At the SIG Sauer booth at SHOT Show, we had a chance to interview Max Michel, Sig Sauer’s Pistol Team Captain. Winner of multiple speed shooting world championships, Max is widely considered to be the fastest pistol shooter alive. How fast? Watch the video below. Max puts 18 shots on three targets with two (2) reloads, in a total of 4.79 seconds. That’s right, drawing from holster, he sends 18 rounds in under five seconds, with two mag changes in the process. That works out to a rate of fire of 225 rounds per minute — faster than a 19th-century Gatling Gun.
Max Michel on Fire — 18 rounds with 2 Mag Changes in Under 5 Seconds:
How did Max manage that incredible speed run? “I ate my Wheaties that morning”, Max joked. But in fact, Max acquired his amazing shooting skills the hard way — through years of dedicated practice. We asked Max about the kind of training required to attain “world-class” speed (and accuracy) with a handgun. It has taken him decades to reach this level of perfection. Max started shooting competitively while in elementary school (at age 8 or 9). He recalls coming home from school and dry firing for hours. He has spent thousands of hours practicing over the past two decades. Interestingly however, Max does most training drills at half speed. Watch the video to learn why Max trains at half speed:
Train to Win — Max Michel Reveals His Training Strategies:
At age 32, Max Michel is a legend within the world of competitive shooting. A four-time World Speed Shooting Champion, six-time USPSA National Champion, and three-time US National Steel Champion, Max is a dominant force in pistol shooting sports. Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Max began shooting when he was just 5 years old. In 1999 Max joined the USAMU’s Action Pistol Team and served in the U.S. Army for 10 years as an Army shooter and trainer. Today, Max is recognized worldwide as a top-tier athlete and instructor.
You go girl! Jessie Duff is the first woman in history to earn the title of USPSA Grand Master (GM), the highest rating conferred by the U.S. Practical Shooting Association (USPSA). To earn this prestigious ranking, Duff had to maintain an average above 95% in shooting classification courses, something never before achieved by a lady shooter. Jessie finished the year with a 95.39% average.
2013 was a banner year for Duff, who scored Open, Limited, and Single Stack Division wins at the USPSA National Championships. Duff also took multiple wins in the Steel Challenge World Championships, Steel Challenge Nat’l Championships, and Arkansas Sectional Championships.
“I am honored to have earned the designation of Grand Master with USPSA” said Duff. “This is something I have been working toward my entire shooting career and I’ve come this far thanks to a lot of hard work and a lot of support,” she added.
Duff, one of the most accomplished competition shooters in the world, has “raised the bar” for female shooters across the country. As female participation in shooting sports has grown, Duff’s accomplishments and continued success have blazed a path for women in competitive action shooting. “Jessie is one of the best shooters in the world,” said USPSA Executive Director Kim Williams. “USPSA is proud to announce her historic record as the first woman to ever reach this ranking in Practical Shooting,” added Williams.
Sig Sauer team captain Max Michel reclaimed his title as the world’s fastest speed shooter with a pair of titles and a new world record at the World Speed Shooting Championships, held in Frostproof, Florida last week. Heavy rains and winds added an additional level of difficulty to the match, which attracts the world’s best steel challenge competitors.
Max Sets Rimfire World Record
Michel began the weekend with a world-record setting time, winning the rimfire pistol event by almost two seconds with his 61.84 second time. Michel paired a SIG SAUER 1911 MAX lower with a .22 LR conversion upper to take the title. A long-time supporter of Steel Challenge shooting, SIG SAUER returned as a platinum sponsor of the event.
Max Wins Main Event by 7.5 Seconds
Michel’s 75.58 total time brought home the main match title with a commanding 7.5 second lead over the runner-up finisher. This is Michel’s fourth World Speed Shooting Championship, which places him in a tie for the most titles at the event.
“We could not be more proud of Max and his accomplishments,” said Jarrod McDevitt, Rifle Product and Competitive Shooting Program Manager. “From the West Coast Steel Challenge to the Pro-Am to the World Speed Shooting Championship, Max has been unstoppable.”
