Bowling Pin Shooting

otasan · May 15, 2012, 07:04 PM

Does anyone here still shoot at bowling pin matches?

gschoelles · May 16, 2012, 07:43 AM

I loved those, but have not seen nor shot in one for over 25 years

Hunter Customs · May 16, 2012, 09:02 AM

Ah, bowling pin matches, my first love in competition shooting and still my favorite.
Unfortunately all the big pin matches are dead, however there may be a few club shoots still taking place.
There's a video on my web site of one of the bigger matches that took place in PA.
Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com

kraigwy · May 16, 2012, 09:45 AM

We still have them at the Sparfish Club (South Dakota)

giaquir · May 16, 2012, 12:30 PM

My old gun club in chester Nh still
has pin shoots.

Norm Lee · May 16, 2012, 01:04 PM

Greetings Otasan.

We hold a pin match on the 4th Sunday of the month at the PSC club near Houston. (psc-range.com)

Pins are getting harder and harder to find as well as getting pricey, so we anticipate that there will come a time when we will be forced to shut down. It will be a sad day.

I enjoyed your book.

Cheers,

Norm

g.willikers · May 16, 2012, 03:19 PM

It shouldn't be too hard to make some kind of a substitute for bowling pins.
Wood, glue and what else?

zippy13 · May 16, 2012, 04:07 PM

There have been several recent threads about Ground Bouncing Impact Seal Reactive Targeting. I wonder if they could make a suitable pin substitute.

otasan · May 16, 2012, 07:39 PM

I did write a book about pin-shooting. Did any of you ever get up to Central Lake, MI for Second Chance?

g.willikers · May 17, 2012, 09:49 AM

Missed it by "that much."
Friends used to attend and the very year I decided to join them it was no more.
From their stories, it must have been quite a deal, too.

ronz · May 17, 2012, 11:02 AM

Schultz rod and gun in Muskego WI has a few a year next is june 2 then aug 25 & sep 22

Norm Lee · May 17, 2012, 03:39 PM

We were able to make the 24th and final Second Chance Combat shoot. It was an amazing event, just chock full of fun. We were so sorry we hadn't started sooner and devastated that there were to be no more.

Cheers,

Norm

Hunter Customs · May 18, 2012, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Did any of you ever get up to Central Lake, MI for Second Chance?

I made there in 1996, my first major match, what an eye opener.
Best Regards
Bob Hunter

ACP230 · June 11, 2012, 06:18 PM

Otasan:
"Where are the pins of yesteryear?"

I attended every summer for 10 years.
Still miss it. Have your book on my bookshelf along with Massad's.

Not every day you can see Miculek, Enos, Barnhardt, Ayoob, etc on the same line. Saw some of them leave a few pins too.

Trivia was my best event, unfortunately. The closest I got to winning something big was when some guy who had just won a shootoff was picking up his gear afterward. "Here, hold this," he said. And handed me a pewter mug stuffed with $5,000 in small bills.

Lots of fun on the main range, the back range and the subgun range.
Lots of bad jokes from Rich Davis. I miss them too even though they did
irreparable damage to my sense of humor.

We'd be there now, if it was still going, eh?

Fireman214 · June 13, 2012, 01:47 PM

Any of these going on near Northern IL? I have never been to one, I Googled it and it sounds like fun.

longspurr · June 17, 2012, 07:47 AM

Bowling pins; I have never seen another target that provided the instant feedback of a good shot, and the penalty of a marginal shot like the pins.

2nd chance was just the best fun I've ever had at a match!!!
Trying out the H&K toys at the factory tent on the practice range (think suppressed subgun, and belt fed LMG).

Was it Bang, Clang, Bang? Rifle, shotgun, pistol, and then throw the grenade? I never could get the shotgun slug part to go right.

Kissing the delightful young pinsetters - and wishing for a breath mint. Or was it just watching the short summer attire of the pinsetters.

The conversation at the meal pavilion was always interesting. Hearing the stories that did not make it into print.

Before they put up the plastic barriers for the grandstand I had the person sitting next to me take a good thump to the forehead with a ricochet. Yes there is "some" danger to shooting pins, but less than most other sports.

People drown when swimming, get run over on bikes, become star patients at the orthopedic ward from skiing.........

Typing this makes me think I need to look for a local match.

Hunter Customs · June 17, 2012, 09:01 AM

I still have a regulation Second Chance style pin table made from half inch plate steel setting on my pistol range.
It has several old shot up pins scattered around it, I still have around 300 new pins left.

When I test new guns I've built for clients I always try them on a few pin runs.
Then some days I just go out to my range and make a few runs on the pins just for the heck of it.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter

langenc · June 17, 2012, 05:59 PM

Shot at a Ruger Challenge match month ago. Side match was silhoutte pins-steel. Five pins at about 10 yards. They were stood up with a pull of a rope.

