cold weather

[Frank Briggs]

I went to the range today and shot some targets with a buddy.

It was a few degrees above freezing when I left the house and warmed up to about 50 degrees at lunchtime.

In the early morning, we shot some pretty sorry targets. I shot a five shot group at 50 yards that was about six inches across!

By the time I went home, I was doing alright and poked a few holes in a bull's eye or two.

So, here's my question...

Does the cold weather change anything about the gun?

Am I getting different velocitys or is the bore butter changing something because my patch was hard as a brick?

Do I need to work up a load for the cold?

Or is it more a matter of the cold making me stiff and sore(Yes, it does) and causing me to shoot like a beginner?

Anybody else notice this before?

 

[MikeFromON]

I shot in freezing weather for the first time just a couple of days ago, and I did not notice any differences, but that does not mean there were none. Common sense would tell me that freezing temperatures would change the way your rifle behaves compared to the warmer afternoon temperatures. The metal in the balls and barrel would contract at different rates, changing the fit between ball and bore. This might make your lock slower too. Any lubricants you use in your lock or trigger mechanisms would become 'stiffer'. Of course your patch lube will change viscosity and the patch itself will get just a little less supple. The cold metal surrounding the burning powder would absorb just a little more heat than usual, so that would mean slightly less pressure in the breech and barrel.

 

[Frank Briggs]

I hadn't thought about lock time.

Yep, I use a non PC synthetic grease in my lock. I havn't bothered to check and see what the stuff does at near-freezing temps, so I don't know for sure if it thickens.

I didn't notice any change in lock time, but a little here and a little there...

But I still suspect it's my tired old bones that made the biggest difference!

 

[renovato]

Temperature does change a few things. How it effects your particular gun and load is something only you can determine. Colder powder doesn't burn as quickly. Chemical reactions are slowed by cold. This is true for black powder or smokeless. It's known that max pressure centerfire rounds can move into dangerous pressure territory in hot weather. Also, as mentioned, lead and steel expand and contract at different rates. This will effect the fit of the ball in the barrel. As you said, it may be effecting your lube also. Even little variables can make a big difference.

You might try working up a cold weather load. If lead contracts more than steel, you may need a thicker patch or even a larger ball. If it contracts less, the opposite. I don't know either way, so I'll leave that to the more knowledgeable folks. You will probably need a slightly heavier charge to get you back into the same sweet spot, velocity wise.

You might try the Ballistol dry patch system. I don't know if it changes viscosity in extreme cold, but I haven't noticed any changes in the 20's which is about the coldest weather I ever shoot in.

Let us know what you find out. This is a fascinating thread so far!

 

[Big John]

Carry your bore butter patches under your coat (warm)or they will stiffen causing problems. Try mink oil or Leigh High Valley lube for cold weather lubes.

 

[sparsons]

last time I was out it was around 40 degrees overcast and slight breeze. I was using a .495 ball with Walmart ticking. I was shooting high. Nice pattern but still high.Longer the day got the colder it got and I called it a day. I would like to chalk it up to the cold but maybe the cold made me hurry the shot and I pulled up. I did notice as the barrel warmed the shots came down some. Was it a cold barrel or as you said cold bones or a combination of both? Either way I was not pleased except for the tight pattern.

 

[Headhunter]

I was watching the outdoor channel "Jim Shockey Outdoors" As you all know he shoots one of those other rifles. He was hunting Polar Bear and he talked a bit on how he had to increase his powder charge when the temp drops to maintain accuracy.

Headhunter