Hawkeye Rifle & Pistol Club Out-Door Bowling Pin League

This is a new league for the gun club, and the below rules may change a little as the league, and our knowledge grows.
Thanks for your understanding and patience,
now get out there and have some fun!

SAFETY:
1. All guns will be empty with the actions open at all times until the ok is given to load on the firing line.
2. Eye & Ear protection must be worn at all times.
3. No one is allowed downrange until the Range officer signals, “the line is safe.”
4. Firearms may be handled only in the designated handling area and while shooting.
5. Firearms will be carried to the line, or holstered.
6. Firearms may be loaded only at the firing line, when the match official instructs you to load.
7. Loaded Firearms must point downrange at all times. If a competitor allows his loaded Firearm to point more than 180 (90 degrees in either direction) degrees back from straight downrange, he (/she) will be (warned) disqualified from the entire match. A second infraction in the same year will result in disqualification from the (match) rest of the season.
8. Revolvers may be fired single action (hammer cocking) only if handled in such a way that the cocked revolver never points over the backstop.
9. Any accidental discharge, as determined by the officials, will result in disqualification from the match.
10. If a safety officer touches you, immediately put your finger outside the trigger guard,
put the muzzle of your gun on the table, and wait for instructions.

Additional Safety Note:
When Shooting Bowling Pins richochets are possible. A minimum velocity of 750 fps is required to reduce this possibility. Eye and ear protection is mandatory. expect ricochet and or to be struck by bullets, or part of a bullet that "bounced" back. this is especially true with lower powered rounds. This has happened to me but the bullet / fragment never caused more than a sting and a red mark. Due to the low initial velocity of handgun rounds, so much energy is lost on the hard object that it may cause the bullet to ricochet back and most of the time it does not have enough energy to do serious harm unless it would strike you the face. Again Eye & Ear protection must be worn at all times.


COURSE OF FIRE:
All shooters will shoot at 5 bowling pins at a distance of approximately 25 feet. The object of the match
is to clear all 5 pins off the table in the quickest time possible.

Shooters start with five pins on a flat table 25 feet in front of them. The competitor must shoots his / her
pins off of the table. Bullets under approximately 750 fps tend to bounce off the pins, and are not allowed.

To equalize all entries, each shooter will be allowed to have six rounds in their guns to start and can
reload with as many rounds as the gun is capable of handling.

The shooter can shoot the pins in any order they wish.
The shooter will be timed from the buzzer until the final shot that makes the last pin clear the table.

The shooter will signal the timer when you are ready to fire with the muzzle of the gun resting on the table/bar/bench.
After completing the round, remove the magazine and lock slide back or open cylinder.
Once the Range Officer has given the all clear signal each shooter will need to reset the pins and remove their handgun.
Each shooter will shoot 3 rounds per event. and each shooter should shoot from a different station each time.

There are safe tables to set your equipment upon. Handling firearms during a
match should be kept at a minimum. You may reload magazines at the safe table, but do not load
your firearm at the safe table. Your firearm should not be loaded (during the match) until you are at
the firing line and only when so directed by the Range Officer.

Range & Safety Officer Duties:
If a safety officer sees an infraction, he will stop the competitor by touching his
back or shoulder.
When the competitors are instructed to make their firearms safe, the safety officers will check to
make sure that all ammunition is removed, and that the actions or cylinders are open. When the
firearms are safe, they will signal the center Range Officer.

General match commands:
The following is an approximation of the commands you will hear and the response we expect from
you, the shooter:

Make ready: Raise your firearm and adjust your stance so you
come up on the first pin (several times if needed), then put the muzzle on the table.

Load: Load your firearm, arrange your mags or speed-loaders, hold your firearm
in a firing grip with the muzzle on the Bar/Bench/table. Keep your finger off the trigger until you hear the Buzzer/whistle.

Are you Ready: Shooter should respond verbally or by nodding. No response will be
interpreted as if you are ready. If you are not ready you must respond with “NOT READY”.

Buzzer/whistle: Start shooting. Don’t stop until your pins are off the table or a safety officer touches you,
or the Range officer blows a Buzzer/whistle. If a safety officer touches you, immediately put your finger outside the trigger guard, put the muzzle of your gun on the table, and wait for instructions.

Cease Fire: Immediately upon the verbal command and Buzzer/whistle stop shooting and put the muzzle of your firearm on the table.

Make the Line Safe:
Revolver: chambers empty, cylinder open, lying on the table with the muzzle downrange.
Semi-auto: Mag out, chamber empty, slide locked back, lying on the table with the
ejection port exposed, muzzle downrange.

Make sure you control the direction of the muzzle at all times. After you set your gun on the table, step back.

Handicaps (HC)
HC1 Back table (6” from the back edge of the table)
• 22 Rim fire
HC2 Mid table (24” from the back edge of the table)
• 9 mm
• 38 Super
• 40 S&W
HC3 Front table (36” from the front edge of the table)
• 357 Magnum to 50 Action Express

Note: the match director will classify any caliber not listed. like a 44-40 must shoot from the 45cal position

COST: A shooter may enter a maximum of three guns in the competition (the entry fees will be $15 for the first gun, $5 for the second gun and $5 charge for the third gun). Each shooter and gun combination will be called an entry.

SIGN UP SHEET: Please sign-up each event on the scoring sheet. There will be a sign up sheet for Pistol and Revolver.

PENALTIES: There will be a two-second penalty if one pin knocks over another pin and a two-second penalty for each pin left standing. if more then 2 pins are left standing (you will be penalized an additional 5 seconds ) you are disqualified

ALIBIS: There are no alibis in the bowling pin league. If you have a jam or misfire you must clear it and finish.
Shooters are responsible for being ready once they signal the timer, safety off; sight’s turned on, etc.


Disqualifications:
There are several ways to get disqualified.
The list includes but is not limited to:
Any unsafe firearm handling
Any accidental discharge
Allowing your muzzle to break the 180° field

Stuff to bring with you to the match:
Your firearm, extra magazines and/or speed-loaders
Eye and hearing protection is mandatory
At least 100 rounds of ammunition for your firearm
A case or holster to transport your firearm to the safe table