How cold is too cold for you to shoot?

[Rod Man]

Cold is not a big deal for me, it’s the other direction that I can do without. When your trying to see that clear front sight and the sweat is blurring your vision. That’s when I walk away.

RM

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Ya not a fan of the heat either.

 

[Nor'Easter]

Been trying out cold weather lock lubes, last try was DGW Whale Oil. Worked OK down to -20. At -35 it was dragging enough to not spark / kick the steel over. I guess at those temps the old-timers must have run the locks dry? I read the natives here abouts did their moose hunting with French fusils in the dead of winter - so they must have figured it out.

 

[Nor'Easter]

+1 on the heat. If it's cold you can put more on, but if your hot there's only so much you can take off (before you get arrested).

 

[appalichian hunter]

Not period correct, totally de-lube the lock and use graphite.

 

[Art Caputo]

In my younger days, If a match was on, I would go….Nowadays, if temps are less the 25F at sunrise, particularly if it’s windy I’m out.

 

[Walkaheap]

I'd say somewhere in the 20sF. One good thing is that you often have the range to yourself when it's colder. Here in Nebraska you'd lose months of shooting if you always avoided the cold. Same for the heat. Some weather we have here...

 

[Mtman725]

We shoot when its cold here, been working on my cold weather loading, our season is late for MZ, got to get use to it.

 

[dave951]

There are only 2 reasons I can be talked out of going to the range. 1) the range is closed. 2) random electricity falling from the sky. Past those, I'm going.

 

[Surrywoodman]

Low to mid 30s with no or low wind is my limit. In the low 40s with wind chill will cause me to walk away too. But, like Nor'Easter said, it can get too hot to shoot also, when the sweat is pouring. Hunting I can hack the cold temps still, at least down to the low 20s

 

[Marshhawk]

Blood has kinda thinned after 37 years on the southern coast. I'll hunt at 87 degrees. It,s not pleasant with the sweat and skeeters and all, but you get used to it. As for range time, shivering and numb fingers have a real negative effect on my accuracy, so I keep it to 40 degrees or above. Also, no wind. Hard to get consistent groups in windy conditions.

 

[mmb617]

When the weather is decent I go to the range 3 or 4 times a week but I don't like the cold. If's it's below about 40* or so I'm not going. I might go a little lower if it's a dead calm day as the wind can make a big difference. I go to the range because I really enjoy it and I'm not going to get any pleasure out of it if I'm freezing my butt off.

We're in the middle of a very cold spell now and I haven't shot my black powder guns for almost 3 weeks so I'm watching the forecast for a half decent day, maybe this week.

Heat on the other hand doesn't really bother me. In the summer I just go early in the day before it gets too hot. I'd far rather be too hot than too cold.

 

[mushka]

When I lived in Md. 30 years ago I would go to the range if it wasn't icy. Cold wasn't a problem, neither was heat. Wind I'd just deal with. Living in So. Az. nowadays at 77 yrs of age 50 or 55 degs will be about the bottom line for me due to an aggravatingly arthritic right hand. Cold makes it hurt and kills dexterity. Loading, not the shooting is the problem. Wind is a problem with me shooting MZ guns regardless of the temp. My BP revolvers are really troublesome for me to load in the cold. Unmentionable guns don't give me the same problems. I will shoot in the summer up to about 95 degs then it's time to go home. I do prefer warm to cold.

 

[APG]

I'm sitting at the range waiting for it to open and it's at 36°. By the time it opens at 8am it will be around 45° which is ok. The next few hours it will get to the I'd 60's. It's all good until you hit a finger tip when it's below the 40's. Ouch, ouch, ouch.

 

[MTMountainman]

Was supposed to shoot a match this morning. Alarm goes off and then my phone rings. It’s my shooting partner/carpool buddy. He tells me it is 0 degrees F at the range and he is bailing out on me, staying home in front of the fire.
On the way home from the club last night my car said -14 to a+2 degree. I text the range officer for the club and tell her we weren’t coming.
My question is “ what temp is too cold to shoot a paper match “?

Never too cold. Until you freeze into a solid block of ice, it's shooting weather!

 

[Cruzatte]

I'll go out to shoot when the temperature drops down into the 20s. But if it happens to be very windy, say with speeds of 15-20 mph, I won't do much shooting. Our December shoot was like that. I think I only got off three shots before my fingers were painfully cold, even though I was dressed up in plenty of layers. I had mittens on, but you have to remove them to shoot.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

Maybe when Poor Old Joe finally retires he will go to Arizona and settle in near where P man resides and he can go there and worship him.

I want to add a piece of sage advice I got many years ago about shooting in the cold and hunting in Winter.

If you spend your Summer and early Fall practicing your shot and you get it down to a science don't be surprised if come hunting season your shots suck. It's the jacket you are wearing. All that time practicing was without a large parka or other bulky warm coat and when you put on a winter jacket and go to shoot your mechanics are not the same as t-shirt shooting weather.

So if you plan on winter hunting, do some range time in your jacket.

This one reason getting the length of pull right on a stock is important. If it's borderline too long in the summer with a light shirt on it will be way too long in the winter with heavy clothes on.

 

[FPDoc]

There are only 2 reasons I can be talked out of going to the range. 1) the range is closed. 2) random electricity falling from the sky. Past those, I'm going.

Have you tried rubber moccasins for 2)?

Post posting edit: per follow up post" Do Not do this.. reference: See Darwin

PS Agree with next post from Dave.. Me as well, remember the recc about squatting on your coiled climbing rope in lightning conditions. Crampons also bad then.

 

[dave951]

Have you tried rubber moccasins for 2)?
A taller friend with a longer rifle might also be helpful... fishing rod even better. Let's go Darwin.

Having almost been struck by lightning a couple times whilst mountaineering, I'm leery of standing out in it while holding a metal pipe with gunpowder in it

 

[Billy Boy]

Was supposed to shoot a match this morning. Alarm goes off and then my phone rings. It’s my shooting partner/carpool buddy. He tells me it is 0 degrees F at the range and he is bailing out on me, staying home in front of the fire.
On the way home from the club last night my car said -14 to a+2 degree. I text the range officer for the club and tell her we weren’t coming.
My question is “ what temp is too cold to shoot a paper match “?

Iv’e shot here at -22 F. The fouling turns to rock real fast. I had alcohol soaked cleaning patches in a baggie and got by fine gun-wise. The problem is capping, handling little thingies, and keeping the frozen mustache snot from cramping your cheek-weld form.