very cold weather hunting

[Alberta Black]

Last December in the late deer season hunt we ran into some cold weather problems with the lube freezing on the patches so that it would not grab the rifling. Ruined the accuracy as you might ezpect. We have since upgraded our patch lube and that has solved that problem.

Something else occured to me today and that is if we had been hunting with smoothbores and patched roundballs would we have had any accuracy issues because of the lack of rifling? Anyone have any experience or thoughts on this?

AB

 

changed your lube to what? I bet you could put it to the test today. -42 here, can't be much different in calgary

 

[Maynerd62411]

Our "handgun " deer season , got changed to "late " season, this year. The state is wanting to lower the doe population, so they're allowing all legal firearms. (shotgun, muzzleloader, single shot muzzleloading pistols, and revolvers) It's this weekend. We're supposed to be in the single digit temperatures. :shake:

 

[CG6018]

I have never experienced anything compared to your temperature readings, but here is something I have tried with success when temperatures drop below 0

 

[Alberta Black]

It is a balmy -34 here today and it was not that cold in December. We bought some Lehigh lube from TOW and tested it by leaving a soaked patch outside. It got a little cold but did not freeze.

Do you think that a smoothbore would have the same issues?I am thining that the next time I do this I will use a patched roundball in my 12 guage.

 

[Alberta Black]

how does the dry patch affect accuracy as compared to a lubed patch.

 

[shmrck1]

AlbertaBlack,
its probably because of these old bones
but i wont have to worry about my patches freezing at -34
because they will be with me in my +70 degree living
room watching the outdoor channel :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
snake-eyes eace: :thumbsup:

 

[Alberta Black]

snake eyes

it was only about -20 when we were hunting but your point is well taken.

AB

 

[CG6018]

Alberta Black,
The dry patch is not as accurate;however, where we hunt during the flintlock season any shots you get are always under 50 yards and usually in the 25 to 30 yard range. No worries about hitting the vitals at those ranges with the dry patch in my opinion. Food for thought. :results:

 

[Stumpkiller]

It's been warm this year, but last year we sufferred horribly. Something like 20 consecutive days below zero! I was hunting in -15

 

-50 when this moose was shot. However, patch lube was not an issue as it was shot with a conical.

 

[buzzerd]

Way to GO!!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Looks like lots of good eatin ahead for you guys. Please tell us what load / cal you used --- projectile etc and how Bullwinkle reacted to it --- looks like from the background it was a fairly close shot. Was the wound channel large? Thanks for the reply. :RO:
Bob.

 

[Stumpkiller]

-50

 

[Ron LaClair]

Way to go Cody :thumbsup: :thumbsup:. I shot my bull with a .62 round ball. It wasn't that cold thank God but it was awfull wet. Rained so much my tapered ramrod swelled and stuck. Luckily I had a steel rod along.

When did you get your moose and what cal and load did you use? Curious minds want to know.

 

[Alberta Black]

Nice animal Cody,

like the other fellahs said "Do tell"

AB

 

[flaming canvas]

Did you get it field dressed before it froze solid?

 

The shooter was my dad. The moose was shot in 1984. The rifle is a half stock he had made by a guy in Germany. It is .45 cal with a whitworth bore. he shoots 510 grain hex slugs with 90g fff. When he saw the moose, the moose saw him but refused to move. I think he walked to within 60 yards or something and the moose wouldn't move. Just looked at him. Likely too cold for the moose to "waste" energy on a "might be dangerous". Or perhaps the moose thought "shoot already, it's friggin COLD out here". At any rate, he said gutting was a b-i-t-c-h. The moose was warm of course but the knife was not. They had to build a fire, he'ld cut about 2-3 inches and the blood/fat would freeze to the blade and it would quit cutting. Hold the knife over the fire to thaw, cut a few inches repeat to get the thing opened up. Keep in mind, it's warm inside, but at -50, as soon as you pull your hands out, they freeze. Particularily since now they're wet. It took quite awhile to get it gutted, then had trouble cutting the head off. I guess his patience were running a bit thin by then, he finally got the head off and sort of heaved it to the side in frustration and it landed nose first on the gutpile and instantly froze there. I guess he was REAL IMPRESSED then as he wanted to keep the antlers and they were now welded to a 100 pounds of guts. Bear in mind, I wasn't there, this is how I remember the story being told. At the time, this moose was, I believe #3 in the longhunter book (1st edition). If he had shot it today, he would not enter it due to "the issue". He believes, and is likely right, that the ML season was cancelled due to the influx of scopes and inlines but thats for another thread. It was shot at Stewart Lake BC

Cody