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May 27th, 2010
Among female action shooters, Jessie Abbate, 2009 USPSA Ladies Back-to-Back National Champion, may be the most marketable talent in America right now. Jessie has been featured on several TV shows, including Shooting USA, Cowboys, Shooting Gallery, and American Hunter. After Abbate left Team Glock in a contract dispute, the shooting world has been wondering which sponsor would secure Jessie’s services for its team. Well, now we have an answer — Jessie Abbate will shoot for Team Smith & Wesson. Jim Shepherd’s Shooting Wire reports that “Abbate has signed with Team Smith & Wesson”, as confirmed by Abbate’s agent Russell Stott.
This now gives Team S&W a powerful threesome of female shooters as Abbate joins Womens’ Team Captain Julie Goloski Golob and Kay Clark Miculek. While 9-time USPSA Champion Golob is primarily a pistol shooter, both Kay Miculek and Jessie Abbate are top-flight multi-gun shooters as well. Abbate developed her rifle and shotgun skills in Cowboy Action shooting, and Kay is a 13-Time USPSA Multi-Gun Open Champion. Having Kay AND Jessie under contract is a big coup for Smith & Wesson, as multi-gun matches afford Smith & Wesson a chance to showcase its handguns AND its rifle products.
The Rise of Multi-Gun Competition
Multi-Gun and 3-Gun matches become more popular every season. One top 3-gun shooter who originally came up through the pistol ranks told us: “Multi-Gun is the future — it’s what TV viewers want and what sponsors want”. The major multi-gun matches are drawing 30% more competitors each year. And now 3-Gun Nation has brought multi-gun shooting to prime-time television with a compelling nationwide series with a huge cash payout in the end. That’s smart, NASCAR-style marketing. We predict that, within a few years, multi-gun events will eclipse the handgun-only events in popularity, prize money, and sponsorship interest. With Abbate added to the S&W team, along with long-time multi-gun ace Kay Miculek, S&W is positioned to dominate womens’ multi-gun competition for years to come.
Photos courtesy JessieAbbate.com
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April 26th, 2010
 After Olympian Kim Rhode, Ace handgunner Jessie Abbate is probably the most popular and marketable female shooter in America. A member of Team Glock for many seasons, Abbate split with the Austrian pistol-maker after Glock refused to allow her to wear a secondary sponsor’s logo on her competition jersey. Now all the major action shooting sponsors will be vying for Jessie’s services. Smith & Wesson will likely pursue Abbate, but Jessie might end up with Sig Sauer whose team is lead by multi-time National Champion Max Michel. If Sig can sign Abbate, Sig Sauer would arguably have both the #1 male shooter and #1 female shooter on the same squad.
 On DownRange.TV, Paul Erhardt notes: “Now that the women’s division shooting powerhouse has said Auf Wiedersehen to the Haus of Glock, the question is who will [sign her]?
Smith & Wesson — This is the obvious #1 choice. If I were [S&W’s team managers], I’d be hell bent for election to sign Jessie. The 158 year-old juggernaut has already assembled a very strong shooting team, the largest of any firearms company. They are still smarting from having lost out on Max Michel who went to Sig due to bad timing with S&W’s budget year.
Sig Sauer — This company finally got into the competition world with Max Michel who promptly won the USPSA Open Nationals and the Steel Challenge. He’s a lock for both titles in the future. Jessie would bring titles in Production, Limited-10, Steel Challenge, Single Stack and Open if they build a Sig Open gun for her on an STI body.”
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February 5th, 2010
The U.S. Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) has announced the dates of its 2010 National Championships. Divided into four events, the Nationals are expected to draw more than 1,000 top shooters competing in a variety of divisions. Featured in the video below are “Women of USPSA” (including Team Glock’s Jessie Abbate) shooting at the 2009 USPSA Nationals. Be sure to watch this great video. Some very talented ladies demonstrate amazing shooting skills.
 The first event on the calendar, the USPSA Single Stack Nationals, will take place April 28 through May 1 at the PASA Park ranges in Barry, Ill. In 2009 this event drew 270-plus devotees of the venerable 1911 pistol. Next on the schedule is USPSA’s MultiGun Nationals which will take place in Las Vegas, Nev. at the Desert Sportsman’s Rifle & Pistol Club ranges September 9 through 12. The MultiGun championship draws close to 150 shooters using pistol, rifle and shotgun in the Open, Tactical, Limited and Heavy Metal divisions.
The USPSA championship season will wrap up with back-to-back handgun championships also held in Las Vegas from October 8 through 16, 2010. With over 600 shooters participating, the USPSA back-to-back handgun championships represent the largest gathering of Practical Shooting competitors in the USA. In addition to America’s top guns, the match will also draw some of the best shooters from South America, Europe and the Pacific Rim.
