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Bowling pin match

gravedigger
I am going to a bowling pin match at my local range tomorrow. I will be using a Kimber in .45 ACP. What's a good, readily available factory load to use. I know +P's would probably do the trick, but I don't want to wear out my bbl, as I'd like to shoot this match often. I figured 230gr. would be better than a lighter one. Is a flat nose better than a FMJ? What about HP's? I'd love to use my S&W 629 w/the 8 3/8 bbl, but I'm super slow on the reloads. [:(] Maybe I just need to get a DE in 50 AE. [:D] Help, I'm driving myself crazy!! [:p]

-Marcus

Charlie don't surf!!
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Comments

8 comments

Date Votes
  • bobski
    your 230 is just fine. have a great time![:D]

    former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction.
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  • rusty3040
    heavy bullets are best, pins are laminated and very slippery on the surface, hardball bullets can glance off the sides of the pins and not clean them off the table, hollow points with big cavities will bite in and deliver more energy to the pins , the pins also have hollow spots inside them about one inch in diameter, you want a bullet that will stay with the pin and deliver energy if you hit a hollow spot , i have seen light bullets in the 357 shoot clear threw pins and barely move them , slow heavy bullets are best
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  • bobski
    some matches do not allow cetain bullets because they destroy pins.

    former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction.
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  • richbug
    I buy my guns from a former National champion pin shooter. He uses 260 grain cast SWC's at +p pressures. You could get you 629 cut for moonclips, that would certainly speed up your reloads. I use my 610 S&W with 200 grain xtp's, or My P16-40 with 175SWC's

    My border collie is smarter than your honor student.
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  • ItGoBang
    I use 200gr FMJ, works good on 45's If you get too much power like with a +P, your time will go up..... it's jumps more and takes more time to get on the next pin. and a 9mm with 115gr works good [:D]

    It will hurt you, More than it will hurt me..

    Life Member..NRA,
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  • A J Christ
    10mm Smith 1006 shooting 185 gr bullets works real well too.
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  • Pinhead
    gravedigger, I use to shoot bowling pin matches. The club where I shot did not allow metal jacketed bullets for two reasons: 1. They wer harder on bowling pins and 2. the fear of richochets. I started out using a round nose 230gr. hard lead bullet and gradually worked on my loads until I ended upshooting a 225gr. flat nosed soft cast lead bullet with a load of 5.8grs. W231 powder and a federal large rifle primer. If you hit a bowling pin in the center of the lower part of the pin it would literally pick it up off the table and threw it off. I used this load in revolver class in a S&W 25-2 in .45acp converted to double action only and in auto class in a Colt 1911 Series 70. It worked great in both.
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  • Pinhead
    CORRECTION; I did not notice until just now that the load for the 225gr. lead bullet I used for pin matches in incorrect. It should read 5.6grs. of W231 powder NOT 5.8grs. of W231. Not a big diffeence but I just wanted to make it correct. I used a taper crimp instead of a roll crimp also.
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