The third season of the History Channel television series Top Shot, commenced airing on August 9, 2011. The season contained twelve episodes, and was filmed over a period of 35 days in Santa Clarita, California.
The season was won by Dustin Ellermann. Gary Quesenberry, Alex Charvat, and Phil Morden returned for Top Shot: All-Stars. Charvat finished in 11th and Quesenberry finished in 3rd, while Morden was the season's winner.
Contestants
Contestant Occupation / background Original Team Merged Team Eliminated 33, Birmingham, AL Firearms Instructor, Nurse, Realty BrokerRed Team 16th Place Sara Ahrens38, Beloit, WI Police Training Sergeant, former SWAT team memberBlue Team 15th Place Drew Shprintz27, Philadelphia, PA Firearms Instructor, Bartender, OutdoorsmanRed Team 14th Place Mark Schneider45, Largo, FL USPSA Competitor, Customer Service Professional, Air Force veteran, OutdoorsmanRed Team 13th Place Jarrett Grimes42, Tyrone, GA Department of Homeland Security Agent, USAF Veteran, Former Police Officer/SWAT Team Member, Competition ShooterBlue Team 12th Place Paul Marinaccio31, Fairfield, NJ Detective, Firearms InstructorBlue Team 11th Place Billy Rogers33, Virginia Beach, VA Restaurant Operator, Competition ShooterBlue Team 10th Place Michael Marelli28, Long Island, NY NY State Court Officer, Competition Shotgun ShooterRed Team 9th Place Cliff Walsh41, Tierra Verde, FL Airport Driver, Competitive revolver shooter, Revolver World Champion, USPSA National Revolver Champion, Former Sheriff's DeputyRed Team 8th Place Mike HughesReturned to game Firearms Training Equipment Company President, Competitive Pistol ShooterBlue TeamGreen Team Returned Jake Zweig39, Steilacoom, WA College Football Coach, Former Navy SEALBlue Team 7th Place Phil Morden25, Milford, MI Video Producer, Three Gun Competitor, GunsmithRed Team 6th Place* Alex Charvat38, Green Bay, WI Structural Engineering business owner, former Forester, OutdoorsmanBlue Team 5th Place Chris Collins25, Collinsville, OK United States Shooting Academy Firearms Instructor, Sales and Marketing coordinator, Former Marine Fleet Anti-Terrorist Security Team member and infantrymanRed Team 4th Place 41, Cleveland, OH Department of Homeland Security Agent, U.S. Army Veteran, Competition ShooterRed Team 3rd Place Mike Hughes38, Maple Falls, WA Firearms Training Equipment Company President, Competitive Pistol ShooterBlue Team 2nd Place Dustin Ellermann28, Zavalla, TX Christian Camp Director, Accountant, Outdoorsman, Lumberjack, MinisterBlue Team Winner
*Mike Hughes was originally eliminated in 7th place. After Jake Zweig refused to compete in the elimination challenge when nominated, Mike took his place and defeated Phil Morden in the challenge to re-enter the competition.
Contestant progress
#ContestantEpisodes1234567891011121DustinWINNOMWINWINSAFESAFE WINWINWINWINSAFEBTM2WINTOP SHOT2MikeWINSAFEWINWINNOMSAFEWINWINOUTINNOMWINWINSECOND PLACE3GarySAFEWINSAFESAFEWINWINSAFESAFENOMSAFESAFEWINOUT4ChrisSAFEWINSAFESAFEWINWINSAFENOMSAFESAFEWINOUT5AlexWINSAFEWINWINSAFESAFEWINWINSAFESAFEOUT6PhilSAFEWINSAFESAFEWINWINSAFESAFESAFEOUT7JakeWINSAFEWINWINSAFENOMWINWINSAFEQUIT8CliffSAFEWINNOMSAFEWINWINNOMOUT9MichaelSAFEWINSAFENOMWINWINOUT10BillyWINSAFEWINWINSAFESAFEQUIT11PaulWINSAFEWINWINSAFEOUT12JarrettWINSAFEWINWINOUT13MarkNOMWINSAFEOUT14DrewSAFEWINOUT15SaraWINOUT16AmandaOUT
The player's team won the team challenge (Episodes 1 - 8). The player(s) won an individual challenge (Episodes 9 - 12), earning immunity from elimination for the current round. The player's team lost the team challenge, but the player was not nominated for elimination (Episodes 1 - 8); the player(s) lost the individual challenge, but was not nominated for elimination (Episodes 9 - 11). The player was nominated for elimination, but won an elimination challenge (Episode 9 - 11); or the player finished in the bottom two but won a tiebreaker (Episode 12). The player lost an elimination challenge and was eliminated. The player voluntarily withdrew from the competition. The player won an elimination challenge to re-enter the competition. The player won the $100,000 grand prize and the title of Top Shot. The player came in second.