Watch Max Michel Demo Drill (This Guy is Blazing Fast!)
At age 30, Max Michel is a legend within the world of competitive shooting. A four-time World Speed Shooting Champion, six-time USPSA National Champion, and three-time US National Steel Champion, Max is a dominant force in pistol shooting sports. Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Max began shooting when he was just 5 years old. In 1999 Max joined the USAMU’s Action Pistol Team and served in the U.S. Army for 10 years as an Army shooter and trainer. Today, Max is recognized worldwide as a top-tier athlete and instructor.
Ruger has created a series of videos showcasing Metallic Silhouette, IDPA, SCSA (Steel Challenge), and USPSA shooting events. Log on to Ruger’s Beginner’s Guide to Shooting Competitions webpage to see informative videos on each of these popular sports. Below you can find the Video on Metallic Silhouette and the Video on SCSA Steel Challenge pistol competition. Silhouette is a great family sport and the Steel Challenge is the ultimate pistol speed-shooting event.
INTRO to RIMFIRE RIFLE METALLIC SILHOUETTE Competition
INTRO to STEEL CHALLENGE Pistol Competition
Ruger also offers many other cool videos, both on its Video Webpage and on Ruger’s YouTube Channel. On YouTube, you’ll find a great four-part Tactical Carbine video series, hosted by Dave Spaulding, winner of the 2010 Trainer of the Year award by Law Officer Magazine. Spaulding also hosts a set of Ruger videos on defensive handgun use. For novice handgunners, Ruger offers Beginner Shooting Tips with video segments covering each of these topics:
Introduction
Firearm Safety Rules
Pistol Functionality
Body Position Stance
Dominant Eye
Gripping the Handgun
Sight Picture
Aiming
Trigger Control
Loading and Unloading
Range Basics
Ready Position
Shooting Pairs
Shooting to Slidelock
This past weekend, Team Glock Captain KC Eusebio won the 2013 European Steel Challenge in record time. Held in Winterswijk, Netherlands, the Euro-Steel competition was hosted by the Stichting Winterswijkse Accomodatie Sportschieten. Eusebio shot the 6-stage indoor Open match in 58.57 seconds, winning by 3.07 seconds over two-time past European Steel Challenge champion, Saul Kirsch. This match was shot entirely indoors under artificial lighting. Eusebio used as GLOCK 34 pistol prepared by ZEV Technology.
Watch KC Shoot the Euro Steel Challenge
“I have always wanted to shoot this match against Europe’s best shooters on their turf,” said KC. “It was an honor to finally be able to do so. I can’t wait to come back to this beautiful country next year!”
After winning the Euro Steel Challenge, KC attended the Dutch Army MOD match (Harskamp, Netherlands) on May 15-16 as guest of the Dutch Army Shooting Team (photo below):
Eusebio Won U.S. National Steel Challenge in Florida in March
KC’s victory in Europe followed his win at the 2013 U.S. National Steel Championship on March 23, 2013 in Titusville, Florida. Eusebio shot the match in 76.27 seconds, setting a new Main Match record. KC beat his next closest competitor, Max Michel, by almost three seconds. KC’s 2013 time broke the previous record of 80.09 Eusebio set back in 2007. In Florida, KC won four of the eight stages outright, and he set two new stage records.
Team GLOCK member K.C. Eusebio won the High Overall Award at the World Speed Shooting Championship (aka Steel Challenge) held November 1-4 in Frostproof, Florida. This was the first time in the competition’s history that a Glock (albeit a modified version) boasted the lowest elapsed time over the 8-stage course of fire.
Using his hot-rodded Glock 17, 24-year-old Eusebio shot approximately 200 rounds in less than 79 seconds. That’s total time for multiple stages of steel targets set at 10 to 35 yards. The GLOCK, modified by Zev Technologies of California, had a C-More Red-dot sight, 3-port compensator and a textured silicon carbide grip coating. “Regardless of the modifications, it’s still a GLOCK,” commented Eusebio. “Flawless. This was my fourth championship win, the first time that’s been done by anyone.”
