[URL]WWW.TOMKNAPP.NET[/URL]
"You Have To See It To Believe It!"
As one journalist said after seeing one of Tom Knapp's live performances.
When Tom was just a boy with a .BB gun, he was astounding his friends and relatives as he used a natural ability and an unusual understanding for the sport of target shooting! His passion for shooting and hunting turned into an obsession somewhere down the line, which eventually put Tom right where he wanted to be, shooting as a professional!
The nucleus of Tom's show is based on the "old time" exhibition shooter format that was so prevalent from the "Annie Oakley" era through the late 1950's. Tom's Idol, Herb Parsons, who shot for "Winchester--Western" in the '30's--'40's & '50's, was an inspiration for Tom to carry his dream of becoming a professional shooter until it became a reality. Find out more about Herb Parsons on 'Tom's Favorite Links' page.
Today, Tom Knapp combines the general format of yesterday, "with his tried and tested for safety," routines of today.
During one of Tom's performances you might see things that are difficult to understand, like throwing multiple clay targets in the air with one hand and then taking control of his Benelli shotgun and firing it from behind his back and below his belt and smoking every target! Or how about his World record where he launches "9" clays in the air with one hand, and then before you can count the targets in flight, Tom crushes each one with a separate shot from his Benelli, all within 2 seconds! Like the man said, you have to see it to believe it!
In addition to the Benelli side of the show table, Tom also has a .22 rifle show. He uses older rifles that are no longer being manufactured and when the show site has the appropriate background distance, Tom Knapp puts on another unbelievable show! He'll start by throwing "easy to hit" objects into the air, like potatoes, apples, and oranges. When the bullet from his .22 rifle meets the center of them, it produces a fantastic display! Then he works down in size, throwing charcoal briquettes, small wooden blocks, and even billiard chalk cubes that are less than 1 inch across! The whole time he is talking and telling the audience what to expect. If Tom should happen to nick the object on the side, or on rare accounts miss it completely, he'll tell you that "it gets boring if you hit every target that you shoot at." The Grand finale of his rifle routine is where he throws aspirin tablets in the air and at a distance of about 15 or 20 feet, he turns the tablet into a cloud of white dust that is as big as a grapefruit!
Tom will insert messages about "Safety, Responsibility, and Good Sportsmanship" to the audiences and address's extreme caution to anyone that would like to test their ability with this particular kind of exhibition shooting. He states that professional guidance is a must, and that "gun play" or "goofing around" is NOT the way to experiment with this art.