I had not shot the Mark III in couple months. I got to the firing bench, loaded when told to do so, answered yes when asked if I was ready, raised gun when beeper went off and realized I had NOT turned on the red dot.
I shot and finally ran out of time-30 sec.

Timer noticed I was hitting everything LEFT and I was much better when holding some to the right. Fun.

Hunter Customs · June 22, 2012, 07:59 AM

I was doing some late Spring cleaning of the shop the other day and I found a packet of pictures of the 1996 Second Chance Pin Match.

There's a picture of Jerry MiculeK getting ready to tackle a few of the challenges on the back range.

There's also a couple of pictures of Barnhardt's black L8000 truck, man what a rig.

While looking at the pictures I thought to myself, those were good times.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter

Silent Bob · June 22, 2012, 08:22 AM

Don't shoot in any kind of official bowling pin matches but I can get boxes of beat-up old pins from my stepdad who works at the local bowling alley and me and a friend will shoot informal matches with them. They are a blast (no pun intended) to shoot and can absorb a lot of damage before they become to shot up to be of any use. Interestingly enough, I have found .45 ACP 230gr slugs embedded in them, kind of a funny sight.

TomADC · June 22, 2012, 01:49 PM

Shot pins at my brother in laws range years ago, my Browning Hi-Power shooting +P ammo would knock them over but not off the table, I finished the task with my 1911. I's shoot it here if available was fun.

Nanuk · June 25, 2012, 01:20 AM

The best pin shoot I saw was hitting one with my 50 Beowulf, should have made a video. Darn thing zipped about 30 feet strait back like someone tugged it with a cord.

May 15, 2012, 07:04 PM	#1
otasan Junior member Join Date: April 17, 2005 Location: Hartford, Vermont Posts: 519	Bowling Pin Shooting Does anyone here still shoot at bowling pin matches?

May 16, 2012, 07:43 AM	#2
gschoelles Junior Member Join Date: April 20, 2012 Posts: 14	I loved those, but have not seen nor shot in one for over 25 years __________________ CRPA and NRA member GLOCK Armorer Remington 870 Armorer, Mossberg 5xx Armorer, 1911 Armorer M16/AR15 Armorer, Tactical First Aid Primary Responder NRA Range Safety Officer, Certified Pistol, Shotgun and Rifle Instructor

May 16, 2012, 09:45 AM	#4
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	We still have them at the Sparfish Club (South Dakota) __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

May 16, 2012, 01:04 PM	#6
Norm Lee Member Join Date: January 3, 2001 Location: Nassau Bay Posts: 81	Pin Matches Greetings Otasan. We hold a pin match on the 4th Sunday of the month at the PSC club near Houston. (psc-range.com) Pins are getting harder and harder to find as well as getting pricey, so we anticipate that there will come a time when we will be forced to shut down. It will be a sad day. I enjoyed your book. Cheers, Norm

May 16, 2012, 03:19 PM	#7
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	It shouldn't be too hard to make some kind of a substitute for bowling pins. Wood, glue and what else? __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

May 16, 2012, 09:02 AM	#3
Hunter Customs Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2005 Location: Osborn, Missouri Posts: 2,697	Ah, bowling pin matches, my first love in competition shooting and still my favorite. Unfortunately all the big pin matches are dead, however there may be a few club shoots still taking place. There's a video on my web site of one of the bigger matches that took place in PA. Best Regards Bob Hunter www.huntercustoms.com

May 16, 2012, 12:30 PM	#5
giaquir Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Deerfield,New Hampshire Posts: 512	My old gun club in chester Nh still has pin shoots.

May 16, 2012, 04:07 PM	#8
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	There have been several recent threads about Ground Bouncing Impact Seal Reactive Targeting. I wonder if they could make a suitable pin substitute.

May 16, 2012, 07:39 PM	#9
otasan Junior member Join Date: April 17, 2005 Location: Hartford, Vermont Posts: 519	That's right I did write a book about pin-shooting. Did any of you ever get up to Central Lake, MI for Second Chance?

May 17, 2012, 09:49 AM	#10
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	Missed it by "that much." Friends used to attend and the very year I decided to join them it was no more. From their stories, it must have been quite a deal, too. __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

May 17, 2012, 11:02 AM	#11
ronz Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2012 Location: milwaukee wi Posts: 220	Schultz rod and gun in Muskego WI has a few a year next is june 2 then aug 25 & sep 22

May 17, 2012, 03:39 PM	#12
Norm Lee Member Join Date: January 3, 2001 Location: Nassau Bay Posts: 81	Second Chance We were able to make the 24th and final Second Chance Combat shoot. It was an amazing event, just chock full of fun. We were so sorry we hadn't started sooner and devastated that there were to be no more. Cheers, Norm

June 11, 2012, 06:18 PM	#14
ACP230 Senior Member Join Date: October 18, 2000 Posts: 708	Otasan: "Where are the pins of yesteryear?" I attended every summer for 10 years. Still miss it. Have your book on my bookshelf along with Massad's. Not every day you can see Miculek, Enos, Barnhardt, Ayoob, etc on the same line. Saw some of them leave a few pins too. Trivia was my best event, unfortunately. The closest I got to winning something big was when some guy who had just won a shootoff was picking up his gear afterward. "Here, hold this," he said. And handed me a pewter mug stuffed with $5,000 in small bills. Lots of fun on the main range, the back range and the subgun range. Lots of bad jokes from Rich Davis. I miss them too even though they did irreparable damage to my sense of humor. We'd be there now, if it was still going, eh? __________________ "To disarm the people (is) the best & most effectual way to enslave them." George Mason.

