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I had a chance this weekend for the first time to shoot bowling pins.
While i could have used a variety of handguns, for whatever reason i was using a model of 1955 smith&wesson in .45acp.
these were berry's 230grain plated roundball at about 850fps.
As the game progressed, the pins, easy enough to hit, would more lay down than go off the table, explained to me as the pins were filling up with lead.
Which causes me to wonder, is there a best place to hit the pin?
what would be the optimun firearms/round to do this?
I seem to lean towards the idea a semiauto might be an atvantage, subject to what kind of projectile/velocity one was using.
I do know a certain member here had no problem air launching them with a 500.
I with limited knowlege seem to lean there is a connection between power, but yet retaining speed to clear the table.
thoughts?

SWC

how far away are they?
how big is the table?
do you use 5 or 6 or more pins?

I would like to set up an unofficial range and try it.

Years ago when I was stationed in Nebraska I did a lot of pin shooting at the base range. Yes back then they let us use the base range for recreational shooting. It was a lot of fun not to mention pin shooting is a very practical way to practice defensive shooting. I used a 1911 in .45ACP or my S&W 586 in .357. As for where to aim I always kept it simple and aimed for the fattest part of the pin.

I won my first Dillon 1050 at a Second Chance shoot a LONG freaking time ago.

It was along time ago but I think we used 6 pins and the distance was 7 yards. Don't know how big the tables were but the pins were placed about a foot apart. Two tables were set up so two shooters could shoot against each other. Who ever knocked all their pins off the table first was the winner. It was always a lot of fun.

Glad you enjoyed it Ron.

Two 4X8 tables with 5 pins each set 1 foot back from the front.

We adjusted the pin location for caliber as in 38spcl and 22lr.

The shooting line was 25 feet from the tables and we ran double elimination brackets.

and...

Oh yeah, it was a ton of fun...

You guys must live in a different part of the country than me, 'cause we can't shoot bowling pins at alleys around these parts ;-)

Back in the 90s someone advertised bullets that had a saw toothed design on the "nose" that was supposed to "grab" the pins and help get them off the table. Never shot pins so I don't know if it worked or not. Google grabber bullets and see what comes up.

I did a lot of bowling pin shoots, using my S&W 25-5, and a mild .45 colt lead load. Never felt the need to switch to a semi auto. After I had the .45 ACP cylinder made, and could use moon clips, the reloads were very quick indeed.

i was thinking about something like this bullet. Have a similar flat metplate from Matt's bullets for 41magnum that i was thinking about too:
https://www.pennbullets.com/38/38230tndrhd.html

it would seem as the lighter calibers by diameter were set closer to the edge of the table, that 230grain 38special flat metplate would be the ticket.

I used to shoot pin matches twice per month. We had several classes to keep everyone on a more even playing field.... and a reason to by more guns. All of mine were topped with a Tasco red dot and the centerfires had Hogue rubber grips.

Five pins shot in any order. Start at the ready with gun touching a rail about waist high. Time stops when the last pin hits the ground. Fastest two out of three rounds were added for score.

Rimfire Auto or Revolver
Pins near the back edge of the table.
Autos limited to six rounds in mag. One reload allowed. I preferred not to reload even if a pin was left on the table. If a reload was needed, you were not going to place. Shoot the last pin twice to make it fall faster!

I used a Buckmark Micro with custom comp.

Intermediate Auto
Pins at the center of the table.
Up to and including 38 Super

Springfield Armory Factory Comp 38 Super.

Intermediate Revolver
Up to and including 38 Special
Pins at the center of the table.

S&W 686 6" loaded with 38 special.

Large Auto
Pins at the front of the table.
Any caliber allowed but it better have some smoke behind it when the pins start getting full of lead. Most used 45ACP and a few 10mm.

Springfield Factory Comp 45ACP.

Large Revolver
Pins at the front of the table.
Any caliber allowed. Wide range of calibers were used from 357 to 454.

S&W 625 with 5.5" ported custom barrel.
Occasionally used the 686 with 357 Mag.

Ron, I like the 230 gr truncated cone in a 1911. I had over five hundred rounds sitting on the table for anyone to try. A 230 gr TC will launch them off the table if you hit centre of mass.

...yes, bowling pins come right off the table with a 500 S&W loaded with 350 grain bullet at 1100 fps....

The standard .41 Magnum load of 8.0 grains of Unique with a 210 Berry's at 950 fps takes them right off the table also. So does a fully loaded .38 Super pushing a 124 at 1300 fps.

As to where to hit them...just below the fattest part of the pins body.

Most fun pin shoot I ever went to was a "10 Pin" shoot at a club in Salem, Oregon with one of the guys here on the Campfire...RGS. 3x3' piece of plywood for a table top with a full ten-pin setup on top...I believe the distance was 15-20 yards... We were using his 8 3/8" 657 .41 Magnum. My best run I cleared the table with 5 rounds. If you hit the head pin in just the right spot just like in bowling it would take half the pins off the table first shot.

I think you had a thirty round max to clear the table. If you cleared the table there was five clay bird on a board that you could break for bonus points. The second half of the shoot started with a bowling pin hanging from a rope at 50 yards. You had to start it swinging to go to a fifty yard target and put as many points on the target as possible. Any rounds that you didn't use on the bowling pins could be shot at the target once you started the bowling pin swinging... It was a total of 50 rounds of ammo...don't remember what the time limits were...

Bob

a swinging bowling pin at 50yds?

I might need extra ammo....

The bowling pin was stationary hanging by a rope. To be able to go over to the 50 yard scoring target you had to hit the pin and make it start swinging...

The one run I did real well on the table and five clays with only 10 rounds I probably would have won but the gun was not sighted in for me at that distance and it took me at least 10 rounds to get the pin moving...

I had a couple of other guns with me, but didn't use them mostly because i liked shooting that model of 1955 so much.
I had a couple of 41magnums with around 220grain leads and 8 1/2grains unique.
The other one was a fairly warm 10mm in 180 grain i could have fired out of a long blackhawk.
I shudder at this, but might have to find a pistol reddot sight to play with.
one thing i can relate. The day before i shot a few of the handguns.
one of which was the ruger redhawk 2.75inch barrel 41magnum.
i remember reading somewhere a guy said out of the box it was shooting way to the left and way down.
This was the first experience with that gun, and yep, it was ploughing earth. Bench time coming up to get it sighted in.
other than that, kind of like the little revolver.
I was thinking last night i have a new in the box model 19 smith. In six inch. Maybe it's doomed to shoot those 230 grain penn bullets, or a smith target six inch .38special with same.
I need an edge to humiliate scott when shooting. And BC Colorado too, for that matter.

Georgia Arms loaded a "canned heat" .40S&W we used extensively back in the early 90's.

My wrists and hands thank me today for the abuse! Hate to even guess at how many rounds our Glocks digested. Should have invested in stocks and land...