9MM for pins

[je4134]

Any suggestions for loads / bullet weight to shoot bowling pins? Need something with a lot of punch to push them off of a 4'd x 8'w table. Going up against a lot of .45's Shooting an XDm 4.5". I know, buy a .45, but I can't afford one right now. Any help would be greatly appeciated. Thanks

[njl]

For pins, AFAIK, bullet weight is more important than velocity. You want the heaviest bullets you can get...which probably means 147gr (probably flat point or JHP), and even then, you're going to have to get perfect hits to shoot against the people using .44s and .45s. I used to shoot pins from similar tables, and went from 9mm, to .40, to .45.

[Hi-Power Jack]

Any suggestions for loads / bullet weight to shoot bowling pins? Need something with a lot of punch to push them off of a 4'd x 8'w table.

Are the pins on the front edge of the table, or in the middle?

If they're on the front edge, I'd load the 147, 150 or 160 grain

bullets up as high in velocity as you safe with - you're at a

real disadvantage using the 9mm, as you're aware.

I'd load it as hot as possible, to lose less advantage to the

.45's.

[Cheesewhiz]

Are you getting a handicap for 9mm Minor? That will make a difference.

[je4134]

Are you getting a handicap for 9mm Minor? That will make a difference.

No handicap. It's shooter vs. shooter. The person that clears the table first, wins. I think I have to go with a 147g hp to get the energy transfer.

[anachronism]

My pin load is 147 gr JHPs loaded with a max load of WSF. No lighter weight bullet seems capable of pushing the pins back 3-4 feet. I tried 124 gr, and the pins simply fell over, creating a log jam.

[Cheesewhiz]

For 147's I would recommend WSF, Power Pistol and AA#7, in fact I would also do the same for any other weight 9mm bullet for shooting pins. I've even shot pins with just factory loaded 115's and did pretty well before but I shoot against some fairly terrible shooters sometimes.

[EEH]

If you start with new pins you will be OK,but when they get full of lead they get heavy,hit them in the sweet spot in the middle,and not on top..

[njl]

Bumpy pins suck.

[Joe4d]

buy another gun,, been there tried it, didnt get the tshirt. 9mm's dont move pins for squat..

[anachronism]

I'm currently experimenting with 155 gr cast bullets over Bullseye. I want more velocity, so I need to experiment with a slightly slower powder like Red Dot. I can see that this is going to work, but I need more time to work on it.

[DWFAN]

Have some some friends that swear by the Remington JHP (heavier the better) run in the 150pf range. That bullet grabs the pin and moves/spins it off very well. Other bullets penetrate or deflect and don't transfer as much energy as possible unless hit square.

They aren't cheap, but they work.

[hovbuild]

The more shooters and classes at a pin shoot the more a 9 is useless for this game.