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1991 MILLER INVITATIONAL
13y: Walt Rauch CL-41
Todd Jarrett, fresh
from a sterling performance
at the Smith &
Wesson Masters, shot
his Para-Ordance, 19-
shot, scope-sighted,
Gann-custom-compensated
.38 Super, to
breeze past such greats
as Jerry Barnhart and
Doug Koenig to win
this prestigious event
and earn $4500 in cash
and prizes. Held August
15-18 at the Pathfinder
Fish and Game
range in Fulton, NY,
the 1991 Miller Invitational
was once again a
stand-out event, drawing over
290 competitors!
To be sure, as Barnhart
kicked scope sights into center
ring, Jarrett has put the stamp
of success on the large-capacitymagazine
gun for competition.
Of course, no pistol ever won a
match. It's the carpenter, not
the hammer, that builds the
house, but having a better
mousetrap doesn't hurt either.
In six of the eight stages,
Jan-ett saved at least one reload
and avoided the deadly standing
reload. He also shot like the
champion he is. Matt McLearn,
shooting a "normal" 11-shot
EGW compensated .38 Super
"dot" gun was a full 5.09 match
points behind Jarrett to take
second place. Doug Koenig and
Jerry Barnhart were the favorites
to win, but fell victim to
Stage 3, "Miller Alley" sponsored
by Baumannize, Inc.
The requirements were to
engage three banks of three
targets each with two rounds,
Miller Champion. Todd Jarrett
while a fourth bank of swinging
targets presented optional shots.
The shooter had to progress
through tliree boxes down range
while shooting the targets
through the windows of walls in
front of them. The walls were
hard cover and the hard cover
areas of the targets were
marked with a horizontal strip
of brown tape. Shots below or
in the tape were misses.
Stage 6, "Rosa's Funeral",
sponsored by Springfield Armory
was another attempt to rid the
world of the infamous "Rosa",
whose existence is a tradition at
the Miller. Suffice to say that
she lives to return again for
another year.
Stage 2, "Silo 7", was sponsored
by Safariland. It was
most interesting. One started
in a chair, leapt up, choked a
guard and lifted him up, which
caused a target to appear and
only remain totally visible if the
"dummy" was held up from his
seat while other targets turned.
After this, a pass card was used
to open a door and
off through a Cooper
Tunnel was the
path. Targets had
to be shot and a
final "Silo" door
opened to expose
the bad guys in the
- control room. The
stage was fun to
watch and shoot.
Stage 5, "Crowd
Control", sponsored
by Para-Ordnance
was another unique
course of fire. Nine
shoot targets were
concealed behind
what appeared to be every spare
no-shoot target that could be
found on the range. Shooting
was only part of the problem
however, because the "head
game" was not to lose track of
which targets you had shot
while you were moving and
reloading to get the rest of the
targets.
Class winners at the Millei
each received $2500 in cash and
prizes. These winners included
Matt McClearn, Master; Milford
Lovett, Jr., A Class; Herb Conly,
B Class; Andrew Canevari, C
Class; Joan Brakely, D Class;
Debby James, High Lady; Roger
Read, Stock; and Jerry Miculek,
High Revolver.
The Miller Invitational,
although best known as the
unofficial East Coast IPSC
Nationals, is also a three-gun
match. Doug Koenig was the
Miller Three-Gun Aggregate
Champ and also won the Rifle
event, while Jerry Miculek took
the Shotgun event. Practical
Pistol Services sponsored the
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