June 13, 2012, 01:47 PM	#15
Fireman214 Member Join Date: October 25, 2011 Location: Rockford IL Posts: 36	Any of these going on near Northern IL? I have never been to one, I Googled it and it sounds like fun.

June 17, 2012, 07:47 AM	#16
longspurr Senior Member Join Date: November 8, 2002 Location: On the western shore Posts: 182	Bowling pins; I have never seen another target that provided the instant feedback of a good shot, and the penalty of a marginal shot like the pins. 2nd chance was just the best fun I've ever had at a match!!! Trying out the H&K toys at the factory tent on the practice range (think suppressed subgun, and belt fed LMG). Was it Bang, Clang, Bang? Rifle, shotgun, pistol, and then throw the grenade? I never could get the shotgun slug part to go right. Kissing the delightful young pinsetters - and wishing for a breath mint. Or was it just watching the short summer attire of the pinsetters. The conversation at the meal pavilion was always interesting. Hearing the stories that did not make it into print. Before they put up the plastic barriers for the grandstand I had the person sitting next to me take a good thump to the forehead with a ricochet. Yes there is "some" danger to shooting pins, but less than most other sports. People drown when swimming, get run over on bikes, become star patients at the orthopedic ward from skiing......... Typing this makes me think I need to look for a local match.

June 17, 2012, 09:01 AM	#17
Hunter Customs Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2005 Location: Osborn, Missouri Posts: 2,697	I still have a regulation Second Chance style pin table made from half inch plate steel setting on my pistol range. It has several old shot up pins scattered around it, I still have around 300 new pins left. When I test new guns I've built for clients I always try them on a few pin runs. Then some days I just go out to my range and make a few runs on the pins just for the heck of it. Best Regards Bob Hunter

June 17, 2012, 05:59 PM	#18
langenc Senior Member Join Date: August 19, 2007 Location: Montmorency Co, MI Posts: 1,551	Shot at a Ruger Challenge match month ago. Side match was silhoutte pins-steel. Five pins at about 10 yards. They were stood up with a pull of a rope. I had not shot the Mark III in couple months. I got to the firing bench, loaded when told to do so, answered yes when asked if I was ready, raised gun when beeper went off and realized I had NOT turned on the red dot. I shot and finally ran out of time-30 sec. Timer noticed I was hitting everything LEFT and I was much better when holding some to the right. Fun.

June 22, 2012, 07:59 AM	#19
Hunter Customs Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2005 Location: Osborn, Missouri Posts: 2,697	I was doing some late Spring cleaning of the shop the other day and I found a packet of pictures of the 1996 Second Chance Pin Match. There's a picture of Jerry MiculeK getting ready to tackle a few of the challenges on the back range. There's also a couple of pictures of Barnhardt's black L8000 truck, man what a rig. While looking at the pictures I thought to myself, those were good times. Best Regards Bob Hunter Last edited by Hunter Customs; June 22, 2012 at 05:19 PM.

June 22, 2012, 08:22 AM	#20
Silent Bob Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2005 Posts: 288	Don't shoot in any kind of official bowling pin matches but I can get boxes of beat-up old pins from my stepdad who works at the local bowling alley and me and a friend will shoot informal matches with them. They are a blast (no pun intended) to shoot and can absorb a lot of damage before they become to shot up to be of any use. Interestingly enough, I have found .45 ACP 230gr slugs embedded in them, kind of a funny sight. __________________ "Remember, the people on the Internet are just like you - ignorant, delusional, and dangerous."

June 22, 2012, 01:49 PM	#21
TomADC Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2009 Location: San Diego County Posts: 795	Shot pins at my brother in laws range years ago, my Browning Hi-Power shooting +P ammo would knock them over but not off the table, I finished the task with my 1911. I's shoot it here if available was fun. __________________ US Navy Retired,NRA Life Member,SASS member, Time magazine's Person of the Year 2006!

June 25, 2012, 01:20 AM	#22
Nanuk Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2005 Location: Where the deer and the antelope roam. Posts: 3,082	The best pin shoot I saw was hitting one with my 50 Beowulf, should have made a video. Darn thing zipped about 30 feet strait back like someone tugged it with a cord. __________________ Retired Law Enforcement U. S. Army Veteran Armorer My rifle and pistol are tools, I am the weapon.