Bowling Pin Shooting

bigfatdave · Post by **bigfatdave** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 1:46 am

I just finished my first pin match, and I've never had so much fun losing a competition!
The Mrs agrees, I think she's hooked as well ... already trying to pick out better hardware for next time!

Are any other guntalkers getting in on these events?

I shot 3 classes, rimfire, intermediate handgun, and large handgun, running my MKIII, my RIA TCM (as 9mm, maybe 22tcm next time), and my first 1911, the Citadel officer size in 45acp. Perhaps I'll run the CCOish I had RIA make me next time, or the XD45, but the TCM and MKIII were just right, I was close to being competitive with optics-equipped raceguns ... and i was shooting open sights in lousy lighting! (Come to think of it, I was shooting factory FMJ RN against guys with custom pin loads)

I just have to figure out how to get in and stay in the groove ... I had one really good table in each category, but scores are on a "best 2 of 3" system, so I dragged myself down.

Post by **Bullseye** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 6:32 am

I'm not into the pins myself, but I understand how interesting a new discipline can be for a new shooter. Like all events, the first time through is just plain exciting and perhaps at times a little confusing. It takes a little while at it to learn all the competitive techniques and nuances.

R,
Bullseye

bearandoldman · Post by **bearandoldman** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 9:18 am

Did some bowling pin and plate shooting around here ab out 20 years or so ago, the interest dropped off and the sport disappeared. I liked it as us old skeet/sporting clays shooter need the action and instant gratification it provides. To me standing and shooting bullseye is a boring sport as I shot too many K;s of clay targets in my days. The plates were maybe 6 inch and 10 of them in a rack, but a reload was required, so it was a shoot 8 or 9 andd reload game. Bowling pis was knock down with rimfire and off the table with center fire.

bigfatdave · Post by **bigfatdave** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 1:31 pm

It seems that every club does pins differently, and scores differently.

This one does off the table for all, but places the pins differently for each power level
The table is maybe 30in front to back, and there is a shelf ~24in above perhaps 14in front to back ... shelf and table front edges line up

Rimfire:
5 pins at back edge of table

Med pistol/revolver:
3 pins in center of table, 2 on rear of shelf above

Large p/r:
3 pins at front of table, 2 at front of shelf above

And the instant gratification provided is the best part!
Once in each category, I had a table of pins neatly fly off the back of the table, in order, without any fumbling. For .45 it was the first table ... 5 hits, 5 flying pins, 5 pins in a line in the dirt neatly lined up and all pointing the same way. Then I screwed up the next 2 tables.
Best round was the "consolation round" where everyone that didn't place gets a last table of pins for .22, I actually came in second there, I had a perfect run ... my MKIII came up off the bench, I got the first pin on the upswing and immediately started sweeping right, popping each pin without stopping ... 5.30seconds, from horn to last pin on ground ... I got beat by a guy with compensator and optics on his mk?, he had 4.9?seconds.

Post by **Bullseye** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 6:43 pm

Reactive targets are always fun, no matter what form they are presented to the shooter.

R,
Bullseye

bgreenea3 · Post by **bgreenea3** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 6:49 pm

bowling pins and tin cans are the most fun targets to shoot.

there is a Pin shoot every other saturday at My local range, looks like a bunch of fun.... problem is I work midnights and they have a 9am start time.....

bigfatdave · Post by **bigfatdave** » Wed Sep 12, 2012 12:46 pm

Another match tonight, if I can make it ... trying the xd45c for big bore, sticking with the mkIII and TCM otherwise.

