Shooting high in the rain

[crusty]

Just been to a 200m shoot, most of us shot about 12 - 18" high when it started raining. After the rain stopped we all shot to centre again.

I've heard the saying "lights up, sights up" - but what about rain? The rain wasn't long enough to soak the stock.

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[matthanne1]

Interesting- humid air is actually less dense than dry air, but that doesn't appear to have an effect on bullet drop (or not) beyond fractions of an inch, not a foot or more, especially at only 200m.
Most often the greatest effect is on the shooter as rain distorts views and distracts the shooter.
Would be interesting to hear other conjectures!

[browningautorifle]

It's exactly that, the rain caused all of you to aim up, just because of the visibility. The air was a damp after the rain stopped as when it was actually raining.

[mike16]

never heard that in 35 years of shooting, the fact that it happened to most and not all suggests other conjecture.

any fire armcan be affected by climatic change. its the reason for composite stock. and evn if humidity does not affect the stock teperture does.

my bet is that those who shot high exposed thier wood to humidity. specifically the lower for arm to humidity.

the fact that they began shooting straight was maybe compensation for shooting high.

you said most... those whom were not affected during the rain... how was thier shooting affected when it stopped.

LE's are very sensitive to humidity, more so the forarm which influences the accuracy of the weapon.

there is a very good reason the factory coated all wood surfaces with linseed oil. done properly and regularly it has several benifits.

those shooters who shot straight, did you ask them what they do different? and what did they say.

soak that wood in hot linseed oil. stock makers and wood workers been doing it for centuries.

I learned along time ago and again in the military not to leave your weapon exposed to the elements, not just rain either.... I wonder if theres any truth to that. Even those who shoot the AR platform exercise that rule. Na... it must be a myth.

[browningautorifle]

my bet is that those who shot high exposed their wood to humidity. specifically the lower for arm to humidity.

I just have a feeling they weren't exposed to that much water for that long...

The rain wasn't long enough to soak the stock.

never heard that in 35 years of shooting

I've seen all kinds of things. This is the least.

[mike16]

rain is 100% humidity. anything less is still humidity. it does not actualy have to be submerged in water to warp the wood.I been drying wood down here in southern Aridzona for years and even more than a decade, they still measure4-6% humidity in the wood.

you paint one side with oil and it will warp the wood. so even just slathering on oil on the outside of a stock can leave the inside vulnerable to absorbing humidity. drying one side of water and not the other can warp the wood. laying the rifle wet or dry in the sun will warp the wood.

ask the people who shoot straight what they did right.. or at least observe thier behaviour.

on the plus side, crusty, god bless you for not blaming your rifle.. I think of all the humid colonies enfields were used in.....

[RT Ellis]

It seems illogical that the rain would cause the point of aim to change that dramatically. I learned a lot about shooting in weather at the National Matches in 1965, where I noticed during one match the right range flag streaming left, the left range flag streaming right, the center range flag streaming up range, and the national flag behind the ranges streaming down range.

During the Navy Cup Match it seemed every time my relay did something (it started with a drizzle when called to the ready line, a little harder when called to the firing line, harder through the sighting rounds, more at the command "shooters rise", and when the targets came up the rain came down) I added two clicks of elevation to the M14 NM rifle I was using and had a pretty good grouping in the center of the black. I don't know the dynamics of why of this phenomena, but it falls into some of the known situations such as adjusting elevation when firing down a slope and etc., that have to be learned and adjusted for. I have to say from my experience 12 to 18 inches extraordinary.

[DanL96a1]

It might be the increase pressure, if the rounds or chamber have become wet or damp. As a TR shooter we always keep ammo and chamber / bolt and bolt face dry as this can make shots go high. The army used to say keep ammo bone dry or soaking wet and deduct 100y from the sights to compensate for this increased pressure.

[CINDERS]

Thing about liquids they are not compressible pure physics mind you so the pressure has to go some where usually pressure spikes or ringed barrels and just like a cooked round in a hot chamber the shot will go high many a day here on a rainy winters day shooting one has the breech/ammo covered but sometimes the wind howls straight down our range and the rain makes for cr*p sighting with the front lense covered in droplets no use wiping them as they will just be back just as quick.......

[enfield303t]

From my experience it would take a great amount of exposure (time) to rain before there would be any movement in the stock that would affect accuracy.