45 Colt vs Bowling Ball

[Rick]

Anyone ever try shooting a bowling ball?

Was at a friends getting some trigger time today. I let the friend shoot my 45 Colt. The little dog and I were sitting in the shade by his house and I see him get something to shoot. We watched him walk out to the range with a bowling ball in one hand and my Colt in the other. It didn't sink in that he was going to shoot the ball until he put it down walked a few paces back then open upon it.

He then goes over and picks up the bowling ball and put it away. I didn't see it move so I asked him if he missed and it turned out he did hit it but the bullets just bounced off.

So to the list of things not to shoot add the bowling ball it could bounce one back at you.

[da gimp]

won't recommend shooting moderately loaded .45ACP's (using a very hard cast wheel weight bullets & 230 gr USGI round nosed hardball's mixed ) into a seasoned large hedge stump/chunk lying flat side to you, level with your point of aim either. Them suckers hurt on richochet even at 25 yds. The .45ACP's were shot rapid fire on a paper target taped to the face of the hedge. Won't be doing that again, either, ty for the heads up on the bowling ball, never tried them, but have shot the hell outta bowling pins on a table with .45's & 9mm's.

[phil441]

Anyone ever try shooting a bowling ball?

Thanks. I'll remember that the next time I'm attacked by a rabid bowling ball.....
Guess I'll just run away bravely.

Actually, I can relate to all of that since as kid I had my favorite target-hanging tree shoot back at me. It missed, but I'll never forget the loud SNAP as the .22 passed by my ear.

[Nick Riviezzo]

I was being a Range Officer several years back at my gun clubs falling plate shoot.The fellow I was standing next to "coaching" had some handloads that were just the right combination to bounce straight back.One hit me on the back of the left hand and left me with no feeling in it for two days. I didn't break the skin but it left one very large bruise! Needless to say I didn't do my best shooting when my turn came. Nick

[joem]

Watermelons make the best targets. Hit them with hollow points.

[Dave Waits]

I watched a guy shoot a 16 pound Ebonite once with a 22-250 at about fifty yards. Had a .22 caliber puckered hole in it. Bullet didn't exit.

[Guamsst]

If you have a Mosin Nagant and fire the Czech surplus 7.62X54R silver tips into a granite boulder they won't come back. But, they will frag the granite and make one heck of a fireworks show if it's dark out. The steel penetrator will go about 2" into the granite. I was surprised to say the least.

[Rick]

The bowling ball doesn't know it but it's days are numbered. I know my friend will not give up even if it takes his 50 caliber.

Some guys I worked with wanted to come out and do some shooting. One made some small silhouette targets out of some plate steel. I told them it wasn't a good idea but you know young guys will never listen to a old guy.

The guys cut loose on the steel targets so I stood behind the firing line. Sure enough one bounced back and hit one of the guys. Now you think this would have been enough for anyone with a lick of sense but no it didn't slow them down. When they all were reloading the guy that was hit asked me why I was standing behind him all the time with my back turned. I told him I was playing the odds that he was hit once the probability of him being hit again was lower than the rest but just in case I was hoping he would stop the bullet for me and failing that I would rather stop one with my backside than getting an eye shot out.

No one said a word but they put the steel away and switched to my favorite targets. Water filled plastic pop bottles. They make a good explosion when hit, don't shoot back, and best of all easy to pick up the mess when you police the area.

[John Sukey]

A misuse of bowling balls. They are ammunition NOT targets. (Civil war style mortars made from a section of an acetylene tank.)

[mattressmorris]

Your buddy definately has balls shooting a bowling ball with a 45! Another fun game as you might know is a little shotgun golf,great way to pass the time on a lazy Sunday afternoon:)

[Rick]

I would rather watch paint dry than play golf but somehow shotgun golf sounds up my alley. Bring me up on the fine points of the game.

[amber]

When I first started shooting age age 8 (am 64 now), it was drilled into me never to shoot at a "hard" target -- water, metal, rock, etc. After all these years, the only "hard" taget I shot at was a 1/2" lead plate with WW II Frangible ammo (green & white bullet). It is made of powered bakalite and lead. They were designed to be used by the military for aerial gunnery practice, shooting against special tragets. These projectiles were suppose to disintigrate. The ones I shot at this lead plate left a hole that I could put my thumb through. As I recall, the shooting range was only a few feet. I still can not get it through my head why people shoot at metal targets. But, it does look like fun.