59 replies to this topic

[Gunner]

My son who lives with his mom in another state (until fall, when he starts college) is coming in for the 4th. Will introduce him to my 28 WH at a range that allows full auto. It's an old gravel pit or quarry, and you can set up almost anything you want to shoot at--as long a you clean up afterwards. Any suggestions on cool stuff to shoot, other than computers? (I can't spare mine.)

[Nick Iannamico]

bowling pins, steel targets, spray paint cans, manequins, golf balls, gallon jugs filled with water, MACS and Terrorists!

[Sgt]

Killer pumpkins. Not watermelons; they taste too good and should be eaten.

[SecondAmend]

I was gonna say Democrats, lawyers, Democrats, used car salesmen, Democrats, computer salesmen, Democrats, etc. but I'll be serious.

The spin type steel targets are sorta fun. See if you can keep it spinning by firing bursts of full auto at it. No mess to clean up.

If there's a light breeze, balloons on a long string kinda dance around on the ground and are fun to shoot at full auto but you have clean up the string and stuff.

Enjoy! Bond!

[junkyard4$]

I would say do not try shooting bowling pins unless they are very far away. 45 acp is a little too slow moving, it will actually bounce off of the pin and might come back at you. I had it happen with a 50-70 Sharps, came back at me about 5' over my head. I have heard of several other close calls with bowling pins. One guy got it in the leg and he was shooting a 1911 45 acp.

[TNKen]

Balloons, fruit of any type (cabbage, lettuce, canteloupes, apples, etc., especially with anything high velocity such as a .223), propane tanks with tracers or incindiaries, Wally world cheap canned sodas, pieces of angle iron cut about 4" wide to stand up, clay targets, chunks of styrofoam (pain to clean up), and tannerite.

Ken

[PATHFINDER]

QUOTE (junkyard4$ @ Jul 2 2004, 12:12 PM)

I would say do not try shooting bowling pins unless they are very far away.

Bowling pins are fine targets as they are just wood with a polyvinyl skin. When you get them used from a bowling alley you can see where bowling balls have dented them. If bowlers are strong enough to dent them then .45 ball will rip through them. Ask your local bowling alley what they do with the old pins. Take one pin home and dissect it and you will see it is just pine and plastic.

Bowling pin shooting is a competitive sport. I have shot hundreds of old bowling pins and up close too! I used a 1911(not an A1) and the trick is to get all five pins off a table at 25 feet (distances vary) as fast as possible. Sometimes hitting a bowling pin multiple times does not mean it will clear the table. Try it sometime, it's fun! One company used to make ‘Pin Grabber’ ammo just for this sport!

My favorite thing to shoot is Black Cherry Jello in old milk jugs!! Put in about twice as much Jello mix the directions says and pop it into the fridge the day before you go shooting. Gory as hell but the hydrostatic shock will amaze you.

[Balder]

I've experienced ricochets from bowling pins with .32 ACP, 9mm Parabellum and .45 ACP. No fun at all.

Balder

[Hawkeye_Joe]

QUOTE

Absolutely. No way will a .45ACP bounce back at you off a bowling ball.

Phil.....I think you need to edit that statement.........*LMAO*

[Sgt]

He only aims for the holes.

[Norm]

Once, I shot an old bowling ball with a 12 gauge slug.

It wasn't pretty!

[full auto 45]

Any fruit or veggie is great to blast. Go ask your local produce vendor to give you some he can't sell. Mushy equal ka-plowie !! Pumpkins are one of my favz. And no clean up after words as the critters will feed on them at night. Old 4x4 tiles are good too but a pain to clean up after words. Maybe a old car door would be good to throw in the pit. I shoot bowling pins all the time at 50 yards, never came back after me.

[The1930sRust]

......muslims?

[junkyard4$]

You guys are right, even though it happened to me it couldn't happen to you.

[brian]

man, is it full moon already?

[Norm]

Junkyard4$,

It is reasonably possible for .45 to bounce back from a bowling pin and hit the shooter.

I think the reason that bowling pins are used is because they are cheap, and because they "fly back" when you shoot them; they absorb much of the energy.

What were you shooting when the richochet hit you? At about what distance?

Norm

PS- I really did shoot a bowling ball with a 12 gauge slug; it blew it to pieces and sent chips flying everywhere!

[full auto 45]

Chris, Gosh I cannot believe I forgot to, "say anything with a dishrag or towel on it's head."
Brian-yes it's that time of year!

[junkyard4$]

Norm,
It was at about 40 yards. It was a cold day, snow on the ground. When the plastic on the pin is cold it makes them bouncy. What temperature are they not bouncy? I wouldn't take any chances. I had about 20 cases of pins that we got to shoot at the club. I got rid of them all. If anybody wants to keep shooting them that is there problem, not mine. A couple other guys had them come back when they were warm. I wouldn't have any problem shooting them with a .308 or 30-06 but not a pistol round, it's not worth your life to watch a piece of wood and plastic fall over. I guess the ignorant will take care of themselves.

Edited by junkyard4$, 02 July 2004 - 03:25 PM.

[Norm]

Junkyard4$,

One round of 30-06 or .308 would probably turn a bowling pin into sawdust. Pistol rounds, just bounce off (usually.)

Bowling pins are always bouncy. After all, they were designed to be hit with a 16 pound ball over and over; not .45 rounds.

To be 100% (or at least 99.9%) sure that your target won't throw a round back at you, stick with soft targets. They are messy though, but no ricochets. Milk jugs full of water have nice effect, and water just dries up.

Remember, when it comes to firearms: better safe than sorry!

I have never shot at bowling pins, but have been with some friends that were shooting them. I knew those bullets were flying of to the side somewhere.

Check out TANNERITE- exploding targets! The video take a while to load (especially on dial-up internet.)

Norm

[junkyard4$]

Norm,
Thank you, finally, the voice of reason. I knew there must be a few smart people here.