World Champion Shooter Max Michel Uses Ace to Enhance his Pistol Training
Before he became a World Champion, Max Michel was drawn to the “family” like nature of the shooting community. September 11th made him even more mission driven to build the marksmanship of those who serve and protect us. He recently found Ace and shares below why he thinks it will take sport shooting to the next level. His career humbly started with Friday Night Steel Challenge matches with his Dad.
The Journey to Becoming a World Champion
Max first began shooting at just five years old, guided by his father in Louisiana. "We'd go out plinking and spend time shooting on the range. I wasn’t really a hunter, but shooting quickly became my thing," he explains. As a kid, Max spent his weekends at the range, initially helping his dad by picking up brass, loading magazines, and resetting steel targets. By the time he was nine, competitive shooting had become a regular family activity. Max fondly recalls competing every Friday night in a local man-on-man steel challenge match.
"The shooting community quickly became like a second family," Max says. "There was an incredible sense of community. I played other sports early on, but I caught the passion for shooting really fast." While he briefly participated in other sports, shooting soon became his sole passion.
By 13, Max had fully committed to pursuing competitive shooting professionally, giving up football, baseball, and other sports to focus on training twice a week, competing regularly, and dry firing extensively every day. When he was 17, he met fellow competitive shooter JJ Racaza at the World Championships in the Philippines, and they became like brothers. JJ ended up shooting for Beretta, and Max would go on to join Team SIG.
Becoming a Pro Shooter
"Once I made the conscious decision that I wanted to go pro, I felt a huge weight and drive," Max shares. In high school, he further immersed himself by working at a local gunsmith’s shop after school, gaining knowledge of firearms' mechanical and business aspects.
"Every afternoon after school, I'd head straight to the gunsmith and work until about five o'clock," he recalls. Summers were spent at STI (now Staccato), performing meticulous tasks like deburring triggers and building magazines. These experiences laid the groundwork for future sponsorships and helped him start winning state-level championships throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
Max’s career took a pivotal turn in 1999 when, at just 17 years old, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, joining the prestigious Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU). "My first two years in the Army were dedicated to becoming the fastest handgun shooter in the world," he says, describing intense daily training regimens of up to 1,000 rounds a day.
Everything changed on 9/11. "I was at the gun range when the first tower was hit," Max recounts. "At that moment, I realized this is why I was put on this earth: to give back to the warfighter everything I'd learned over the years." At just 19 years old, Max began training elite units, adopting a trainer-to-trainer role.
Following his decade-long Army career, Max transitioned to SIG SAUER in 2008, becoming an influential figure in the company's competitive shooting evolution. "When I joined SIG, they weren't yet a competitive shooting company," Max notes. "But over the years, we expanded into rifles, pistols, ammo, optics, air guns, and suppressors. We won government contracts, and I’ve been fortunate to captain the competitive shooting team and contribute to product development."
These days, Max divides his time between competing and teaching. "My schedule is busy with classes for law enforcement, government, and civilian shooters," he says. He estimates spending half his year competing in major championship matches, with the other half dedicated to instructing.
What Sets Ace Apart - Dryfire with Results
It was through this training focus that Max discovered Ace. Initially introduced by someone at SHOT Show, Max quickly recognized Ace's potential to benefit his own practice and enhance his coaching. "I was blown away with how it was able to provide real training value even for someone like me who shoots for a living," he explains. "It's like dry fire but with immediate results."
"What I really enjoy about Ace and the training value I get from it is that I get so many more reps of realistic shooting," Max says. "Dry fire is one thing, but if you're aiming at a light switch or a scaled-down target, it’s not as realistic. With Ace, I’m held accountable for every shot. I can instantly see if my rounds are impacting right or left, improving my vision, eye speed, and consistency."
How to Make Ace a Part of Your Daily Routine
Discussing his typical Ace training session, Max shares, "I usually train Ace for 30-45 minutes per session. It keeps things fresh and prevents me from getting sloppy." His preferred drills include challenging scenarios like "Whackamole," with unpredictable targets that sharpen physical and mental skills, and visual processing. "You have to be dialed in mentally and physically, working on short-to-far, wide transitions.."
He continues: “I love being able to click and just restart the drill, without having to go down range and reset targets. I do have my own gun range, but it’s still challenging, believe it or not, to get out and do what I want to do.”
Another favorite is his very own drill, "Transition Hell," known for its difficulty and valuable diagnostic insights. "It's challenging," Max admits, "but you can gather so much information from it. You can see if you're sweeping or pulling the gun off-target, not following through, or shooting sloppy."
Ace Skills Transferability to the Range
But we were curious - after training with Ace indoors in the virtual world, what happens next? Max tells us “I can get so many reps in on Ace, it’s becoming a subconscious act much faster because I’m seeing it in real-time. Ace really does translate to when you go back out to the range. Everything you’re doing, you’re going to get feedback - good or bad - and you can see your previous score so you can track your progress and figure out what you did differently. Ace gives results.”
Max advises aspiring competitive shooters to jump right in. "Don’t wait until you feel ready," he emphasizes. "Just find your local club, get involved, and you'll quickly find a supportive community eager to help. It’s like a secondary family, and you'll build friendships through competitions, travel, and shared experiences."
He further advises new Ace users to keep training enjoyable and productive, noting the importance of having fun while focusing on genuine improvement. "Engage with the Ace community, shoot online with others. You’ll quickly see improvement without feeling like you're working for it," Max says.
The Future of Firearms Skills Development and Training
Looking forward, Max believes Ace and virtual reality are crucial for evolving firearm training. "Law enforcement and military personnel now recognize how valuable competitive shooting skills can be," he says. "Ace offers smarter, more cost-effective training solutions for the everyday person. It’s accessible to everyone, provides immediate feedback, and clearly guides shooters at every skill level on how to improve. The more I use Ace, I find that I dry fire less because I just don’t enjoy it as much as I enjoy Ace. It’s still important to dry fire with your gear and equipment, and I do that on the range. But the time at home is mostly spent on Ace. Build the reps and the visual processing at home, then dry fire and live fire on the range with my equipment.”
"People are more open-minded now about training smarter," Max concludes. "Ace is going to keep evolving and improving. More users mean more ideas and more ways to benefit everyone, regardless of their shooting goals."
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