Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Competitive Shooting Bowling Pin Matches

Well I am apparently the sucker trying to make a fun at home range. Last year I got the plate rack, this year I've been trying to think of something else to adding a little more excitement over punching paper. While another steel target would be great, bowling pins seems to be a little more affordable than a dueling tree.

From the pictures and Youtube videos I have seen most appear to be set up on some kind of platform assuming plywood on top of saw horses. But generally the videos are behind the shooter. So I don't know:

1. How wide the plywood they use is (4')?
2. Are holes cut with a hole saw to place the pins in, or do they sit flat?
3. What height are the tables set up at?
4. Where is a good place to buy used pins from?

1 4x8
2 no
3. Go here http://pinshootingmalta.com/Pin%20Shooting%20Competition%20Rules.pdf
4 used pins from bowling alley.

Pin shoots are just plain fun.

Thanks for the information Swifty52! Looks like you've answered all my questions. I'll contact a local alley to see if they would part with any old pins. From a quick online I found a place that sells them for around $2/pin, but the shipping is pretty high and puts the price closer to $5.50/pin

Swifty pretty much summed it up in his post, but I'll expound a little. We set pins more towards the back of the table (1' from back edge) for the 22 rimfires, center of the table for "mid bore" calibers (up to 40 cal), and we set the pins more towards the front of the table for the big bores (45 acp and bigger). These pins are 1' from the front edge of the table and the table slopes down in the back slightly, so the pins have a better chance of rolling off. It helps to paint circles where the pins go on each table so they are placed in the same spot each time. The rules that swifty posted are a little different than the clubs I've shot at (PNW). Generally they just use a 4x8 sheet of plywood and set pins as I described. We also shoot at 35 feet instead of 25. This is great fun and the head to head comp is awesome. It will show you who handles stress better and who has the more reliable weapons .. Our quicker pin shooters take a pin with every shot and can have the table clean in less than 5 seconds..Good luck with it!!

They are fun. Most of the matches I shoot the pins are set up as you described. I was at one match where they had tables built to hold the plywood. A gal whose husband worked at Hornady was trying her luck in the big bore magnum class for the first time using a 454 Casull. Shoot command was given, and she put all 5 pins on the ground with 1 shot. She jerked the trigger on that big thing and shot the front leg off the table. had to delay the match due to laughter and table repair.

Ha ha. That's funny. We've gone to steel stands that hold the plywood, just for that reason. We also bolt a piece of angle to the front edge of the table to keep the plywood from getting torn up. I hear you about the laughs and fun though. You see all kinds of funny chit at those matches, along with guns that are supposed to be "the chit" that jam up ..Where the heck is Waders?? Figured he'd have a lot to add to this thread. We've been doing a cool shoot with pins and 3 guns at our club. Call it a 3 gun pin shoot if you will. You take 6 pins (2 for each pistol: 22 rimfire, mid bore and big bore), set them up in their usual spots, first 2 pins (back of the table on the left side) are taken with the 22 rf, when those are off the table unload the 22 and keep the action open, switch to the mid bore pistol and shoot the next 2 pins (middle of table) off the table, unload and lock slide open, then the last 2 pins (front right side of the table) are taken off with the big bore pistol and gun unloaded with slide open and clear called. The person to have all the pins off the table first wins. All guns have to be unloaded and "clear" on the table when done. This adds a little more excitement to the pin shoots..

We used to shoot from behind a 4x8 plywood... long end on ground, because we'd get some slugs back hitting us at times.

We never figured whether they were deflections, generally with 45 acp, but alwyas assumed they were exiting a spinning pin, just that the exit side was now facing us instead of downrange...

Left some good bruises. Never shot them much after that... wondering what happens when that same deflection hits you in the forehead or such.

Ahh, man up rost

yeah... i know... but dang if one of those ever hit you in the head, you'd be OUT.

It is something worth considering. Hadn't heard of ricochet issues with bowling pins, but could see how it would happen. I've been surprised at the Action Target Plate Rack that I purchased last year. There have been a couple thousands rounds shot at it from 22 lr. to 10mm Buffalo Bore loads--at the recommended 10 yards no-one has been hit by anything. Although I've found bullet fragments all over the place.

I really don't think with pins it was richochets... I think it is off center hits with SLOW 45 bullets that cause the pin to start to rotate, and it exits the "back" of the pin but "facing" you. At least thats what we concluded as it happened a few times with new pins, first shot, only one shot in the pin, and it had both entrance and exit, but pretty far off center line....

The steel pretty much splatters most lead bullets in plates is why thats pretty safe.

Or in the nut sac. You'd be talking like big stick... ..Squeeky little girly voice..

It's a damn good idea to wear safety glasses. I've heard of riccochets like rost mentioned, so it's something to be mindful of. We've never had any issues, but we shoot them at 35 feet instead of the usual 25 and our tables slope to the back ever so slightly to help the pin slide back off the table better. That may also help to minimize riccochets back to the shooters.

now that's funny.
Never really noticed bounce backs or ricochets when shooting pins, but don't doubt it could happen. And 1 in the fore head or jewels would tend to wake you up.
Someone brought up the shrapnel from falling plates, and man does that stuff fly. Was shooting a 300 yard match, and the club had a rock your flock match at the same time with the falling plate portion right next to the 300 range. We heard jacket material landing on the tin roof all day long. Landing on cars in the lot, and on our heads when standing in the spectators area between relays.

Chuckle of the day.

That is exactly how we did when I competed while in college, early 80's, on the central coast of California. One of my competitor's and FFL at the time being Aaron Hogue. A great time in college back when California led such things...

Yep, got into shooting pins and falling plates about 87-88. It was in all the gun mags. Race guns, dedicated pin guns and the like.
Thing I like about pin matches is it gives people who don't shoot something to watch. Fast, furious and sometimes comical action.
.

I've been whacked in the shin by a ricochet during a pin match. Left a welt. From a lighter 10mm handload. After that, I watch from outside the range.

Every bowling alley I've been to will give you pins for free. Just be courteous and polite

Wow. They sell em around here, you don't get em free. At least not when pin shooitng was popular.