Winners and favorites from History Channel competition teach kids the basics in Houston

Houston, Texas - On the first day of May, the Annual Meetings' NRA Youth Day welcomed more than a thousand kids to the second floor of the George R. Brown Center. Walking through the blue and white gateway, families were instantly greeted with a special wrist band, bags of popcorn, and tons of information about the shooting sports. A few steps more revealed crowns of faux antlers, vendors with samples and a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn from the best in the business.

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After Top Shot, Terry Vaughan planning to embrace the open range and mountain tops of Wyoming

Earlier this week, told you about Top Shot Englishman Terry Vaughan and his experience after the History Channel show. At the end there was talk of his move to Wyoming. Here's how it happened:

Las Vegas, Nevada - Moving from one end of the pond to another doesn't sound like that big of a deal. But it is when the pond you're referring to is the Atlantic Ocean. That's what Terry Vaughan — former dancer, British Royal Marine Commando and Top Shot contestant — did a number of years ago.

Now in the states, as a nationally recognized expert on non-verbal communications and an experienced NRA Certified Instructor, he is making another move. Not across the pond, but across the nation. That's right, he's picking up the business, the wife and the kids and moving them all to Wyoming.

Apparently Top Shot colleague Tim Trefren is to blame.

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Taking non-verbal and body language techniques on the road after Top Shot

Las Vegas, Nevada - Terry Vaughan was a busy man back in 2011. Father of three, motivational speaker and an NRA Certified Instructor ... you get the idea. There were never enough hours in the day. But things really took off after his appearance on Season 4 of Top Shot on the History Channel.

"Since the show aired, the increase in personal safety seminars as well as the non-verbal and body language classes has gone up exponentially," Vaughan told NRAblog at the 2012 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. "It's a sign of the shift in people's desire to learn personal safety."

Based out of Charlotte, North Carolina, the former British Royal Marine Commando spends his professional days traveling the country to perform such a task. Teaching the lessons he learned through his years dealing with "a bugger of childhood", as well as his time as an actor, as a dancer and as a Commando. ... more on Terry Vaughan's experience after Top Shot ...

Four Seasons of History Channel competitors meet outside Volquarsten booth at SHOT Show

Las Vegas, Nevada - Love them, hate them, wouldn't miss a Top Shot episode staring them during the History Channel's short four season run.

If you're a fan of the show, and who in the shooting community isn't, then there had to be at least one competitor in the mix that stirred some sort of emotion. William Bethards who cornered the market on the catch phrase "Hey diddle diddle, right down the middle". Gabby Franco, the first female to reach the green shirts. And Brian Zins, eleven-time NRA Pistol Champion and Top Shot runner-up.

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Iowa based Volquartsen provides 1911 shooters with a .22 lower alternative

Las Vegas, Nevada - Hard charging firearm aficionados know the name Volquartsen. But for the rest of the public, they probably didn't know anything about them until Dustin Ellermann made his improbably golf ball shot with a Volquartsen .22 rifle on History Channel's top rated shooting show Top Shot. That's when the rest of you took notice.

Based in Carroll, Iowa, this basement based start-up rose from a custom bluing shop into one of the premier 10/22 manufacturers in the world. But they didn't stop there. They went on to make their mark on the rimfire, .22 pistol and .223 field as well. Recently, however, they decided to concentrate on the pistols.

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Spirit, spunk and drive takes Gabby from Venezuela to Olympics to Top Shot

Top Shot's Gabby Franco tries out a scope at the NRA Convention in St. Louis, Missouri.

The contestants from History Channel's hit show Top Shot have been incredibly generous with their time and insight over the years. Everyone from Iain Harrison to Chris Reed, Mike Hughes, George Reinas, Dustin Ellermann, Greg Littlejohn, Terry Vaughan and Chris Cheng have shared stories about their experience in life and on the show.

While all were impressive, there was one who stood out ... NRA Certified Instructor Gabriela “Gabby” Franco.

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Looking back at Top Shot's Dustin Ellermann ...

Port Clinton, Ohio - All the Top Shot fans out there will remember this line — "Hey diddle diddle, right down the middle!"

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Chris Cheng during Top Shot - Photo courtesy of History

Turns out his History Channel prize money finally arrived. In a letter to Wayne LaPierre, Cheng confirms earlier intentions for his first investment:

Dear Mr. LaPierre,

On May 1, 2012, the History Channel aired Top Shot Season 4’s finale, and it became known that I beat out 17 other competitors for the title of Top Shot. I am a self-taught shooter who had a day job at Google for the past 5 years. Along with a $100,000 cash prize (that came in the mail about a week ago), I won a professional shooting contract with the show’s sponsor, Bass Pro Shops. I’m very excited to pursue this contract and live the American dream of prospering through hard work and my determination to succeed.

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