Travel Channel Features Scioto Co. Machine Gun Shoot

WOUB, Ohio University's public broadcasting station, reported recently that "a rather unconventional event" in southeast Ohio is the focus of the season finale of a show on the Travel Channel that aired late last month.

From the article:

The "Sand Masters" spent three days building their sand sculptures in Scioto County, only to have them blown up in five seconds.

Ralph Scott owns the firing range in Minford where the episode was filmed.

Folks can go there to shoot up cars and appliances with machine guns.

In search of a new type of target, Scott invited a group of five sand sculptors, part of the "Sand Masters" on the Travel Channel, to build something new to blow up for the Southern Ohio Machine Gun Shoot.

He says they laced the sculptures with explosives and "blew the thing to kingdom come."

Scott says the crowd's reaction was giddiness.

"They all cheered," he said. "There was a deafening explosion, and the amount of machine gun fire was just unreal, and there was just clapping and cheering and laughing. They just had a big time."

The machine gun shoot was filmed back in April.

The shooters come from all over the country, and the spectators, from all over the globe.

"I've had people from China, Japan, England, Germany, Canada, Iceland, Saudi Arabia, Central America, just all over the place."

Scott says some are frightened when they hear about what they're doing in Minford, but they've never had an accident.

And, he says, it brings business to Scioto County.

"It brings a lot of money into our restaurants and our hotels and things, and it spins a positive light on our area because we've been inundated with drugs and all that sort of nonsense going on around here, so we get a lot of attention, negative attention, with that, and that is a good way to maybe put a positive spin on our area as well."

The episode of "Sand Masters" aired this past Sunday, but reruns are sure to be played throughout the summer. Click here for video excerpts and a schedule of future show times.