USPSA National Championship dates
April 28 – May 1: Single Stack Nationals (PASA Park, Barry, IL)
Sept. 9 – 12: Multi-Gun Nat’ls (Desert Sportsman’s Range, Las Vegas, NV)
Oct. 8 – 12: Open & Limited-10 Nat’ls (Desert Sportsman’s Range, Las Vegas, NV)
Oct. 13 – 16 Limited, Production & Revolver Nat’ls (Desert Sportsman’s Range, Las Vegas, NV)
To learn more about the USPSA National Championships and other major matches on the 2010 schedule, visit www.uspsa.org or call (360) 855-2245.
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December 13th, 2009
Looking for a position that lets you work from home and be involved with many of the leading organizations in the gun industry, such as Ruger, Smith & Wesson, and the USAMU? The U.S. Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) is seeking a coordinator for its annual Steel Challenge competition, held each summer in Southern California.
The Steel Challenge Coordinator will assist in producing the Steel Challenge World Speed Shooting Championships. The successful candidate must be good with details, able to meet deadlines, have a good working knowledge of Excel spreadsheets, and have some event experience. The position also requires some Shooting Sports Industry experience and working with sponsors. The Coordinator will work from home but must be able to travel to the SHOT Show and the World Speed Shooting Championships. To apply for the job, send email to Scott Moore, SSC Director, scott@steelchallenge.com, or call (602) 687-9675.
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October 29th, 2009
In a back and forth battle, Michael Voigt held off defending National Champion Jerry Miculek to win the Open title at the 2009 U.S. Practical Shooting Association’s (USPSA) Multi-Gun National Championships held October 22-25 in Boulder City, Nevada. During the 3-day match, Voigt and Miculek exchanged the lead seven times in one of the closest head-to-head duels in the history of Multi-Gun competition. At the Multi-Gun Nationals, 135 top shooters from around the country competed in a shooting format that utilizes rifle, shotgun, and pistol, demanding shooting speed and accuracy with all three weapons.
Team STI’s Voigt and Miculek of Team Smith & Wesson were neck and neck through 10 stages, exchanging the overall lead. After Miculek won Stage 10, the match turned in Voigt’s favor when Voigt won Stage 11, scoring 200 stage points, nearly 100 points better than Miculek. Miculek won the 12th and final stage of the match but it was not enough. Voigt finished with a final score of 2178.2303, placing him over 75 points ahead of Miculek, the 2008 champion.
Michael Voigt has been a force to be reckoned with in USPSA competition since 1979. He has served as USPSA President, and he has been the best in the world with pistol, rifle and shotgun ever since Multi-Gun Competition became a part of USPSA Matches. Voigt’s latest Open Class victory marks his ninth USPSA 3-Gun National Title.
Voigt Reveals Match-Winning Skills and Strategies
If you’re interested in three-gun competition and want to shoot like a champion, check out Michael Voigt’s “Pro Tips” on ShootingUSA.com. In six training sessions, Voigt explains and demonstrates the key skills needed for the multi-gun game. Voigt’s tips were broadcast as a regular part of Shooting USA’s Sighting In segments, and summaries are available online, complete with photos and Michael’s expert commentary.
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October 19th, 2009
 From October 22-25, the 2009 USPSA Multi-Gun Nationals will be held at the Boulder Rifle and Pistol Club (BRPC) in Boulder City, Nevada. USPSA Multi-Gun matches are exciting events, with timed stages requiring shooters to engage multiple targets with pistol, rifle, and shotgun. Some stages involve all three weapons, while other stages may be for pistol only, shotgun only, rifle only, or two weapons, such as pistol and shotgun. All twelve stages in the 2009 event are illustrated in the USPSA Stage Map, a 12-page PDF file.
Shown below is Stage 10, “Dark Alley”, a Rifle + Shotgun + Handgun stage. Shooters fire 12 handgun rounds, 11 shotgun rounds, 18 rifle rounds plus 11 rounds shooters’ choice (pistol or shotgun) for a total possible score of 270 points. Fixed targets are: 12 Metric, 11 PP, 11 Clay Birds, and 6 Flashers. All targets must be engaged in a specified order, with a designated weapon (or shooter’s choice). As you can tell, these stage scenarios can be complicated, so it takes good planning and tactics to do well, in addition to accuracy and trigger-pulling speed.
