Smith & Wesson’s Miculek Wins MultiGun Open Nationals

Photo by Yamil Sued

SEDRO-WOOLLEY, Wash. — Team Smith & Wesson’s Jerry Miculek of Princeton, La. came from behind late in the match to win the Open division at the U.S. Practical Shooting Association’s (USPSA) 2010 DPMS MultiGun National Championships this past weekend at the Desert Sportsman’s Rifle & Pistol Club in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Miculek, who finished second in 2009, has won the title previously in 2008, 2007 and 2005. His first place finish also earned Miculek the Senior Open division title.

“Jerry is one of our sport’s most respected competitors. There is no match that he enters that he is not among those favored to win and that’s certainly true when it comes to MultiGun competition,” said Michael Voigt, USPSA president and the defending MultiGun champion who finished second this year behind Miculek.

Photo by Yamil Sued

The Open division contest saw each of the top five shooters taking a turn in the lead with Clint Upchurch of Inman, S.C. winning the first stage of the match. Taran Butler of Simi Valley topped the field on the second stage to take the lead from Upchurch.

On the third stage of the match Chris Tilley of Raleigh, N.C. moved ahead but immediately fell to third place after the fourth stage when Voigt claimed the lead.

The Chino, Calif. resident held the lead through the next five stages controlling the match with wins on the sixth and ninth stages. Then on the tenth stage of the match Miculek overtook the defending champion.

Miculek had already won the fifth and eighth stages and with his win on the tenth claimed the lead and a 51+ point margin over Voigt. Through the final two stages Miculek held off Voigt who closed the gap to within 34 points with his win on the last stage. Miculek finished the match with a final score of 1997.2577 to claim the title.

Voigt’s final score of 1963.7636 placed him second in the match while Butler finished third with 1927.1224.

Upchurch took fourth, finishing a little over 130 out of first with 1867.2274. Tilley rounded out the top five with a final score of 1847.8161.

In the Women’s Open division contest Maggie Reese of South Pasadena, Calif. took top honors, winning six of the 12 stages and posting a final score of 1272.8205.

More than 150 top shooters from 26 states, as well as Canada, competed in the 2010 DPMS MultiGun Nationals putting more than 19,000 rounds downrange during the competition. The format of the MutiGun Nationals tests a shooter’s skill with three types of firearms – the rifle, the shotgun and the pistol.

The next major competition on the USPSA calendar is the 2010 USPSA Handgun National Championships scheduled for October 8 through 16 in Las Vegas, Nev.  For more information, visit USPSA.org or follow @USPSA_Shooting on Twitter.