When it comes to raw speed on the Challenge course, Eusebio is the man. K.C. currently holds several world records in the Steel Challenge Shooting Association (SCSA), including the fastest time on the “Smoke And Hope” stage: 1.69 seconds to draw and hit five individual steel targets. That’s not a misprint — 1.69 seconds for five shots hitting five different plates. Here’s a video of K.C. Shooting “Smoke and Hope” in California a few years back when he was a member of the USAMU shooting team.
Eusebio told us: “We definitely set the bar high at this match. I shot record-breaking scores of 2.55 seconds on the “Pendulum” stage and 2.27 seconds on “5 To Go”, and came out on top in 4 of the 8 stages. I also averaged 1.80 seconds on the “Smoke and Hope” stage. Heads were turning, some said it couldn’t be done, but I had confidence in my ability and my Glock”.
Photo courtesy Shin Tanaka
The Steel Challenge was created in the early 1980s in Southern California, as a new and exciting addition to combat or practical shooting matches. The originators, Mike Dalton and Mike Fitchman, wanted an exciting alternative to paper targets and came up with the all-steel format. The match awards the fastest time, but accuracy is also critical. The Steel Challenge is now a hugely popular event with West Coast Championship in Piru, CA and East Coast Championship in Florida. There are also regional Steel Challenge Matches held around the country.
Now competing with major sponsorship from Taurus firearms, Jessie Duff (formerly Jessie Harrison) thoroughly dominated the ladies’ division of the recent U.S. Steel Challenge Nationals in Florida, winning the Steel Master title. It seems like you can put any makers’ firearm in Jessie’s capable hands, and she comes out a winner.
Jessie defended her 2011 titles in Ladies Limited, Open and Steel Master, making this her 6th year in a row to win the Ladies Steel Master title. “Competing for Steel Master is a lot more difficult than you would think,” Duff says. “You have to be just as proficient with all three guns, as someone would be with one. A lot of time goes into training for it, and thankfully it paid off this weekend!”
At the U.S. Steel Challenge Nationals, Jessie competed in three divisions: .22 Optic Rimfire, Limited, and Open. All three divisions qualify her for the Steel Master title, an Aggregate score of all three divisions. After the match Jessie commented, “This match was the first match of the year for me, and I wanted to kick the season off with a victory, especially with my new relationship with Taurus. I was very proud to come home with three national titles!” Mark Kresser, President and CEO of Taurus USA comments, “We are very pleased with Jessie’s performance. Jessie is … taking Taurus to a new level and breaking open the door of the competition world.”
New Name, Same Game
Jessie Harrison (who formerly competed as Jessie Abbate) stormed through the Steel Challenge last weekend, winning multiple titles (including her fourth women’s Overall Win) in a truly dominant display of speed and accuracy. This was a gutsy performance by Jessie, who has faced tough family issues lately*.
This year marked the 30th Anniversary of the Steel Challenge, one of the most prestigious action pistol events in the country. The match, held August 18-21, 2011 in Piru, California, attracts the top handgunners in the world, who compete against the clock in multiple stages. All targets are steel plates.
In a dominating “three-peat” performance, Jessie Harrison won the Women’s Division of the Steel Challenge. This is the third year in a row that Jessie won the Women’s Overall Title. Her 2011 win now gives her FOUR Steel Challenge Overall titles. This year, Jessie also won the Rimfire Title, the Women’s Limited Title, and the Steel Master Title. Jessie, who shoots for Team Smith & Wesson, proved convincingly that she is the woman to beat in the speed-shooting game.
B.J. Norris Blazes in Men’s Division
Jessie’s Team Smith & Wesson team-mate B.J. Norris rolled over the competition in the men’s Open division, demonstrating both blistering speed and consistency. Like Jessie, Norris won multiple titles: Open Division, Rimfire Open, and Steel Master. B.J. shot an impressive 81.18 score to secure the Open Division win.
Former Team Glock shooter Dave Sevigny won the men’s Limited Class (iron sights) with a cumulative time of 90.51. Dave obviously has not suffered too much from his move away from Team Glock, which has lost many top shooters lately. The men’s Production Class winner was Mike Seeklander with a 99.73 score. Living legend Jerry Miculek once again showed he is the world’s greatest wheelgunner, winning the OSR (revolver) class.