Should be interesting, an old scratched cornea is acting up on my dominant eye ... I'll have to add a dot to the TCM front sight, maybe the mkIII as well.
Or shoot left-eyed like I would for an emergency.

bigfatdave · Post by **bigfatdave** » Wed Sep 12, 2012 9:18 pm

{VICTORY WHOOP}

I actually won two of my three categories and came in second in the third!
rimfire automatic: mkIII target - second place
intermediate auto: RIA TCM - WIN
unlimited auto: XD45compact - WIN

Different club, different crowd, no upper level for pins ... I wasn't up against as many optics and raceguns this time and I flat-out got lucky on one stage of .45, with two pins toppling off the FRONT of the table rather than hanging out in the middle after falling over. Plus I broke into the stash of HP ammo, burning up some of my stash of 124grain+P gold dots in 9mm and some cheap "Winchester White Box" HP in .45 (the gold dots I can sometimes get in a semi-surplus bulk condition from a guy at the gun shows, I think they're over-runs from the po-po inventory)

MrsBFD did OK, too ... except for borking up rimfire, times were vastly improved from the last match.

I thought I was hooked before, now I'm locked in ... if I can make it without taking a day off work, I'm there, this club is closer and nearer a place to take the Mrs out for dinner after, and I like their setup better, you blast one table of pins, make the range safe, reset the pins, and return to the firing line ... so you get to stretch out and reflect on what you did right/wrong, and you aren't racing down the bench to start the next round.

Post by **Bullseye** » Wed Sep 12, 2012 10:03 pm

Congrats. The more times you run through something the better it gets.

R,
Bullseye

Hakaman · Post by **Hakaman** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 10:03 pm

I don't know much about pin shooting BFD, but it sure looks like your really having fun. You better watch out, the Mrs. might beat you and have bragging rights. (maybe you should let her win, if you know what I mean!). I was open shooting at some steel plates this past weekend and it sure added some fun to the outing. Like you guys say, it's the clang reaction when you hit the plates.
haka

Biggjimm · Post by **Biggjimm** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 1:11 pm

That sounds like a lot of fun. I wish there were something like that around here. Another thing I read about that sounded interesting was a 2X4 stake match, where apparently you pound a 2X4 stake in the ground with a red painted stripe on it for your target & you shoot until you shoot it in half. First one done is the winner. He said it took about 10 magazines to shoot it in half with a .22. I just finished building a steel plate rack for the kids to practice on for the upcoming match & we've been having a good time with that. Now I'm building a dueling tree & can't wait til that's done. I also built one of the little walking targets that kind look like one of those jacks we played with as kids & it's fun to plink around on. When I get some time I'll post some pics of these projects. Be safe all & shoot straight, biggjimm.

bigfatdave · Post by **bigfatdave** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 5:43 pm

Jim ... ask around, it wouldn't surprise me if there was a club doing pins near you.
My 2 are little clubs somewhat off the beaten path.

All that steel sounds like fun ... and the caltrop targets are winners for sure.

bigfatdave · Post by **bigfatdave** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 10:53 pm

Hakaman wrote:I don't know much about pin shooting BFD, but it sure looks like your really having fun. You better watch out, the Mrs. might beat you and have bragging rights.

She might beat me, but it sure won't be with my own gun!
Apparently the XD45c and her don't get along (odd, because she likes the 1911s just fine) and she likes HER XD9sc better than my TCM, and she has her own Ruger mkIII target

So as long as I don't lend her the new .45 pin gun, I should be good to go.

... Seriously, if she's having a good day she shoots better than I do on average, there is absolutely an overlap in our shooting skills. I fancy that my best days are better than hers, but then I remember the perfect target more than the 4-5 semi-crummy targets I shoot before/after the perfect one.

Even if I get awful times and look like an ass, we're meeting other shooters in the area and having fun - something we don't get much of at the conservation club, where the place is either deserted or packed.

bigfatdave · Post by **bigfatdave** » Wed Sep 19, 2012 10:24 pm

Came in 6th in one class at the larger club, with more experienced / better equipped shooters.
I won $2!! Two. Whole. Dollars. (I donated it to the pin fund)
I consider it a big improvement over 3 shoots.

I have 10 lead-loaded beat-up pins to practice on until April, work won't allow making the last match this year.
Next year, better hardware, and ammo I know works based on experiments.

Maybe I can get the old H&R 999 working and shoot a fourth class, too.

Post by **Bullseye** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 6:09 am

Sounds like someone is definitely hooked on shooting the Weebles. Good deal! Keep it up, the more you shoot the better you get.

R,
Bullseye