Training For bowling Pins

[26120]

How do you rain for a Bowling Pin match if you dont have access to pins?

[sirveyr]

Huh? Just shoot bowling pin sized targets at bowling pin match distances. I've trained myself to shoot people that may be threatening my life, but I don't need to shoot actual people for the training to be beneficial.

Just shoot.

[Jadeslade]

Just remember that bowling pins are real heavy. Hot loads and big bullets.

[Flexmoney]

I'll bet you could simulate those targets in some way...?

[Cy Soto]

MGM Targets has an auto-popper in the size and shape of a bowling pin that would make an excellent practice tool.

[Corey]

find a local bowling alley. You may be able to get of their old ones cheap if you ask

[Jadeslade]

I'll bet you could simulate those targets in some way...?

4x4 beams cut about 15" long will stand up on end.

[Heckler]

find a local bowling alley. You may be able to get of their old ones cheap if you ask

I bought 15-20 of them years ago. Just went to local bowling alley and asked, I paid either $.50 or $1 a pin, can't remember which.

[benos]

Shoot 12 ga. hulls off of a piece of wood. Pins are tricky. With anything but a dead center hit, the pin will spin around oin the table and either not fall off, or become "dead wood," that will prevent other pins from falling off. You want to shoot each pin with a stopped, centered sight picture.

be

[wide45]

Shoot 12 ga. hulls off of a piece of wood. Pins are tricky. With anything but a dead center hit, the pin will spin around oin the table and either not fall off, or become "dead wood," that will prevent other pins from falling off. You want to shoot each pin with a stopped, centered sight picture.

be

You got that right.

Just hitting the pin anywhere, is a recipe for disappointment. They do not react like steel silhouettes, or paper.

[Avezorak]

I think pin shooting sounds awesome. I would like to have a pin side match. Is there any source for info regarding distance scoring etc or is it more of a do it how you want thing?

[benos]

I think pin shooting sounds awesome. I would like to have a pin side match. Is there any source for info regarding distance scoring etc or is it more of a do it how you want thing?

Pins are typically shot at 50 feet. And usually 5 on a table, which is 4 feet deep, and the pins are equally spaced, set back one foot from the front edge. (So the pin has to straight back 3 feet to leave the table/hit the ground. Timing is done with a stopwatch, and the time stops when the last pin hits the ground.

be

[Treym7]

Here are a couple of videos from where I shoot bowling pin matches. Gives you a little idea of how it works. Sorry that the second video started after the first shot.

Trey

[Avezorak]

I think pin shooting sounds awesome. I would like to have a pin side match. Is there any source for info regarding distance scoring etc or is it more of a do it how you want thing?

Pins are typically shot at 50 feet. And usually 5 on a table, which is 4 feet deep, and the pins are equally spaced, set back one foot from the front edge. (So the pin has to straight back 3 feet to leave the table/hit the ground. Timing is done with a stopwatch, and the time stops when the last pin hits the ground.

be

Thanks! That sounds really cool and do-able. May be able to do one of those pretty soon!!!

[GrumpyOne]

The pin matches I shoot, we set up 10 pins on the table, 1 foot from the back, setting the pins up in the exact same way that they are set up in a bowling alley. Hit the leading pin, and they fall, but interlock, then you have a helluva time knocking them off the table. Start at the outside back, and work your way in. Once they get 50-75 rounds stuck in them, they don't roll so well anymore, so it takes a bit more to knock them off. A 38 super loaded to major will take them clean off the table with a direct hit (even with a 115 MG JHP), but a 45 or 40 works much better. My best time was 11 seconds with new pins, with mags only loaded to 6 rounds each.

[sirveyr]

Hmmmm...I think we need some unified bowling pin rules. I've shot pins before, but they were at 25' and they were stacked on "shelves". There was two on top and three on the bottom. The shelves were 2x8's at heights of 2' and 5'. As others have stated, the pins get heavy. It was very interesting watching the .22LR shooters try to knock them down when the pins had been filled with 230 grain .45's all day.

