Winter shooting

[Boisblancboy]

Any of you use your same loads for the colder temps?

 

[dolek]

We shoot 12 months a year in Holton, Michigan. We are lucky in that the Holton Gun Club has the clubhouse and an enclosed area attached with 3- benches. This enclosed area I'm guessing to be about 18 x 20. From the 3 benches one can shoot at 75 yards, 100 yards, and 200 yards.
The club has informal shoots 3 Sundays a month. January - March, Egg shoots 2- saturdays a month(shoot @ 100 yards), and Paper Score Shoots every Thursday. The egg shoots and the paper score shoots are 22LR only. Great practice for keeping your shooting sharp in the off season. The club routinely has 25-30 shooters attending these shoots. Great Winter shooting!
Oh, they do place 2 propane heaters in this normally unheated area to take the chill off. When its 10-15 degrees the heaters will warm this area to appx 40 degrees. It helps greatly that the club house is attached as the shooters will wander in and out of the club house to the shooting area. Hot Lunches are available for Shooters. Yep, lots of senior shooters with time on their hands waiting for nicer weather to return so they can once again enjoy centerfire shoots.

Sounds like heaven...

 

[dolek]

I shoot all year around at the range except when the temperature drops below 30 degree and / or winds are over 20 mph.

In the winter I dress appropriately and use Under Armour form fitting gloves, a hand warmer muff with "Hot Hands" disposable hand warmers. It works quite well and I can get in about an hour or so of comfortable practice time before I become uncomfortable. It's better than sitting in the house watching reruns of "Gunsmoke" which I've seen 50 times.

Never tried the "Hot Hands"...that would help me a great deal . I am only good for an hour or so when it's in the 20s-30s .

 

[Curmudgeon]

So what's the problem?

 

[Zero333]

I shoot in the winter. -15 f with 30mph wind gusts is about my limit.

Things I do different is...

Stay away from CCI primers... I've had 3 cci duds over the years and never had Federal primers fail.

Shoot rimfire only above 20 f.

Use serious winter clothing. Heated element clothes are nice but battery only lasts a few hours in -15 f, so don't rely on them.

Have different loads for the cold most of the time.

Change the length of pull if possible.

Run the car often so I can jump in and warm up.

 

[Spike A]

Any of you use your same loads for the colder temps?

i use the same load, i worked it up in the 60 degree area.. ive found it does tend to open my groups up from 0-.25 moa... but than again so does 90 and humid... i figure half the time it could easily be me opening them up... so i just leave it and run with it... and still have fun... i do go out on some of those nasty days.. dont always do very well... but i enjoy it .. till i cant feel my fingers any more..

 

[rkittine]

The 100 yard indoor range allows centerfire rifles too and I can use it by myself from time to time with the exhaust fans off and simulate zero wind conditions. Good for load development, but also to show how bad I am at reading real wind.

 

[strut64]

Suggestion for your shooting shack. Make sure you include a wood stove so that you can put a coffee on. Good for heating the shack, keeping your ammo at a good temperature, holding a cup to warm your hands and upon drinking, warming your insides. good luck

 

[K22]

You know what's nice about shooting in the winter cold?

Having a stiff Maker's Mark afterwards while sitting in front of the fireplace and studying your targets. It don't get no better than that except in a lust green hay field in late May that has just been cut exposing copious amounts of active ground hog holes.

 

[Boisblancboy]

You know what's nice about shooting in the winter cold?

Having a stiff Maker's Mark afterwards while sitting in front of the fireplace and studying your targets. It don't get no better than that except in a lust green hay field in late May that has just been cut exposing copious amounts of active ground hog holes.

There is no bad information in that post!

 

[udiablo]

I tested a match rifle before sending it to its' new owner (in Minnesota) a few years ago, and made the mistake of telling him that it was cold at the range (in OK) that morning. He mentioned that he'd shot a match the previous day in temperatures that were much colder.

Some powders/primers do well at low temperatures, but some do not. For .22LR, try ammo made for biathlon (like Lapua Polar Biathlon).

For centerfire, recommend you test your loads at the same temperatures that you expect to use them.

 

[dgeesaman]

I’ve been getting out regardless of temp here. I dont mind pure cold but cold and windy, I take a pass until the wind lays down. For me the lower limit is 5F, that cuts out only a few days per year.

I don’t compete but I do load my own and I develop accurate loads just the same. I keep my ammo warm using my pockets, or my running car. My trips to the range are only an hour in length.

I don’t see a loss of accuracy. But I also don’t shoot loads from summer.

I wear gloves. If it’s just chilly I wear fingerless gloves. If it’s cold I have light, slightly oversized glove for my trigger hand.

I don’t shoot my PCP airguns in the bitter cold, and I shoot less with my rimfires too. Mostly because the ammo isn’t much smaller and harder to handle with gloves on.

David

 

[Kramerica]

Winter time is my favorite time to shoot, working on a load for my 6.5 now. Temps keep my barrel good and cool, not much vapor on the air to make it where you can't see through the heat waves.

I don’t shoot f class but I second this. Barrel takes no time at all to cool down, another benefit is I don’t get eaten alive by deer flys and ticks like I would in the summer. I love winter shooting

 

[okie]

I have no idea what cold is... but skeeters and sweat i know all about--nothing like trying to tune a rifle for your jackaxx buddies early rifle hunt in august...sweat rolling in your eyes--why do i even do it for them???

 

[perry42]

I tested a match rifle before sending it to its' new owner (in Minnesota) a few years ago, and made the mistake of telling him that it was cold at the range (in OK) that morning. He mentioned that he'd shot a match the previous day in temperatures that were much colder.

Some powders/primers do well at low temperatures, but some do not. For .22LR, try ammo made for biathlon (like Lapua Polar Biathlon).

For centerfire, recommend you test your loads at the same temperatures that you expect to use them.

Lapua Biathlon & Fiochi Winter shoot very well in a couple of my 22's.

perry42

 

[lwhaples]

I try to keep the target open for the winter.This I cleaned up yesterday.Still cold though.