Bowling Pin Shooting

[SCmasterblaster]

I own two revolvers and four autoloading pistols. All but my G17 are for pin shooting! The G17 is for CCW, while ALL the others are for "pinacide."

The challenge is to knock five pins off of a table 8 meters downrange. The pins have three feet of hostile table-top behind them, and the typical .40 S&W and NO 9x19 will do the job!

Handguns that can achieve power factor 210,000 are the ticket for pin shooting. The winner is the one who can put the five pins on the ground the fastest! And not any hit will do. The pin's curved surfaces resist penetration, reducing the kill zone to a mere 18 square inches.

By the way, the Second Chance-style of pin shooting limits the firearms to iron-sights only!

So show me a shooting sport that requires the shooter to hit five small targets with powerful handgun bullets as fast as possible. IPSC? The targets are huge and the power factor is 165,000 at most.

Steel Challenge? The targets are huge and the ammo is even weaker than IPSC/IDPA.

With going on 30 years of pin shooting behind me, I believe that it is the closest thing to self-defense shooting that I have ever seen. It is close-range (25 feet), it requires powerful ammunition, precision accuracy, and it is over in a few seconds.

Long Live Pin Shooting! :supergrin:

[layusn1]

I REALLY want to try that but I can't find any pins to shoot :(

[speedracer211]

Hell my 9mm barely knocks pins over at 30 yards. They tend to quiver.

[KCGunnr]

I also love pin shooting. I shoot a 1911 the majority of the time, but am waiting for it to warm up and will give the revolver a try.

When it is below freezing, we shoot .22 pistol and then .22 rifle events.
The pins last much longer that way.

I shoot a Ruger MKII with a Matchdot, and a 10/22 in the rifle events.

Shotgun night is a blast as well. (pun intended)

Mid-West Pinblasters (http://pinblasters.tripod.com)

[Blackdog]

The range where I shoot took out the pin table and installed a steel plate rack with plates shaped like pins. At first I didn't like it, but it sure is simpler and faster to just pull the rope to reset the targets. I haven't shot pins in competition yet, but sure like to shoot 'em. Good practiice for target aquisition. I've used 357Sig, 357mag, 45acp, and 22 rimfire. Gotta hit 'em high with the 22.

[MullahElRon]

I REALLY want to try that but I can't find any pins to shoot :(


http://www.whatdvd.net/WhatDVD-Graphics/main/394.jpg

[degoodman]

We shoot pins at a couple of ranges around here a couple times a month. We don't use the traditional "table" setup all the time, but it's very often in play.

Of everything I've seen thrown at pins, seriously anyway (I did participate in one where they used the energy of your load as a divisor of your time to see who was fastest with the manly-est handgun. I won in a walk with a .460) The hardest hitter I've seen was a .357 Sig loaded up with 147's at ragged-azz-edge pressures. Drove them straight back off the tables and rails with rediculous efficiency. Smoked any of the .45's and all the other service caliber toys everyone else played with.

As to a comparison with self defense, not a chance. You don't survive an engagement with 5 armed adversaries unless your name is Chuck Norris, Charles Bronson or Steven Segal. A full power 9mm load is more than adequate for self defense, doing 150 PF at most, and while good hits count, there comes a point where any hit in the boiler room is as good as the next, and you WILL need more than one anyway. The targets don't move. You don't move. 25 feet is actually outside the range of over 80% of self defense shootings according to FBI stats. How is that anything like a self defense shoot again?

Pin shooting is a fun game and all, but don't make it out to be more than it is, which is just another gun game.

[BIGGUNGOBOOM]

I REALLY want to try that but I can't find any pins to shoot :(
go to your locall bowling place and ask them if they have any bowling pins for sale. around here they go for 5 dollars a box. montegod and i go and get them and shoot the crap out of them. you can get the pin rules on line and start shooting. its fun as hell

[layusn1]

I tried that, one of the daughters friends has a friend that works at the bowling alley, they said no go, they don't give up the pins.

[VN350X10]

Don't waste your time talking to a peon....
Talk to the person who OWNS the bowling alley.
Unless he has an outlet to use the pins, like another shooting range, they have to PAY to get rid of them. New design pins are plastic coated & the E.P.A. says "NO DEAL" on burning them, the way they used to get rid of pins.
Our local range shoots pins every other Fri. night & the alley we get pins from DELIVERES them to the gun shop !
To dispose by burning, it's a labor intensive job, cut the pin & pull off the plastic for disposal, then burn the wood core.
Try the owner, you'll probably get the answer you want to hear.

uncle albert

[ustate]

One of the local bowling alleys here just gave me a dozen or so for free a little while ago. Those things can take quite the beating and still hold together.

[MullahElRon]

I tried that, one of the daughters friends has a friend that works at the bowling alley, they said no go, they don't give up the pins.
Depending on how busy they are, the pins all get replaced. That is pin bonanza time, find out when that happens.

[layusn1]

Well, like rebuilding the lead collection, I will try my luck when I get to MD. I am hoping to find a pleasant shooting environment with lots of new experiences...like finding lots of lead and bowling pins....lol.

[MullahElRon]

Get to know the mechanic(s). He's the man...Ply him with beer and tips.

[RustyFN]

I have a lot of pins and shoot them for fun but have never shot a bowling pin match. That sounds like a lot of fun but I don't think anybody has a setup around here. I think the club I belong to would frown upon me shooting up one of the regular tables at the club so I will see if we can make something that will transport easy.
Rusty

[layusn1]

Hmmm..I've never gone bowling. Guess that might help to cultivate pin collection activities.