Episodes
Episode 1: "The Gauntlet" Premiere date Preliminary challenge weapon(s) Preliminary challenge Red Team Members Blue Team Members August 9, 2011 Smith & Wesson Model 500 revolver Two players at a time fire at separate sets of targets from 30/50/70 feet. The first to hit all three joins the Blue Team; the other player joins the Red Team.Amanda, Chris, Cliff, Drew, Gary, Mark, Michael, PhilAlex, Billy, Dustin, Jake, Jarrett, Mike, Paul, Sara Team challenge weapon(s) Team challenge Benched player(s) Winning team LaRue Tactical Optimized Battle Rifle (based on the AR-10/AR-15 rifles) "Up The Pole Challenge": Each team carries a 16-foot, 220-pound pole to four shooting stations. At each station, two shooters climb the pole up to an elevated platform and shoot at two targets from 75/100 yards, with each shooter in the pair firing at one target and spotting the other, then climb back down. First team to complete all four stations wins. N/ABlue Team Elimination challenge weapon(s) Elimination challenge Nominated for elimination Eliminated player Winchester Model 1873 rifle "Stagecoach Shootout Challenge": While riding shotgun on a stagecoach traveling at 25 miles per hour, fire at 10 targets that pop up along the road, 15-25 yards away. Maximum 10 rounds per player.Amanda, MarkAmanda
No practice sessions were held for the preliminary and team challenges. The trainer for the elimination challenge was Jim "Long Hunter" Finch, cowboy shooting specialist.
Repeating rifles were a significant advance over single-shot rifles for use in combat due to their greater rate of fire.
Episode 2: "Down and Dirty" Premiere date Team challenge weapon(s) Team challenge Benched player(s) Winning team August 16, 2011 AK-47 rifle "Down and Dirty Challenge": Run an obstacle course with 4 prone shooting stations while carrying the rifle; two targets at 50/75 yards are set up at each. Each team splits into three pairs and a solo shooter, who runs last. Obstacles are a 20-foot pipe crawl, a waist-deep water pit, and 25-foot crawls through mud and sand. Once one pair completes a station, the next shooter(s) must run the entire course up to that point and pick up the rifle(s) to move on. First team to complete all stations wins.JarrettRed Team Elimination challenge weapon(s) Elimination challenge Nominated for elimination Eliminated player Smith & Wesson M&P semiautomatic pistol (.45 ACP) "Light It Up Challenge": Shoot at 6 rows of 8 glass bulbs each that rotate into view from behind a wall 30 feet away, a new row every 10 seconds. Shooters have 60 seconds to hit as many red "foe" bulbs as possible while avoiding the blue "friend" bulbs. Sara, DustinSara
The trainer for both challenges was Craig Sawyer, Navy SEALs instructor and former sniper.
Smith & Wesson's "M&P" stands for "military and police". Its design is based on input from law enforcement and the military.
