Bowling Pins

[aandabooks]

Shot my first outdoor Bowling Pin match yesterday. Let me just say that it was a neat thing to do. Different than shooting steel where sometimes just getting the hit is not enough.

I shot about 7 different guns. I realize there is not much to be done with the .22 ammo but I brought along centerfire reloads and I don't think my normal loads were doing me many favors. I load fairly light for powder charges but run 230/158/147 for bullet weights.

What is the key for ammo? Do I want a heavy bullet that is moving faster than I currently load to drive the pins off the table or do I want to get lighter bullets so I can push them faster? Also, most of what I load is either RN or RNFP. Would I be better off shooting hollow points to really deliver energy to the pins?

I notice bowling pin comps don't get much attention here on the site so I figured this forum would be best. Any help from experienced pin shooters would be appreciated.

[leas327]

What are the rules of your match? Do you have to knock the pins over or drive them off the table? If you have to knock them off how deep is the table?

[Toolguy]

For bowling pins you want a heavy bullet with a square nose or hollow point. Bullet weight is the key to going fast. I used to shoot either 250 gr. Kieth type in 45 ACP or 300 gr. LBT in 44 Mag. I was running about 900 fps with either load.

[vernbo]

We shoot pins once a month at my local club , there is a 4 foot by 8 foot metal table to set up the pins ,five pins spaced 16 inches apart---22lr gets the pins 1foot from the back edge – 38 specials & 9mm 2foot from the back edge

375's and larger go 3foot from the back edge. A few years ago I built a single stack 10mm that I load with 180 grain full metal jackets clocking 225 power factor, it TAKES THEM OFF.

My personal best time is 2.89 seconds.

[aandabooks]

Just like Vernbo described. Time stops when final pin hits the ground. We are on plywood tables. The placing is determined by the total time of three runs. My best single run with my .45 was 3.90 yesterday.

[GrumpyOne]

You want fun...set them up like in a bowling alley and try to clear them off the table....

[LilBunniFuFu]

Shot placement is key.

In terms of loading, forget power factor you want to think in kinetic energy, a heavy bullet going fast.

[outerlimits]

Want more fun? Slugs!!

[Bruce Warren]

I used to shoot a 210 power factor. a 200 gr. bullet at 1050 fps. or a 185 gr. bullet at 1150. Corbon used to help me out with ammo, back in the day, and I liked the 200 gr. HP ammo they make. Ken Tapp used the 165 Corbon load.

You didn't state what type of gun you are using: Open with comp or limited? For my limited gun I used, 230 gr. factory ammo. With new pins, factory worked fine. After the pins have been shot, you need more power.

[Dr. Phil]

I have always shot 240s in the 44mag @ around 1000 fps. In the .357 Mag I shoot a 160gr Keith bullet at around 1000 fps. I find that hitting them right in the crest logo drives them straight back as it's the thickest part of the pin. If all goes well you will be shooting #5 when the 1st one hits the ground. There was also the time at a club shoot that we used full house 30-30s and 35 Rem lever actions... Fun stuff.

[Dranoel]

I have always had success with 180 gr hollow pts loaded to around 750 fps in my .45. Takes the pins off, doesn't shoot through and is very controllable.

[Joe4d]

I shot this years ago, and am starting to get back into shooting after being out of it for a while.Club near me shoots this. Revolvers 1 foot from back edge, I have a new 5" 686 pro .357. Seems some of the bullet vendors I used to use are gone, and Precision only has max 147 grains
Ive got very little 357 but bunch of 38 brass, SPP, tightgroup, and WST.
Any good sources for cheaper priced cast 180 -200 grain bullets ?
Any tips on loads, yeh I figure a slower powder would be better but I have 10 lbs of each of the above. WST is a bit slower of the two. I bought a new Lyman manual, as mine were 20 years old, but not much new in it, and still the same old powders.
Any data and OAL ? I dug throught reload page but all a bunch of wizbang bottom feeder , or mousefart data.

[dgreen]

There used to be a couple companies that made "Pin" bullets. I think Butte Bullets was one of them. It was a 230 grn Flat nose (more like a wadcutter) you could load in 38 special cases with 10.3 of Blue Dot. Very dirty to shoot though.

[P.E. Kelley]

A buddy of mine ran monthly Pin Shoots for 8 years. Loved it! Handguns to Shotguns and Full Autos we had a division for everyone.

[mwx40x40]

Pin shooting is great fun, unfortunately my club discontinued it due to lack of turnout. I still have lots of 250SWC in 45acp and 220TCL in 10mm loaded up sitting on the shelf gathering dust. Hopefully , it will get re-introduced in our area soon. Or, at least on a limited once or twice a year event.

[mach1soldier]

Heaviest Hollowpoint was always my favorite.

I used flat nose and they were good but hollowpoint took edge hits off the table where the flat point didn't.

We shot 5 pins, off a 4 foot deep table. Pins were 12 inches from front with 15 yard distance from competitor.

I actually used a 9mm with great success shooting 147 grain zero's with 3n38 at 168 power factor. Snapped like the dickens but it did the trick.

[photoracer]

Our club still runs them and has for decades. We are a little different. We also set the pins up for .22 about a foot from the back of the steel table but for centerfire we set them up on 2 levels, a 3 pin row on the bottom table and one each on a higher table above and slightly outside. My old centerfire rig was a Redhawk .41 mag shooting either flat nose Keiths or Rem HPs in the 200-220g range at about 900 FPS. Lower velocity for faster follow-up shots. We use regular shot times so when ever the last round is fired is the time. Time penalties if the pin is still on the table. Trick is to hope it is rolling and you don't have to fire again and let it roll off the table (hopefully). Best centerfire times are usually with .45 or 10mm raceguns around 3s flat. Rimfire is in the 2s, my personal best is 2.70s. 7-10 runs per match depending on the entries.