[96cbr900rr]

The clubs that I shoot pins at do it a little more informally. We start with 4 pins on a full 4x8 table at about 7yds. 2 shooters to the line, whistle start and first one to have all pins hits the ground wins. They use 8 person elimination "rounds", win 1st place in your round and you get an extra pin on the table up to 6 pins (7 if they really want to mess with ya). All handguns; revolvers and semi autos are allowed, open sights, optics, full on "Race Guns", anything goes. .40 S&W is generally considered the power floor, .45ACP and .44 Magnum are the most common. Semi-autos are limited to 6 rounds in the magazine to give parity with the revolvers. It's a great way to spend a morning at the range, and as the crowd tends to be the same group of people that migrate from one club to another to do these shoots there is a fair amount of friendly competition and the ribbing that goes along with it.

[speedracer211]

When I lived in PA I called about ten different alleys before one would sell them to me. This was in redneck central PA and the guy just throws them out, but he wanted me to pay $5 a pin. I said no thanks.

[layusn1]

I wonder how a 7.62x25 would do on pins?

[96cbr900rr]

Poorly I would assume... seems you need the heavier bullets to get those pins to move, especially later in day when they start to gain weight due to retaining lead. I've seen guys chew through the better part of a box of 9mm making good hits and not clear the table, and even .357 Magnum doesn't seem to work reliably.

[HiddenEyes]

.50AE BABY!!!:cornut:



Mr. HE:cool:

[VN350X10]

The 50AE is cool on pins......an IPSC buddy has a Grizzly in 50AE, when he brings that out for pins, I go get the "Little Old Lady from Pasadena", my .44 AutoMag !

It's not as fast as when we shoot them with the .45's, BUT they fly a HELL of a lot farther !
Great crowd pleasers, both !

uncle albert

[gokyo]

Seems to me that a 165 grain running at 1300 should do the job.

I am talking 10mm baby.

[BIGGUNGOBOOM]

Layusn1 if your really hurtin to get some pins i think i could hook ya up. you pay shipping and i could send you some from my next purchase.

[MullahElRon]

Pins go about 3 and a half pounds each. Be better off makin' a pin run real late when they all drunk.

[BigSlick]

DE on pins is a hoot.

Clears da table an sends a pin back about 15-20 ft

Plastic coated ones is tough as hell, but wit a square hit they a fly like da rest of em.

All wood pins a split like shredded wheat when ya hit em wit a 350 @ 1300 fps

[MullahElRon]

You keep Yaweh's hammer away from my pins.

[MONTEGOD7SS]

I have shot pins from point black with steel core 8mm Mauser, 30-06 FMJ, nuclear 30-06 V-Maxs, .44s, .45s, etc. and not a single damn thing has even made it through one much less tear it up. So far the only thing we've hit one with that caused damage was a .35 Whelen shooting some hot 250gr loads and it was an off-center shot that missed the fattest part of the pin. They sure do fly nice!

[colorado4wheel]

With going on 30 years of pin shooting behind me, I believe that it is the closest thing to self-defense shooting that I have ever seen. It is close-range (25 feet), it requires powerful ammunition, precision accuracy, and it is over in a few seconds.

Long Live Pin Shooting! :supergrin:


Yeah, I was attacked by a bunch or cardboard targets and some bowling pins the other night. I dispatched the cardboard targets with my 9mm but the bowling pins kicked my ass and my wife had to call 911 for help.

[MullahElRon]

Y'all are hardcore. But you still gonna hafta keep Yahweh's hammer away from my pins.

[BigSlick]

You oughta see what a 500SW 460 WFN runnin about 1600 a do to a plastic coated pin.

Make it swell up like it pregnant then fly back farther than you wanna walk ta set up what left of it again :animlol:

350 XTP a clear it, but little damage.

Berry's 350 is a joke on pins

Sierra 400 JSP a send it into da next zipcode, but won't bust a new one up too much

Crack Killa wit a 115gr LFN at 1375 a move it pretty good, maybe clear, maybe not, dependin on how ya hit it.

BMG wit a APIT a waste it inta toothpicks if ya hit it right, otherwise it just go right thru leave a nice hole

[MullahElRon]

Them old pins lasted longer than these new ones. Don't take long to beat 'em down to kindlin' with just .45ACP, 9mm and fotey. Matter of time till they comin' from China too. You gonna be bangin' on Mullah U. pins with them hammer guns, you gots to pay upfront or take your turn in the goat pit.

[BigSlick]

I a do da goat pit, long as it ain't full a evil goats.

Auntie a go nuts an smite ever goat in da whole north hemisphere if she get wind a dat.

Then what all da mexicans in my hood gonna eat ?

[MONTEGOD7SS]

[quote=BigSlick;20052]You oughta see what a 500SW 460 WFN runnin about 1600 a do to a plastic coated pin.

Make it swell up like it pregnant then fly back farther than you wanna walk ta set up what left of it again :animlol:

You should see what a pound of Tannerite will do to one that is strategically placed for proper tragectory up and outta there. I finally found that sum bitch about 400yrd up over the hill but he didn't have a head on him anymore. We had two of em upright then a third one upside down in between the other two with a pound tied up in a Ziplock all shape charge like, and the two on the side went exit stage right and left at about 500mph it looked like with the one in the middle runnin for the hills. God I love that stuff!

[VN350X10]

Monte, you shoulda had another shooter with a Mossy 590-A1 waiting & hollered "PULL".
Be kinda fast to shoot at, but it IS a bigger target than a clay bird.....


uncle albert

ps.....

'Slick, you got a recipe for SMOKED goat right ??
Don't fear the Goat pit !

u.a.

[MullahElRon]

http://i30.tinypic.com/2uppf2a.jpg

[MONTEGOD7SS]

I'm not sure who is more baked in that pic, the meat or the cook.