Club shooter.. Or not!

Changing format for this month trampas has brought us something a little special in this respect as he gets together with Dustin Ellermann, History Channel Champion top shot!

Have you ever wondered what it takes to become one of the world’s most famous shooters? Is there a part of you on the range that craves the ultimate challenge shooting sports have to offer? Maybe you are a competitive shooter that is tired of winning just local events? Perhaps you are a returning military warrior coming home from overseas action and looking to keep your skills sharp? Better yet, maybe you are just a southern boy or girl raised on shooting as a way of life. How can you test your skills to the extreme in front of millions of viewers?

For the past four years, television’s History Channel has offered folks like you a chance to rise to the challenge of being the next TOP SHOT. Contestants from all over are offered a chance to send in applications explaining why they should be able to compete on TV in an amateur shooting event to test their skills at everything from throwing rocks, archery, pistol shooting, rifles, even military heavy artillery such as .50 rifles and cannons! Each season, only 16 men and women are picked to compete on the show hosted by Survivor’s Colby Donaldson. Immediately, those sixteen skilled shooters are divided into two teams of eight, one blue team and one red team. From there, the show not only follows the weekly eliminations that come from each team challenge, but also the human dynamic of all of the contestants living under one roof. The show offers an intimate look at the friendships that form, where loyalties are tested and in the end, how one person comes through it all to a $100,000 grand prize and the title of History’s Top Shot. In season 3 of the TV show Top Shot, a young man from Texas with no real formal training, just shooting in his blood and a will to win stepped up and showed the world what he was made of.

Meet Dustin Ellerman, a 30 year old from the Lake Sam Rayburn area of east Texas. A Christian kids camp director with “Camp His Way” he grew up hunting and fishing in the great outdoors much like a lot of fine young men in Texas. A smart, college educated young man with a degree in Business Administration from Stephen F. Austin State University he lives on the campsite founded by his parents with his wife and kids. In 2011 Dustin had been watching the first two seasons of Top Shot and wanted in on the fun. While not too keen on being gone from his wife and young kids, Dustin joked and said, “Don’t worry honey, I’ll probably be sent home in a week or two anyway”. That light heartedness and upbeat attitude carried him through six weeks of competition and filming schedules to earn him the title of Season 3 Top Shot Champion. Recently the champ was gracious enough to sit down with .22 Shooter Magazine to give readers some insight on what life on Top Shot is like as well as how the .22 LR played a huge roll in his shooting background.

Welcome to .22 Shooter Magazine and thank you for your time. Let’s start off with your shooting background. What can you tell us?
I’m a self-taught “backyard” shooter. I had taken one tactical pistol course in the past where I got my correct stance.

How old were you when you first started shooting? What did you learn to shoot with?
Mostly a BB gun when alone while visiting my grandparents’ farm located south of Houston, TX when I was around 10 - 12 years old. I would spend about two weeks there spending almost the entire time outside. I taught myself about trigger press and long range ballistics and just had a good time with it. When I was about 16, my dad finally let me take a .22 rifle out by myself so I went out shooting much more frequently. My first .22 rimfire was pretty unique, a Springfield M6 survival rifle (See last month's Classic Shooter for more info on this rifle!) with a squeeze lever instead of a traditional trigger. It was an accurate rifle and I guess having to deal with a really crummy trigger taught me better trigger control. 

What prompted you to try out for Top Shot? Tell our readers the process you went through. Most importantly, was it as fun as it appears on TV?
I was always a fan of the show and wanted to try out for Season 1 but couldn’t due to obligations with the camp at the time. I tried out for Season 3 on a dare from a friend. I sent in an email like the show requests and the next day they called me wanting a video. I know they wanted me as the “token Christian guy” but I figured, “I’m your Huckleberry”!

Day 1, you look around at your competition. Was there one person you saw and thought, “Oh man, I’m going to have to shoot against this guy / girl”?
Yes! Mike Hughes.

For readers not familiar, Mike was a tall, square jawed guy who owned a fitness company and did competitive pistol shooting. I believe you guys in the house nicknamed him Superman?
Yes. Watching the way he shot the first challenge with the Smith and Wesson .500 was pretty intimidating. It’s funny that it came down to me outshooting him for the finale.

What was your favourite event in the show?
Shooting the .50 caliber BMG was pretty cool because it was my first time shooting one. The 50 mph wind made it challenging and I was able to beat everyone out. The “Wheel of Fire” was also a cool one, but I could have done better in that event.

What is your favourite memory from the show?
The show allowing my wife to be there for the finale. Having her there when I won meant a lot.

What was the hardest part about doing the show?
The crazy down time. It takes three days to film a single episode so you are there on lock down with any outside contact for over six weeks. You aren’t allowed phone calls, newspapers or TV. It can take hours to reset targets and cycle through shooters. You don’t get to shoot nearly as much as you would think.

Where is the Top Shot house and filming location?
They film about two hours north of Los Angeles, in Santa Clarita, California.

What does life after winning Top Shot include?
I knew life would be different for a little while; I was giving it 6 months to get back to normal. It has already been 2 years, I’m still doing interviews, making appearances, travelling to speak and do shooting events, so it’s still pretty crazy. I guess that’s just “God’s favour” because even other winners have asked why I get so many opportunities. I’ve been able to attend the SHOT Show in Vegas for the past two years in a row as well as just attending the NRA convention in Houston, TX.