When Chris Cheng approached me at Gun Rights Policy Conference 2019 in Phoenix, I was buzzing from being awarded the Blogger of the Year the day before. He said when I was in San Francisco, he wanted to be on the show. I’d seen him play the tunes on the Musical Targets, which was like a shooter’s xylophone, and told him about the GunGrams. And that we need to film a duet with him on pitched plates and me on trumpet. We tried to connect this past summer while I was in California, but it didn’t happen. However, we were at Rick Ector’s (RSWC #032) Ladies’ Event in Detroit this past summer and were able to film a show there.
As a young man, Chris did some shooting with his dad, but they didn’t go to the range regularly. After working with Google and having some expendable income, Chris started shooting again. He started getting into shooting IDPA and USPSA and learned that shooting was static and you could run and gun.
While watching The History Channel’s Top Shot, Chris decided to audition for the show. That meant he needed some training and practice. Practicing was nothing new because he also played the double bass and understood that he needed a practice schedule. He was an amateur shooter who practiced 20-25 hours a week and worked his way to win Season 4 of Top Shot. Along with the winning prize, he was now a household name in the firearm community.
He was offered a sponsored shooter position with Bass Pro Shop and traveled the country teaching at their stores. Having access to all kinds of firearms and ammunition was great, but Chris really enjoyed being around like-minded people who enjoyed shooting and sharing his passion with everyone. All of these things lead him to become a Second Amendment advocate.
After the Bass Pro contract expired, Chris decided to take everything he learned, everything he was sharing and put it into a book, which is called Shoot To Win: Tips, Tactics, and Techniques to Help You Shoot Like a Pro. This book targets new shooters for any firearm, rifle, pistol, or shotgun. It’s a lot of what he studied to go on and eventually win Top Shot.
During the pandemic, Chris was asked to be on a show called The Go Big Show. He says it’s like America’s Got Talent on steroids. There were many celebrity judges on the show. Chris got to shoot several types of firearms in many fun situations, but this time it was in an indoor sports area. He and the producers needed help building a safe area where he would shoot. He also said that he was going to need some full auto fun for the show!
More recently, Chris has been active in causes for suicide prevention. With the pandemic producing 12,000,000 new gun owners, there’s a concern about preventing suicides. There is a new Suicide Prevention Hotline number which is simply 988. If you or anyone you know is in crisis and thinking of taking your life, please call that number to talk with someone.
I’m honored that we finally got our schedules to work out and have Chris on the show. He’s accomplished a lot as a shooter and showman. He testified in front of Congress in 2021. Chris is a force to be reckoned with, and I’m glad to call him a friend.
Favorite quotes:
“Top Shot made me change my life where it made me realize that the freedoms that we take for granted may not always be there.”
“We all have to speak up and show up to defend the things we believe in.”
“There’s a lot of training and education opportunities.”
“I 100% absolutely need to shoot full auto.I’m not going to come on the show if you will not let me shoot full auto.”
Riding Shotgun With Charlie
Riding Shotgun With Charlie isn’t about firearms. It is about having an intimate conversation with 2 people talking. You’re the fly on the rearview mirror. Many passengers are involved in the firearm community .
This is a more intimate conversation than a phone, radio, or Skype interview. You get to see the passengers. And you’ll see where the road and the conversation take you!
www.ridingshotgunwithcharlie.com.
