Went Bowling tonight

[alfsauve]

On Monday, "my" range sent out an email and said that on Wednesday (tonight) they were having a get-acquainted/practice bowling pin match.

About 30 people showed up and we had a good time.   I didn't know what to bring.  I should have read up on the old rules, but didn't, so I took, my XD9, 1911 in .45, 686 and 66 in .357 and my 629 in .44mag.  Well, I had forgotten that you should only shoot, hollow point, lead or soft points for safety reasons.  That left out my XD9 and .45 as I only had FMJs.  I decided to shoot my 6" 686.  Why not make it a challenge. 

5 pins at 25 ft.  4 times through the course.  Must knock them OFF the table.   I was third to shoot.  Everyone from the range staff came in to watch me shoot.  After all I had a rep to uphold with my Dist Exp revolver award.

MISSED on my first shot........... bummer ......  cleaned the table with the next 5.  Wheww!   I didn't have speed loaders.  Time: 13.41.  Okay.  Okay.  So Jerry M.  didn't even bother to yawn.  Cleaned the next 3 times through going 5/5 each time.  Times:  8.82, 12.03, 7.25.     That was my objective, accuracy over speed and 21/20 over all was pretty respectable.  I think I was the only centerfire shooter to clean the table.

It was a good time and we had a good spread of shooters.  Several .22lr who obviously had practiced this.  Two local (Sandy Springs)  LEOs shooting their service weapons, while their Chief of Police watched.  He wouldn't shoot.  Said it wouldn't take much to beat his officers.  Actually they weren't bad.  Only one other revolver shooter.

No prizes or anything as this was just a practice run.   They hope to have a monthly competition.....with prizes..."When death money is on the line, never bet against a Sicilian  err.... Frenchman."

[tombogan03884]

"MISSED on my first shot....."

  Ain't that always the way, just tell them you were "testing the action" 

[Ping]

Sounds like a ton of fun Alf. I would love to get involved with something like that.

[alfsauve]

For those unfamiliar.   You set up a 4'x8' sheet of plywood, the front edge is 25' from the firing line.

Using standard bowling pins, contestants try to knock them OFF the table.  The time starts on command from the range officer and ends when the last pin hits the ground beneath the table.

Competitions may be shot head to head or just against the clock.

There are variations in how different groups stage the pins, but this is what we used:

For .44 and .45 caliber guns, 5 pins are set 12" back from the front of the table and 12" apart.
For .357 and .40 caliber guns, 5 pins are set 24" back from the front of the table.
For .22lr the 6 pins are set 6" from the REAR of the table, 9" apart.

Sorry I didn't have pictures from the match, but my phone ran out of juice last night.

[alfsauve]

"MISSED on my first shot....."

  Ain't that always the way, just tell them you were "testing the action" 

Cold barrel barrel was my excuse.   I don't buy "the pin moved" alibi. 

I will buy the Dr Who Weeping Angel analogy though.  If you close your eyes when you pull the trigger the target will move every time.

[Sponsor]

[Timothy]

I used to shoot those with my daughter and SIL on occasion.  Somewhere in the archives I tell a story of the "chicken" silhouette that cost me two mags out of the 1911 before I felled the beast or something along those lines.

They'd set up five pins and a chicken thing in the middle, left pin, right pin, left pin, right pin, left pin, chicken....in order.

I dusted the other five in six shots and spent another 16 rounds to kill the damn chicken...expensive little run...

http://www.downrange.tv/forum/index.php?topic=15544.msg199806#msg199806

[Hazcat]

Long story short as possible......

My second wife's dad was a 6'5" fire captain that had a Colt .45 gold cup that he used to shoot 5 bowling pins off a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood in 3.5 seconds.

Needless to say I went out of my way NOT to piss him off.

[BAC]

Cold barrel barrel was my excuse.   I don't buy "the pin moved" alibi. 

I will buy the Dr Who Weeping Angel analogy though.  If you close your eyes when you pull the trigger the target will move every time.

The original Weeping Angel episode still gives me the heebie jeebies.

Good shooting.  It sounds like a lot of fun.