Round 5: The Good,
The Rat & The Ugly
July 11
(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.)
Ever since the game started, the
Blue Team has been on the offensive, picking off Red Team
members one at a time. That changed last week when the Blues
lost the team challenge, and Jim was rubbed out. Now only 12
remain.
The Reds think that the Blues are taking
elimination a little less seriously than they'd like.
PRACTICE SESSION
Today, we're handling this...
- Kentucky Long Rifle (United States,
1700s), the first true American firearm.
You'll get one shot at three targets, 50,
75, and 100 yards away. Garry James will help prepare.
This is a different breed of animal, as
it's got a couple hundred years on anything they've tried to this point.
Also, there's a bit of delay between the time the bullet is fired and
the time the little ball leaves the bore. It's more accurate than
anything that was fired before and a lot lighter, so there's some
interesting play at work.
Red Team's strategy: adjusting the sight
for the gravitational effect. Blue Team's strategy: same thing, some
"Kentucky windage." JJ and Blake are two peas in a pod it would appear,
though the gun is not the most reliable weapon fired.
Alliance time coming... Chris, Iain,
Tara, and Adam. Blake and JJ are their targets. They have to put the two
against each other. Adam pulls Caleb aside to talk about "the long
game". Caleb is still developing his own strategy, but he's not going to
sacrifice his integrity. He doesn't like politics.
Caleb goes to JJ and Blake about the
plot. Of course, it's despicable. And now Adam and Chris are being
counter-targeted. Peter is eavesdropping...
The next day, no one's talking, and Caleb
is dodging Adam's question about who's been talking to who about what.
New strategy in place: rub out the rat before he rats further...
... too late.
TEAM CHALLENGE
Today's challenge will test your
accuracy. Targets are set at 25, 50, 75, 100, and 125 yards. Each will
be assigned one target. Each target is worth 1 point, except for the
longshot worth 4. Closest shot gets the points. Most points wins.
Kelly sits out Adam & Chris.
25-YARD: Brad beats JJ (Red lead, 1-0)
50-YARD: Andre beats Tara (Red lead, 2-0)
75-YARD: Blake gets hangfired... and gets a new gun. Denny beats Blake
(Red lead, 3-0)
100-YARD: Kelly beats Iain (Red lead, 4-0)
125-YARD: Caleb versus Peter... Winner... Peter without shooting. RED
TEAM WINS!
Okay, team meeting... and it gets heated.
Blake & JJ versus Adam & Chris... versus Caleb... with Tara trying to
keep the peace. Chris apologizes for coming up with a plan, copping to
said plan and agreeing to play the game as it was designed: rub out the
Redcoats first, then all bets are off. Caleb then apologizes for being
the rat.
Adam isn't buying either.
NOMINATION RANGE
Tara: CALEB
Caleb: ADAM
Iain: CALEB
JJ: ADAM
Chris: CALEB
So Caleb is going to the Challenge.
Who'll he face?
Blake: ADAM
Adam's vote doesn't matter. He's on his
way to face Caleb.
ELIMINATION CHALLENGE
Caleb and Adam will take on another
old-time rifle...
- Winchester Model 1873 (United States,
1873), the Gun that Won the West.
Each marksman will try to shoot the rungs
off of a ladder at 25 feet for practice. Adam is coming into this
challenge as Captain Furious, while Caleb is just trying to keep his
cool, relying more on Kentucky windage.
And lest the house forget, Adam wants
everyone to know that there's a rat in the house. Kelly, lest the house
forget, wants everyone to act their age. Adam, lest the house forget,
wants everyone to act their size.
BACK TO THE CHALLENGE, though. The
challenge is to recreate the Clint Eastwood shot in "The Good, The Bad &
The Ugly," severing the hangman's rope with a bullet. First one to lower
their opponents blade is safe.
Adam is the first loaded and firing, but
there's nothing hitting a rope. Adam connects first. But the one who
connects best... Adam. Caleb Giddings is the rat that just got his
cheese taken away from him. He has taken his last shot.
Eleven left, but another gun that won the
West is waiting in the wings.
For more information on "Top Shot"
or to view this episode in its entirety,
visit www.history.com/topshot.
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