Top Shot Chris Cheng

AK-47 Slow-mo shots under water

7/26/2013

From the YouTube channel SmarterEveryDay, we get to see a cool look at not only an AK-47 being shot under water, but a pretty good stab at the physics behind what's going on.

The eye candy goes until the 6:00 mark at which point it switches over to the educational portion. The channel's host, Dustin, is an engaging guy who I think did a pretty great job of showing us something cool!

A big shoutout to him for calling out being safe at the end of the vid!

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What's it like being a Professional Marksman?

7/18/2013

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I get this question a lot and so I thought it might be interesting to dive into this topic and share what my experience has been, along with what I’ve seen from my peers.

In short, it’s awesome. My arrangement with Bass Pro Shops is very flexible, and they cover most of my equipment, match fees, and travel costs for 3-gun competitions and appearances. There’s also minimal pressure from Bass Pro for me to win additional competitions, so the only pressure is the pressure I put on myself. I have always wanted to excel in whatever I throw myself into, and shooting is no different. Finally, my contract doesn't really have an expiration date, and I can pick and choose what I want to do.

In contrast, some of my other sponsored marksmen peers are locked into a particular schedule. They have XX number of matches to shoot in each year. They have a training schedule. If they don’t win or at least perform at a super high level, their sponsor might drop them.

In addition to shooting matches, I've done special events such as Bass Pro Shops store appearances across the country where I’ve done exhibition shooting with a compound bow and signed autographs and taken pictures with Top Shot fans.

Conventions such as SHOT Show and the NRA Annual Meetings have been a lot of fun where I have made many industry connections and built out my rolodex. I am fortunate to be on staff for The Firearm Blog where I get to share many of my experiences and also see the media side of the industry.

Then there are the random fun things that have come about. I was invited to a private shooting event for industry folks in Tennessee, where we just shot a bunch of cool guns for a day and socialized.

Chris shooting the H&K MP7A1 sub-machine gun. A delicious BBQ lunch followed.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to write a book on beginning marksmanship, and I'm looking forward to sharing my knowledge with new shooters. The book, tentatively titled "Shoot to Win," will be released in Spring 2014. There will be some exciting components to the book which I'll talk about later this year.

I am often asked how frequently I shoot, and it really depends. In the past year, I had a two month stretch (Thanksgiving/Christmas) where I didn't fire a single round. However, I’m often dry firing or doing some sort of maintenance/upgrade/research on a gun related item. Writing my book and blogging are other items which consume my time when I’m not shooting. I got really interested in trap shooting for about two months earlier this year, and I was at the range almost three times a week on average shooting about 500 rounds a week.

The part I’ve enjoyed most is the people I’ve met along this journey. Before winning Top Shot, I didn’t know many other shooters, but now that I’ve traveled the country and met all sorts of gun aficionados I can say that the shooting community is a really warm and welcoming one. People are helpful, kind, generous, and courteous- qualities that define gun culture and often betray some negative stereotypes about gun owners.

Chris with the shooting industry's First Family: The Miculek's (from left to right- Kay, Lena, and Jerry)

Lastly, I can’t imagine any other country in the world where being a professional marksman could be considered a career. America is indeed a land of many opportunities, and we all have the capability of creating and earning our success. Winning Top Shot Season 4 was the opportunity of a lifetime for me, and I’ve had a blast parlaying that experience into the next big thing. Thanks to readers like you, I’m living the American Dream!

THANK YOU!!!

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Tip from the NSSF: Sighting in your rifle

7/17/2013

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The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has some great How-To videos, and this is one of my favorites. If you've got a rifle that needs to get zeroed, this instructional video shows you how to do so in just two shots.

The one key thing that I'll re-emphasize is that after taking the first shot and making your adjustments, you need to keep the rifle very still, and so sandbags or some other type of support is critical. Otherwise, if you adjust your scope a few clicks and move the rifle, then you will lose your adjustment.

If you haven't shot that rifle of yours in a while, dust it off and head to the range this weekend. And to make sure you're hitting where you're aiming, be sure to sight in your rifle!

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Where to shoot? Take a look at the new NSSF iPhone and Android app

7/11/2013

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From the NSSF press release:

The National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®) has released an all-new Where To Shoot mobile app -- available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices -- that locates shooting ranges near you.

Available for free in the Apple App Store and Google Play, Where To Shoot puts North America's most comprehensive directory of shooting ranges in the palm of your hand. It also includes video tips for shooters, news and firearm safety information.

Users can search by current location or zip code and find specifics about each range, including shooting activities offered, accessibility and contact information. The app also makes it easy to get directions to the range.

The app is modeled after NSSF's popular WhereToShoot.org® website and is updated frequently with range information in every U.S. state and Canadian province. New tips for hunters and shooters are also added regularly.

Download the app through the links below or by simply visiting www.wheretoshoot.org on your iOS or Android device.

iPhone and iPad:
http://www.wheretoshoot.org/iOS

Android:
http://www.wheretoshoot.org/Android

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Poker and Guns: A preview

7/8/2013

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I just got back from a 4th of July vacation in Las Vegas, where I had a fun time with friends gambling, eating, drinking, seeing some shows, and of course, doing some shooting!

I paired up with two poker pros from the World Series of Poker and we filmed a fun video at the poker table, and out in the desert. Here's a sneak peak of what we did - the video will hopefully be up in the next month or two! I'll be sure to share it here.

What did you do for your 4th of July? Let me know in the comments!

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AK-47 Slow-mo shots under water

What's it like being a Professional Marksman?

Tip from the NSSF: Sighting in your rifle

Where to shoot? Take a look at the new NSSF iPhone and Android app

Poker and Guns: A preview

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