In the course of my many travels I get to meet some very interesting people whose names you are likely familiar with. I’ve rubbed shoulders with everyone from famous writers like Patrick Sweeney to legendary big game hunters like Craig Boddington. Some of the contacts in my phone and email might surprise you, but I can assure you that all of them are great, down-to-earth people.
I had the chance to meet and spend a little time with some of the famous faces at the SIG SAUER booth while at SHOT Show. Unless your current residence is listed as ‘under a rock’, you’ll instantly recognize the cheery and energetic face in the title image as that of Lena Miculek.
To list Lena’s accomplishments here would take far, far too long, but the highlights are that she has two NRA certified world records and holds eight titles in five different disciplines. She spends over 170 days a year on the road and sometimes fires over 40,000 rounds in just a couple months of shooting.
To put that in perspective, I usually consume about 500-1,000 rounds per gun per review and 20,000-30,000 (centerfire) rounds is a normal for me for a year between work and my own recreational shooting. To shoot as much as Lena does in a matter of weeks is just insane.
Lena’s favorite SIG gun is her MPX. She has made a couple of small modifications to it that make it suit her better, but it’s otherwise stock. What you get is what she has. She normally fires SIG Match Elite 147gr 9mm and uses a SIG Romeo 3 sight. Her favorite SIG pistol is the P320 X5, also a 9mm.
Daniel Horner is another name you should be familiar with. He is a 10-time USPSA Multigun Champion, 4-time 3-Gun Nation Pro Series Champion, 2014 NRA World Shooting Champion, and much more. While talking with him and Lena, it was said that he has a “bucket ‘o’ wins”. Looking up the actual list proves it’s more like a 55-gallon drum. I’d describe my own meager competitive results as “cup ‘o’ participation trophies” by comparison.
Daniel also has the distinction of competing for the Army Marksmanship Unit from 2005 until last year, when he joined SIG. While we talked, he told me a story of a time when he had only a few days to get ready for a competition. He got his SIG M400 rifle on a Wednesday, flew out on Friday, and won the competition on Saturday.
Daniel’s SIG of choice is in fact the M400 chambered in .223 Wylde with a TANGO 6 scope. He typically fires SIG 77gr Match Elite out of it. His favorite SIG pistol is the P320 X5.
Another esteemed member of our community is Kyle Lamb. While I avoid being a lazy, copy-and-paste journalist, I do occasionally find that my own words fail to do a subject justice. The following is from SIG SAUER Academy’s site and it sums up Mr. Lamb quite well:
Sergeant Major (retired) Kyle Lamb spent over 21 years in the United States Army, with over 15 of that in 1st SFOD-D Delta Force. He has participated in many conflicts, Desert Storm, Bosnia, Iraq, as well as in the battle made famous by the movie Black Hawk Down in Mogadishu, Somalia. SGM Lamb has received numerous valorous awards and decorations. SGM Lamb is the Founder and President of Viking Tactics, a tactical training and tactical gear business. SGM Lamb also appears on several Sportsman Channel TV Shows and has written a carbine instructional book, Green Eyes and Black Rifles, a Pistol Book, Stay in the Fight, and his latest book Leadership in the Shadows, which highlights his time in the military as well as numerous events from the Law Enforcement world.
Lamb’s everyday carry gun is a SIG SAUER P365 modified with his own VTAC sights. He typically carries whatever ammo he has around on a given day, but the most common SIG ammo he has around is the 124gr V Crown. In addition to the P365, Lamb has a running collaboration with SIG and they have produced a variety of models together. Lamb’s favorite among these is the X-Frame VTAC P320.
Since it isn’t every day that most people run into any of the three of these great shooters, I will take a minute to tell you about what I gathered from them as people. You may think I’m a grating Midwestern hipster that has an urban farm, a ponytail, drinks craft beer and expensive coffee, and un-ironically likes music you never heard of. I am all those things, but I consider myself a pretty good judge of character.
Kyle Lamb is a good guy. He exudes a brotherly kindness that makes you feel both comfortable and welcome. I spent a while with him talking about everything from my courageous consumption of hot dogs while in the Air Force to his work as an instructor. I’ve met my share of diva gun guys over the years and I don’t write about them because I can’t find words neutral enough to subtly express my disappointment. I would highly recommend taking a class with him. I hope to get to one at the SIG Academy later this year.
As far as Lena and Daniel go, they are both exceptionally personable and have a fast-paced banter that I had a hard time keeping up with. Since most of the SIG meeting rooms were occupied at the time, I conducted my interviews with them on the showroom floor. I was unable to find a suitable surface to take my notes on, so I took my backpack off to get my notes out and sat down on the floor to sort my materials out. To my surprise, they both just sat right there on the ground with me and we went from there.
We ended up talking for a while and it was apparent to me that they both love what they do. I can’t say enough good about them and am looking forward to losing to both of them should I ever find myself on the competition line.
Take the time to introduce yourself to the famous faces you see at SHOT Show if you go. You’ll always be surprised at how kind and down-to-earth virtually all of them are and perhaps you’ll make a friend in the process.