[ronhonda]

A "major" load in 45acp with a semi wad cutter is your best bet for pins. Best bet is to hit the pin dead cent in the meaty part of the pin. When the bullet hits it, it "should" fall off the table. Regular rounds nose IMO never worked that well. JHP's are pretty good too. Also had good succes using 40s&w and 9 major loads. But 45acp SWC is the king.

[Flexmoney]

. Timing is done with a stopwatch, and the time stops when the last pin hits the ground.

be

I had to check the date on your post.

[R112mercer]

I use a .45 255 SWC over 5.0 gr. of W231. Runs about 880 fps. Works great on pins, the momentum helps carry the pin off the table, but like Brian said, you still have to get a good, centered hit. Some guys run the 255's with a little more snot (I know Carmoney said he used to run his around 1,000 fps ) I also use a 180 gr. JHP in .357 magnum, around 1,000 fps. Pins seem to react better to the heavier bullets, back in the day guys used to run the "lincoln log" 230 gr. LSWC in .38 special cases, supposed to work wonders on pins.

[joecichlid]

Shoot 12 ga. hulls off of a piece of wood. Pins are tricky. With anything but a dead center hit, the pin will spin around oin the table and either not fall off, or become "dead wood," that will prevent other pins from falling off. You want to shoot each pin with a stopped, centered sight picture.

be

You got that right. Most people see that huge pin and just throw lead at it. But you are right, the sweet spot to hit on those pins is the size of a 12 ga shotgun hull.

The club I shoot with just had our 25th anniversary this year, the oldest pin shooting club still around. Our club shoots on 4x8 tables placed 25 feet from the shooting line to the front edge of the table. Two or three shooters at a time are started with one of the R U Ready timers and the timer stops when the last pin hits the ground by a person hitting a button as the last pin touches ground. There are tons of events that we shoot, regular five pin tables with Major set 6 inches from the front edge of the table, Minor is set half way back on the table and .22 are set 12 inches from the rear of the table. From there you have 8 pin revolver, 9 pin auto, shotgun, 10 pin hostage *a pair of target pins placed behind a single no shoot pin with 2 seconds added to your time for each no shoot you hit*, pin tops for the .22s, pin bottoms, team events and the list goes on from there. TONS of assorted games you can play. When I get a chance I will be re-adding the videos to our clubs web site as well as get the printable targets up as well. Feel free to check the site out, there is even a copy of the rules as we play the games you can read through. http://pinblasters.tripod.com

Joe W.

[GrumpyOne]

Shoot 12 ga. hulls off of a piece of wood. Pins are tricky. With anything but a dead center hit, the pin will spin around oin the table and either not fall off, or become "dead wood," that will prevent other pins from falling off. You want to shoot each pin with a stopped, centered sight picture.

be

You got that right. Most people see that huge pin and just throw lead at it. But you are right, the sweet spot to hit on those pins is the size of a 12 ga shotgun hull.

The club I shoot with just had our 25th anniversary this year, the oldest pin shooting club still around. Our club shoots on 4x8 tables placed 25 feet from the shooting line to the front edge of the table. Two or three shooters at a time are started with one of the R U Ready timers and the timer stops when the last pin hits the ground by a person hitting a button as the last pin touches ground. There are tons of events that we shoot, regular five pin tables with Major set 6 inches from the front edge of the table, Minor is set half way back on the table and .22 are set 12 inches from the rear of the table. From there you have 8 pin revolver, 9 pin auto, shotgun, 10 pin hostage *a pair of target pins placed behind a single no shoot pin with 2 seconds added to your time for each no shoot you hit*, pin tops for the .22s, pin bottoms, team events and the list goes on from there. TONS of assorted games you can play. When I get a chance I will be re-adding the videos to our clubs web site as well as get the printable targets up as well. Feel free to check the site out, there is even a copy of the rules as we play the games you can read through. http://pinblasters.tripod.com

Joe W.

Damn! I want to come shoot pins with you guys! We do the pin tops for 22's every once in a while....Our table is usually set up at 15 yards.

[outerlimits]

The one year i went to second chance, the tables were 25'. The 5 pin event was awesome, didn't enter the 9 pin. There was a fun one where you shot shotgun and also threw a dummy grenade into a tire. BE would remember the specifics.