Episode 3: "Slug It Out" Premiere date Team challenge weapon(s) Team challenge Benched player(s) Winning team August 23, 2011 Benelli M4 Super 90 shotgun, loaded with 1-oz slugs "Slug It Out Challenge": Teams fire at separate sets of 50 jars from 40 yards, one shooter at a time per team. Each shooter loads and fires 5 rounds per turn, carrying 4 in a belt caddy and the last in hand. First team to hit all targets wins. N/ABlue Team Elimination challenge weapon(s) Elimination challenge Nominated for elimination Eliminated player Glock 34 9×19mm pistol "Cannonball Run Challenge": From 35 feet, shoot targets next to 5 gaps in a set of descending tracks in order to close them and allow cannonballs to roll by. A gap will reopen once a ball has passed it; any ball that falls through a gap is out of play. Higher number of balls reaching the end of the run wins.Drew, CliffDrew
The trainer for both challenges was Taran Butler, national/world pistol champion.
Episode 4: "The Bulldog Gatling" Premiere date Team challenge weapon(s) Team challenge Benched player(s) Winning team August 30, 2011 Remington Model 1875 revolver "Shooting Dice/Close Out Challenge": From 35 feet, pairs of shooters (one per team) fire at separate sets of targets arranged to resemble the 6 faces of a die. At each station, the revolver is pre-loaded with one round for each target; any additional rounds must be loaded by hand. A station ends as soon as one shooter's targets have all been hit. Higher total number of targets hit wins.MikeBlue Team Elimination challenge weapon(s) Elimination challenge Nominated for elimination Eliminated player 1877 "Bulldog" Gatling gun "Bulldog Gatling Challenge": Shoot at separate sets of 4-inch-wide poles from 15/20/25 yards, trying to split them. First shooter to split all three poles wins.Mark, MichaelMark
The trainer for the team challenge was Spencer Hoglund, historical weapons expert and four-time national champion speed shooter. The trainer for the elimination challenge was Garry James, historical weapons expert.
The original Gatling gun was invented in 1862 by Richard Gatling, a dentist by profession. There was a three-way tie between Chris, Michael, and Mark with 2 votes each. It was broken by Gary, who voted for Mark, and Cliff, who voted for Michael.
Episode 5: "Throwdown Showdown" Premiere date Team challenge weapon(s) Team challenge Benched player(s) Winning team September 6, 2011 TomahawkThrowing knifeHand-thrown rock "Primitive Weapons Challenge": A member of one team challenges an opponent to a faceoff at each of 6 stations. 1) Tomahawk; 3 throws at a pendulum target from 13 feet.2) Tomahawk; 3 throws at a spinning wood block from 13 feet.3) Knife; 3 throws at a target behind two swinging beams from 11 feet.4) Knife; 3 throws at a board of 52 playing cards from 11 feet, trying to get the highest face-value total possible.5) Rock; both players throw at square grids of 9 glass panes from 15 feet, trying to be the first to break 3 in a row.6) Rock; both players throw at rows of 5 tin cans from 15 feet. Challenge ends when one player has hit all 5 cans.
A coin toss determines which team gets to issue the first challenge; each station's winner decides who will participate in the next one. One point each for stations 1 through 5, and one point per can hit in station 6. Higher point total wins.Paul, AlexRed Team Elimination challenge weapon(s) Elimination challenge Nominated for elimination Eliminated player Hotchkiss Mountain Gun "Bombs Away Challenge": Each shooter fires at 3 water towers from 180-220 yards. First to hit all towers wins; shots must hit the towers' tanks in order to count. Maximum 15 rounds per player.Jarrett, MikeJarrett
The trainer for the team challenge was Jack Dagger, primitive weapons expert. The trainer for the elimination challenge was Rick Pohlers, cannon expert.
Hotchkiss Mountain Gun (France 1877) was used to devastating effect in the battle of San Juan Hill and Wounded Knee Massacre. (Contestants used two of the 1857 originals)
Episode 6: "Turn the Corner" Premiere date Team challenge weapon(s) Team challenge Benched player(s) Winning team September 13, 2011 Vltor TS3 rifle (based on the M4 carbine) "Hang in There Challenge": Run a relay race with 5 elevated platforms, shooting targets from 75/100 yards at each.
1. Climb an 8-foot cargo net to the first platform.2. Cross a downward-angled, 16-foot rope to the second.3. Use vertically aligned parallel ropes to reach the third.4. Cross a 16-foot gap to the fourth on horizontally aligned parallel ropes.5. Cross a single rope to the fifth.