Round 3: Archer
Enemies
June 20
(C-Note: The
challenges that you are about to read have been
designed, tested, supervised, and played by experienced
marksmen operating on a closed course. They are
extremely dangerous and should never be attempted by
anyone, anywhere, at any time.)
For the last two
weeks, it's been all firearms all the time. But how will the 14
remaining shots take on a historical centerpiece like the
longbow? We'll find out as the Red Team reels from Frank's
ouster at the range.
Peter wanted Brad to go home, comparing
competition shooting to Marine sniping.
PRACTICE SESSION
For the last two weeks, we've had some
technological wonders that made bullets go really really fast. This
week, something relatively low-tech... the longbow.
- Fiberglass Longbow (modern version of
historic longbow)
Some of the shots are excited. Others are
out of their comfort zone.
Chris Palmer, archery expert, will be on
hand to help the teams practice. Unlike trigger weapons, this requires a
lot of upper strength. JJ on the blue team is a natural, especially
having never seen it.
But like all weapons with a velocity,
gravity will eventually take over, so you have to shoot at an arc if you
want to reach bull. On the red, Kelly shows that he's very meticulous,
bringing in his rifle training for this new challenge. He has the best
instincts.
Back at the house, Bill avoided Kelly
entirely. Kelly thinks Bill hates him. Kelly brings up a sticky
point... that Bill's ex-wife's fiance shot himself in the chest. And
Kelly said... "Wow, was she that bad?" He did apologize, but Bill didn't
accept that. Kelly tries to open up the lines of communication... "I am
not enjoying the man you are on your way to be." Bill thinks that it's
very insincere and weak at best.
TEAM CHALLENGE
Testing strength, precision, and speed,
the shots will take aim at a 30-foot diameter target with a 36-inch
bullseye. They will have 30 seconds to get off as many shots as they
can. The closest arrow counts. The closest arrow will win the
competition for their team. The losers will go to the Nomination Range.
Red Team decide that Chris and Adam on
the blue. will sit out the challenge.
The blue strategy starts with weak
shooters, then finishes with the strong. The red team... goes the
opposite direction.
Kelly's mark at the yellow ring is the
mark to beat. JJ is up for the Blue. He misses, then Bill doesn't even
have to compete. JJ's first shot... downrange. Second... Over...
Third... short...Fourth.... Long. Fifth... lands in the yellow. Sixth...
time.
This is going to be close. And upon
further review.... Bill will shoot for bullseye. He has to beat 26
inches. Does he do it? NO! BLUE WINS!
Three challenges... three losses. How are
the teammates going to vote? Peter thinks that Brad was going to pick
him. Andre thinks he's going to pick Brad, because he loses, then hangs
around with the Blue Team. It's a loyalty thing. Brad doesn't want to go
out because he can't shoot a bow-and-arrow. Kelly is trying to swing
Denny's vote. If they don't vote together, they waste their votes. Kelly
decides that he wants to vote for Bill.
NOMINATION RANGE
For three times in a row, the Red Team
fail to deliver. Denny says that he has his own way of evaluating how to
vote. Bill is going to "let his bullet do the talking".
Bill: KELLY (purely personal)
Kelly: BILL (also purely personal)
Brad: ANDRE
Andre: BRAD
Peter: BRAD
Denny: BILL
Denny says it wasn't easy, but Brad and
Bill will return to the range for elimination. Brad is whining about
having to compete with a "(bleeping) bow-and-arrow. Why don't we just
play pool for it instead?" But this is Top Shot, you have to be good at
shooting everything. And about Bill? Andre hopes he whups his tail. Bill
wants to take out Brad, then "that little douche punk Kelly". He
says that the voting bloc today has to do with a team that is starting
to crumble.
ELIMINATION CHALLENGE
Bill and Brad will be using a similar
weapon to the longbow...
- Modern Crossbow (based on medieval
crossbow)
Designed for speed, trajectory, and
pinpoint accuracy, the crossbow will be the weapon of choice as Bill
Trowbridge trains them. The secret is to cock it right. If you don't
cock it right, the arrow will fly off in a weird direction, or even
worse, the arrow's going to fly upwards and outwards into your face.
Now comes the challenge. Inspired by the
William Tell legend of 1307, the players will shoot at apples at 10, 20,
30, and 50 yards. The person who hits all the apples first will win. The
loser... will be executed... from competition.
Brad gets his first shot off, a miss, but
Bill, though he takes a while to cock his arrow, scores two shots in two
arrows. Brad takes the lead at apple #3. The wind starts to pick up, and
the shooters start missing easy shots. It all comes down to the final
shot.
And that's game. Cease fire. Brad will
return to the house, but Bill Carns... has taken his last shot.
We're down to lucky 13, but they all have
a target on their back. Will the red team come back and put the blue
team on the nomination range for once? Find out next week.
For more information on "Top Shot",
visit www.history.com/topshot.
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