Top Shot

Top Shot is a one-hour reality TV show based around a shooting competition that airs weekly on the History Channel. Top Shot premiered in the summer of 2010 and to date has completed four seasons. The show centers on 16 contestants who come from a variety of shooting backgrounds including law enforcement, military and self-trained shooters. Top Shot is hosted by former Survivor contestant Cobly Donaldson.

Each season starts out by splitting the contestants into two teams, red and blue. Each week, the teams compete against each other in a variety of shooting competitions that test the speed and accuracy of all team members with a particular weapon. Top Shot uses a vast arsenal of modern and historic weapons that vary from week to week. One week might have teams using a World War 2 M1 Grand rifle, and then using a Civil War era revolver the following week. Other weapons include shotguns, semi-automatic pistols, muskets, machine guns, canons and sniper rifles. Competitors have to adapt to become proficient with primitive weapons such as spears and longbows. One episode even featured members having to throw rocks at targets to win the weekly challenge.

The team that loses the team competition for that week is later sent to the Nomination Range where the names of all the members of the team are placed alongside wooden bull's-eye targets. Members vote for whom they think should be sent home by shooting that persons target with a pistol. The two team members with the most votes then go head to head in an elimination challenge using either the same or different weapon from the team challenge. Whichever team member loses that challenge is eliminated from the competition.

Once the total number of contestants is eliminated down to eight, the teams are combined and the competition changes to an individual elimination format. Individuals can win immunity from being eliminated for the week by having the highest score in the weekly challenge. Those who do not win immunity are eligible for elimination at the nomination range, whereas with the team challenges, the two with the most votes compete to stay in the completion.

When the number of contestants are reduced to two, the final challenge involves a course that includes elements of all previous weapons and challenges throughout the season. Whichever contestant completes the course in the fastest time, wins a $100,000 prize and a professional shooting contract from Bass Pro Shops.