] out of their comfort zone”. There are new weapons (including Thompson machine guns and Barrett 50s), and a “whole lot of explosions”. But don’t expect the show to depart too far from its Survivor-style “reality-TV” origins. Remember this is ratings-driven Hollywood fare; the interpersonal conflicts and shifting alliances appeal to mainstream TV viewers. Nonetheless, if you enjoyed watching TOP Shot Season One you should definitely tune in for Top Shot Reloaded (Season Two) tonight at 10.
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The popular TOP SHOT TV show was a hit in its first season, so the producers immediately started working on Season 2, which will run later this year. Since Hollywood can’t have too much of a good thing, the History Channel is now seeking seeking skilled marksmen for the third season of the “Survival”-style TV series. If you missed the show last summer, it features teams of shooters competing in weapons skill scenarios. One cast member is eliminated in each round. Near the end, the show shifts to one-on-one competition, with the “last man standing” earning a $100,000 cash prize.
TOP SHOT Season 3 Casting Call — Applications Due by February 1st, 2011
The History Channel is actively soliciting new TOP SHOT cast members right now. Deadline for submission of entries is February 1, 2011. Interestingly, for season 3, the Show’s producer, Pilgrim Films & TV, hopes to find some paired contestants (such as two co-workers, or a husband and wife). The casting call notice states:
“We are looking for anyone with unrivaled shooting skills and a big personality to take on exciting physical challenges with multiple guns and mystery projectile weapons. It doesn’t matter if you’re a professionally-trained shooter or a self-taught average Joe or Jane! As long as you’re in good physical shape, have mastered a firearm and can adapt to new weapons and demanding physical situations, you could be America’s next ‘Top Shot’. We’re also looking for MARKSMEN PAIRS: Husband/Wife, Father/Son, Co-Workers or Siblings. If you and a close friend or relative are excellent shots, we want to hear from you both.”
Detailed eligibility requirements are found in the forms linked below. You can also use these forms to apply for Season 3 of TOP SHOT. Otherwise, simply email TopShotCasting [at] gmail.com with your name, city/state, phone number, a recent photo of yourself and a brief explanation of why you should be selected. If you have questions, call the TOP SHOT casting hotline: (818) 478-4570.
Lee-Enfield No. 4 Rifle (1943), courtesy Arundel Militaria.
Lee-Enfield No. 4 Rifle (1943), courtesy 
The hit History Channel TV series 
In winning the Top Shot Season 3 title, Dustin, a self-taught shooter in his first-ever real competition, beat 15 other skilled marksman, most with much more impressive “shooting resumes”. Displaying poise, speed, and superior accuracy, Dustin proved he had the “right stuff”. Time and time again, Dustin sent “big name” shooters (with years of competition experience) packing. And throughout the Top Shot season, Dustin, a Christian Camp Director, kept a positive attitude and exhibited good sportsmanship.
Editor’s Note: We told you last week that 
The four remaining shooters are: Chris Collins, Dustin Ellermann, Mike Hughes, and Gary Quesenberry. We’re rooting for Dustin, a modest Christian Camp Director who taught himself to shoot. Though he had virtually no competitive shooting experience prior to Top Shot, Dustin has been fast and steady. He’s out-shot more experienced competitors in every episode, all the while showing humility and good sportsmanship. In the very difficult “Wheel of Fire” challenge last week, Dustin hit dozens of targets, while most of his fellow competitors struggled to hit one or two! 
Chris Reed of The History Channel’s 
Even though season two of The History Channel’s Top Shot has officially come to a close, that doesn’t mean the relationship built in the hills of Santa Clarita, California have ended as well. 