[joecichlid]

Shoot 12 ga. hulls off of a piece of wood. Pins are tricky. With anything but a dead center hit, the pin will spin around oin the table and either not fall off, or become "dead wood," that will prevent other pins from falling off. You want to shoot each pin with a stopped, centered sight picture.

be

You got that right. Most people see that huge pin and just throw lead at it. But you are right, the sweet spot to hit on those pins is the size of a 12 ga shotgun hull.

The club I shoot with just had our 25th anniversary this year, the oldest pin shooting club still around. Our club shoots on 4x8 tables placed 25 feet from the shooting line to the front edge of the table. Two or three shooters at a time are started with one of the R U Ready timers and the timer stops when the last pin hits the ground by a person hitting a button as the last pin touches ground. There are tons of events that we shoot, regular five pin tables with Major set 6 inches from the front edge of the table, Minor is set half way back on the table and .22 are set 12 inches from the rear of the table. From there you have 8 pin revolver, 9 pin auto, shotgun, 10 pin hostage *a pair of target pins placed behind a single no shoot pin with 2 seconds added to your time for each no shoot you hit*, pin tops for the .22s, pin bottoms, team events and the list goes on from there. TONS of assorted games you can play. When I get a chance I will be re-adding the videos to our clubs web site as well as get the printable targets up as well. Feel free to check the site out, there is even a copy of the rules as we play the games you can read through. http://pinblasters.tripod.com

Joe W.

Damn! I want to come shoot pins with you guys! We do the pin tops for 22's every once in a while....Our table is usually set up at 15 yards.

If you ever make it through the Kansas City area on a Wed night bring your guns, ammo and be ready for a good time. Check our web site a day or two before you head out and check to see what events we will be running while you are here. Nothing to join, no requirements other than you can safely handle the gun and are ready to have fun. You can shoot one event or all or anywhere in between, first event is $6 and $3 for each event after that. And we do pay back for the first few places. Feel free to drop me a message if you have any questions.

Joe W.

[GrumpyOne]

Shoot 12 ga. hulls off of a piece of wood. Pins are tricky. With anything but a dead center hit, the pin will spin around oin the table and either not fall off, or become "dead wood," that will prevent other pins from falling off. You want to shoot each pin with a stopped, centered sight picture.

be

You got that right. Most people see that huge pin and just throw lead at it. But you are right, the sweet spot to hit on those pins is the size of a 12 ga shotgun hull.

The club I shoot with just had our 25th anniversary this year, the oldest pin shooting club still around. Our club shoots on 4x8 tables placed 25 feet from the shooting line to the front edge of the table. Two or three shooters at a time are started with one of the R U Ready timers and the timer stops when the last pin hits the ground by a person hitting a button as the last pin touches ground. There are tons of events that we shoot, regular five pin tables with Major set 6 inches from the front edge of the table, Minor is set half way back on the table and .22 are set 12 inches from the rear of the table. From there you have 8 pin revolver, 9 pin auto, shotgun, 10 pin hostage *a pair of target pins placed behind a single no shoot pin with 2 seconds added to your time for each no shoot you hit*, pin tops for the .22s, pin bottoms, team events and the list goes on from there. TONS of assorted games you can play. When I get a chance I will be re-adding the videos to our clubs web site as well as get the printable targets up as well. Feel free to check the site out, there is even a copy of the rules as we play the games you can read through. http://pinblasters.tripod.com

Joe W.

Damn! I want to come shoot pins with you guys! We do the pin tops for 22's every once in a while....Our table is usually set up at 15 yards.

If you ever make it through the Kansas City area on a Wed night bring your guns, ammo and be ready for a good time. Check our web site a day or two before you head out and check to see what events we will be running while you are here. Nothing to join, no requirements other than you can safely handle the gun and are ready to have fun. You can shoot one event or all or anywhere in between, first event is $6 and $3 for each event after that. And we do pay back for the first few places. Feel free to drop me a message if you have any questions.

Joe W.

Well, I haven't made it out there yet, but who knows? My job has mw going all over the place. If I ever have to head up that way, I'll be sure to drop by!

[joecichlid]

Grumpy, if you ever make it out to the Kansas City area drop me a message, we have a pin club that meets every Wed night and a USPSA club that meets every Friday.

Joe W.