Shooting in the cold

[stencollector]

Some guy parked his car to go ice fishing and after a short period of time the lake ate the car.

Reminds me of the day I decided to clear off the pond out back so I could make an ice rink. It had been -20 for a while so I fugured there would be good ice coverage. I drove the old Oliver tractor onto it and it made short work of the job. That was, until I got into the corner, where all the dead leaves and minnows had started to ferment. Once the first wheel goes through, it is just a matter of time until you have to abandon ship. By the time I left the tractor, just the top 1/4 of the back wheels were showing.
Then the real trick comes in trying to winch it free before it freezes in and has to wait for spring. In spring the pond doubles in size, so there would be a lot more damage. My recovery training (I was a mechanic in the military) came in handy that day.

I've moved since then and sure do miss that old pond. It made for a nice shooting range. Nearest house was a mile away in any direction, and even those were far and few between. Lots of wildlife too, but not being a hunter myself, the only creatures I ever dispatched were racoons, for the offense of constantly eating all the cat's food. I still have a cat dish with 9mm holes in it from where I would miss the furry buggers.

[Andy]

I shoot year-round - was out today.

The most dramatic effect of cold weather on shooting I have observed is with my Snider Enfield. I shoot smokeless loads of very low pressure - we're talking shotgun pressures in the 10K range. With the slower powders (by that I mean H4227 range), I have seen a load that in the summer would send a 400gr bullet at 1100 fps, shoot the bullet 20m followed by a stream of unburnt powder. My strategy has been to keep the loaded rounds in my warm running vehicle and take them out two at a time - one in my inside pocket and the other in the gun and quickly fired. This effect is much less dramatic with higher pressure loads in other guns.

I've done the opposite in summer. When it's hot, I allow my ammo to warm up evenly before I shoot it, otherwise the first few, still cool from my air-conditionned house shoot very differently from the last few that have warned up.

[neolithic1]

I shoot year round, even in the snow. One thing that I notice about shooting in colder temperatures is that cosmoline does not ooze from the Yugo stocks.

[Rapidrob]

I was lucky enough to spend 18 years chasing Russian Submarines in the North Alantic on Destroyer Escorts and Destroryers. With seas running in sea state 3 most of the time and temps in the -50's it was a joy to behold. Salt water froze onto your face instantly. Your uniform became like glass. You breath caused ice to form on your facial hair and exposed lips or ears. Touching exposed steel with out gloves on could leave flesh behind to show where you have been. Steel cracks with any real strain placed on it. And there is no warm place on a ship in a storm in the North Atlanic. We were called "Blue noses" after we went too far north. How we ever survied all those winters is beyond me, but we did.

[sdh1911]

I think I'll remain in these parts with the other 20 million woosies! Thats colder than sticking your hand in the shoprite freezer and thats no fun. I didn't mind shooting last week in mildly cold air, but, can't imagine being able to focus while your brain is going into deep freeze.SDH

[Claven2]

That's probably why the Finns beat the Russians up so bad in the Winter war, and why the Russians learned valuable lesson and were able to apply it against the Whermacht

[Rapidrob]

If anyone could post a Mosin Nagant report in the real cold up there, It would be helpful for an article I'm writting. Details on the bullet grouping, powder fouling, and shooting the rifle with heavy winter clothing on. Thanks.

[neolithic1]

We shoot year round. I don't notice any difference in performance.

It sure beats having sweat dripping in your eyes when it's 100 degrees.

[sdh1911]

At least wit sweat, you can wipe it away, with the temps you fellows are putting up with in the north land's it will freeze to your face! Hum, I'm a little more in favor with the change in seasons thing, where you bring an extra sweat shirt and shed it late in the day, yea, I'm gettin old. I just got done reading a translation of a Russian mosin nagant manual and it has a temp conversion chart in it, I guess the A## kicking in Finland had quite an impact-SDH