Notes for Competitors
The round count is approximately 160 rounds of handgun, 110 rounds of rifle, 115 rounds of birdshot and 20 slugs. There are some targets that may be taken with your choice of firearms, be sure to bring some extra ammunition for each firearm for reshoots, extra shots, etc. Match directors have announced that BRPC will provide one of its 100-yard bays for sight-in on Thursday afternoon only from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Squad schedules are now complete. CLICK HERE to download PDF squad schedule.
The official Match Hotel is the Sunset Station Casino & Hotel in Henderson, NV. The reserved block of rooms at the Sunset Station appears to have been filled. However, if you need a room at the match hotel and have been informed that the block is full, please email Matt Pickhardt (matt@uspsa.org) or call Matt at 360-855-2245 and he’ll get a room added for you. At this point rooms must be added individually to avoid USPSA being charged for rooms not used.
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September 21st, 2009
The 2009 U.S. Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) Nationals were held Sept. 11-19 at the Desert Sportsman’s Rifle & Pistol Club outside Las Vegas, NV. The event drew more than 620 top shooters from across the country and around the world.
 Abbate Wins Both Production and Limited Titles
Glock shooter Jessie Abbate won dual national women’s titles at the 2009 USPSA National Handgun Championships. This year Abbate claimed both the Production and Limited division championships. In 2008 she was crowned the Limited and Limited-10 champion.
In the Production division, Abbate took top honors among lady shooters posting a final score of 1097.9378, outpacing runner-up and Julie Goloski-Golob by more than 111 points. Abbate’s score was also good enough to finish 37th overall among all shooters, male and female. In the Limited division, Jessie again put on an impressive display shooting a score of 1050.2892 and finishing over 114 points ahead of Team SVI shooter Lisa Munson, who came in second with 935.3943.
Max Michel Wins Open Division in Tight Race
Just over 11 points separated the top three shooters in the battle for the coveted Open Title at the USPSA National Championships but it was Max Michel who took home the crown.
Heading into the final stages, three ace shooters had a chance to win: Max Michel, K.C. Eusebio, and J.J. Racaza. In the end it was Michel who emerged on top. Max had the best time on 4 of the 16 stages on his way to winning the USPSA Open Title. “Max is one of the top shooters in the sport and a threat to win any match he enters,” observed Michael Voigt, USPSA president. “He faced intense competition this year from both K.C. and J.J. but was able to pull out the win.” Michel’s victory cemented his reputation as one of the top action shooters in the world. His “shooting bio” now includes two World Speed Shooting Championships (2007 and 2005), five USPSA National Championships (2009, 2007, 2006, 2005 and 2004) and nearly 30 USPSA Area Championships. In May 2009, Max completed his U.S. Army service. Leaving the USAMU team, Max is now Sig Sauer’s Manager of Competitive Shooting Activities. In the video below, created while Michel served with the USAMU, Max explains how to shoot on the move:
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October 18th, 2008
Taran Butler, Bruce Piatt and Jerry Miculek claimed national titles at the U.S. Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) Multi-Gun Championships held October 3-5 at the Shootout Range in Princeton, Louisiana. The match drew nearly 120 competitors from 28 states. In Multi-Gun matches, shooters tackle multiple, timed stages, using pistol, rifle and shotgun to engage a variety of paper, steel and moving targets. Matches often require competitors to use all three types of firearms on a single stage. Showcasing remarkable shooter skills (and fast reflexes), Multi-Gun (i.e. “3-Gun”) matches are exciting to watch. Below is a video of USAMU team members at the 2007 USPSA Multi-Gun Nationals:
 Nat’l Championship Results
In the Tactical Division, Taran Butler of Simi Valley, California dominated the match, winning five of the 12 stages and leading in overall points on eight. In the end his overall score of 1279.9417 outpaced second place shooter and fellow Golden State resident Keith Garcia of San Ramon by almost 77 points. Butler previously won the Tactical Division in 2006.
Team Smith & Wesson member Jerry Miculek, shooting on his home range, defended his 2007 win by again taking the Open Division title, this time by more than 24 points with a final score of 1278.0090. Miculek won five of the 12 stages and led the field over nine of them. Great Shooting Jerry! Chris Tilley finished second in the Open Division with a score of 1253.6155 edging out the 2006 champion Michael Voigt of Chino, California by just over two points. The Limited Division title went to Bruce Piatt of Montvale, New Jersey, who won by more than 41 points with a final score of 1302.0291. Piatt held the lead on eight stages winning three of them.
About USPSA: The United States Practical Shooting Association is a non-profit membership association and the governing body for the sport of Practical Shooting in America. USPSA has over 17,000 members and more than 350 affiliated clubs. Visit www.uspsa.org.
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