*Jessie’s 45-year-old husband, William L. Abbate, a professional shooter, was recently arrested and charged with improper conduct with a 15-year-old female shooter whom he coached. READ News Story.
The Shooting Wire reports that there are just two days left to take advantage of the early registration discount for the 2011 Steel Challenge World Speed Shooting Championships. Competitors must submit Match Applications this Friday, July 15, 2001, to take advantage of the discounted match fee. If you get your application postmarked by Friday then you’ll also be entered in a drawing for a new Ruger Mark III pistol. If you aren’t familiar with the Steel Challenge, held each year in Piru, California, it is one of the top pistol competitions in the world. Check out this video highlighting our friend K.C. Eusebio, who has set fastest times on many of the Steel Challenge Stages.
The Steel Challenge, one of the world’s premier speed-shooting events, kicked off yesterday in Piru, CA, just down the road from AccurateShooter.com’s home base. Thursday saw shooters compete in the rimfire division. The star of the day was young Ryan Leonard of Oregon City, OR. This 17-year-old pistol prodigy proved that youthful enthusiasm (and quick reflexes) CAN beat age and experience. Ryan outgunned all the big-name pros, including Glock’s Dave Sevigny, Blackhawk’s Todd Jarrett, and Smith &Wesson’s B.J. Norris.
Leonard posted the fastest score on three of the eight stages — 5 To Go, Smoke & Hope and Outer Limits — to finish in a final time of 69.76 seconds. Next fastest man was Dave Sevigny, 1.45 seconds behind. It was a brilliant showing by the 17-year-old Leonard, who claimed the Open Rimfire Championship. Congrats to the Oregon teen — we expect we’ll here more from the young shooter in the years ahead.
Finishing 5th overall, and winning the women’s open rimfire division was Jessie Abbate, now with Team Smith & Wesson. The popular shooter from Georgia was the fastest lady on seven of the eight stages in the match. Abbate’s final time of 76.90 seconds outpaced her Team S&W team-mate Kay Miculek by 11.60 seconds. In the Ladies’ iron-sight Rimfire event, the winner was Team S&W co-captain Julie Golob.
The Rimfire event is the first leg of the three-event contest that decides the Steel Master winner. The second is the iron sight centerfire pistol event shot in either the Limited or Production division. And the third is the Open pistol contest, the main event of the World Speed Shooting Championships.
Abbate is the defending Ladies’ Steel Master Champion and is a favorite to win the title again in 2010. For more info visit www.SteelChallenge.com.
You go girl! 
This past weekend, Team Glock Captain KC Eusebio won the 2013 European Steel Challenge in record time. Held in Winterswijk, Netherlands, the Euro-Steel competition was hosted by the Stichting Winterswijkse Accomodatie Sportschieten. Eusebio shot the 6-stage indoor Open match in 58.57 seconds, winning by 3.07 seconds over two-time past European Steel Challenge champion, Saul Kirsch. This match was shot entirely indoors under artificial lighting. Eusebio used as GLOCK 34 pistol prepared by ZEV Technology.
Team GLOCK member K.C. Eusebio won the High Overall Award at the World Speed Shooting Championship (aka 
Now competing with major sponsorship from Taurus firearms, Jessie Duff (formerly Jessie Harrison) thoroughly dominated the ladies’ division of the recent U.S. Steel Challenge Nationals in Florida, winning the Steel Master title. It seems like you can put any makers’ firearm in Jessie’s capable hands, and she comes out a winner.
New Name, Same Game
B.J. Norris Blazes in Men’s Division
The 
Finishing 5th overall, and winning the women’s open rimfire division was Jessie Abbate, now with Team Smith & Wesson. The popular shooter from Georgia was the fastest lady on seven of the eight stages in the match. Abbate’s final time of 76.90 seconds outpaced her Team S&W team-mate Kay Miculek by 11.60 seconds. In the Ladies’ iron-sight Rimfire event, the winner was Team S&W co-captain Julie Golob.
