I can’t find a better description of this event than the one I came up with in the ‘70s: a carnival midway of live-fire games where you’re knocking over the targets with bullets instead of thrown balls, and winning guns instead of teddy bears or kewpie dolls.  Let’s go over the menu.

STOCK: Auto pistol with under 5” barrel, revolver with barrel no longer than 8 3/8”, weight no more than 56 ounces. Barrel may be ported but no extended recoil compensators allowed. Must have iron sights. No more than 8 rounds in the gun. This was all you could shoot when Rich Davis created the sport in the mid-1970s.

PIN GUN: As above, still the 8-round max rule and iron sights, but extended recoil compensators are allowed as are heavy barrels so long as total weight does not exceed 64 ounces. (And they DO weigh each handgun of every competitor.)

Awesome .50 GI caliber 1911 from Guncrafter, fitted with signature compensator built and used by Ned Christiansen in Pin Gun division. 

SPACE GUN: The handgun may have anything that’s on a pin gun, but optical sights are also allowed.

CONCEALED CARRY: New when the match was reintroduced in 2017, this is a gun with only six rounds on board, barrel no longer than 3 ½”.

For all of the above, you get six tables of five regulation white bowling pins each. New since 2017 are blue “hostage pins,” which if tipped over add five seconds to your time. Your time on your worst table is taken off your score, but used as a tie-breaker if necessary. The tables have different arrays.

Optional events include the following, cut and pasted directly from the rules at www.pinshoot.com:

2-Person Team Event

Two people vs. 13 bowling pins plus two innocent bystanders.  Shot in sets of three runs, best single time wins. 8 rounds per gun to start, reloaded capacity is unlimited.  1-second off for each female shooter.  Switch team members if you must, but only 1 prize per shooter, per event.

 

3-Person Team Event

Two people with shotguns (cylinder bore only, no diverters allowed) and one with a STOCK handgun are facing 24 bowling pins on one table – no “innocent bystanders”.  Shot in sets of three runs, best single time wins.  8 rounds per gun to start, reloaded capacity is unlimited. 1-second off for each female shooter; 1-second off for each pump shotgun used.  Theoretically a 3-woman team using 2 pump shotguns would receive 5-seconds off.   Switch team members if you must, but only 1 prize per shooter, per event.

 

One person Shot Gun Event

8 pins stare you down.  You have 8 rounds in a semi-auto or pump action shot gun.  00 Buck, 000 Buck, or Slugs acceptable.  Iron sights only.  No “innocent bystanders”.  1 second off if using a pump / 1 second off for a female.

 

Revolver Event

Starting with only 6 rounds in your revolver, you are facing 8 pins.  Practice your reloading!  8 3/8” barrel limit.  2/10 second off for those using a 4” barrel stock gun, 4/10 second off if using a concealed carry gun.

One of the perennial Masters to beat — Patrick Sweeney, longtime handgun editor of GUNS & AMMO, reloads his S&W .45 ACP revolver with moon clips in 8-Pin event.

The Big Push

You are facing only 3 bowling pins at a distance of 22 feet that must be knocked back a whopping 14.5 feet! New in 2018, shooter must start standing with gun on the rail. One handgun only, so bring your hand cannons, thunder sticks, and mega-magnums!  The winning caliber will most likely start with a .4 or .5 and end with magnum!

Dave Genzvein blasts the pins 14.5′ backward with his Smith & Wesson ..500 Magnum.

*9 X 12 (Fast and Fun)

Using a 9mm or higher caliber handgun you are facing 13 pins and three blue “innocent bystander” pins – one right in the middle in each of the three levels.  All you have to do is knock the non “hostage”  pins over.  Magazine capacity is unlimited.  Stock guns only, no multiple projectile ammo allowed (shot).

Archie Silkworth, a veteran pin shooter, nails another tenpin with his Ruger dP95 9mm in 9X12 event.

“.223×39” Event

Two people with semi-auto rifles facing 39 six inch diameter steel “lollypops” 60 to 100 yards away.  Optics are allowed and recommended.  Start with empty rifle on table and magazine out.  Maximum capacity is 30 rounds. One shooter offhand (with or without sling) the other from a bench or prone with sandbags or bipod.  Entry fee is $20 per person per run.

 

“12×12” event

Starting with an iron sighted shotgun with up to 8 slugs you have to knock over 12 heavy steel targets at ranges of 50 to 100 yards. Targets are between 1 and 2 square feet.  Reload as much as you need.  Entry fee is $20 per person per run.

  • Scopes are allowed
  • One second off if using iron sights
  • One additional second off if using pump shotgun
  • One additional second off for females

 

 

Info at www.pinshoot.com.

Next Installment: the winners and their guns. Semi-spoiler alert: some of the guns may surprise you.

15 COMMENTS

  1. Uh? is this an event or just a suggestion, for a fun event a recognize bits borrowed from Rich Davis! If its some thing your running you need a place and a date, some were if its an idea you probably need to expand on that?

    Also innocent bystander is a no shoot target or ?
    Dutch

    • Hey Dutch,
      This IS HAPPENING!!! We just finished shooting the match last Friday. I haven’t heard the dates for next years match but it’s usually the 2nd week in June. The Blue pins (innocent Bystanders) are indeed no shoots and if you hit them and knock them over or if one of the regular pins bumps it and knocks it over you get 5 seconds added to your table (for each blue pin).

    • About 150, Ken. The word has not yet gotten out. Hope you can make the next one, given how many you won in the old days!

    • Ken!!!!!!! you need to come back up and shoot so that you and I can defend our 2-man team title!! A lot of the old guys came back and we are slowly bringing new people into the fold. The shooting was an absolute blast, the people were great, the food was awesome, and Richard, well, he is still “el Supremo”!!!

    • Central Lake, Michigan. A beautiful resort area near Traverse City. Free camping on grounds. Feed the whole family (and let ’em watch and play trivia) all week for $100 apiece.

  5. Awesome! Great event, would love to attend someday – bucketlist items perhaps.

    I do presume that, unlike the midway games mentioned in your analogy Mas, the events @ the Pin Shoot are not rigged! 🙂

    Looking forward to reading all about the ’18 winners and their fine firearms, Cheers.

  8. That sounds like a lot of fun. Okay, one should be cautious about using the words gun and fun together, since guns are serious business, so . . . it looks like a lot of responsible adults having a really fun time.

  9. The shooting range I go to has started holding weekly pin shoots. 5 pins, double elimination, 5 rd reloads, open sights only, no barrel length, any center fire caliber allowed. I plan to participate using my carry guns (Ruger LCR and S&W 686 Plus) on the nights that I’m actually off from work.

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