Winter at the range

[CaptainVane]

We shoot indoors after October. Cold (below 25 degrees F.) didn't bother me much until I turned 60 or so but it's really starting to bother me now in my 70's having to work out doors . Shooting isn't much fun for me now in cold weather in general and muzzle loading with bare fingers in particular.
Man where did the years go to so fast !

Where do you find an indoor range that lets you shoot black powder?

 

[M. De Land]

Where do you find an indoor range that lets you shoot black powder?

Palmer Alaska is where we shoot, 44 miles North up the road from Anchorage in the Matanuska valley.

 

[M. De Land]

Real mountain men wear shorts, or maybe i was just a dumb kidView attachment 262534View attachment 262535

Wow, those are some old photos ! 70's perhaps ?

 

[CaptainVane]

Palmer Alaska is where we shoot, 44 miles North up the road from Anchorage in the Matanuska valley.

How could I forget that joint? Of course. Great range. They have an outdoor range out back for when summer reaches a balmy 35 degrees.

 

[smokeum54]

Wow, those are some old photos ! 70's perhaps ?

Not quite that old, 94-95, i was 14-15. They were taken with cheap old kodak disposable cameras. Me and dad at the range and me getting back to camp from my short trap line north of camp. Notice the socks on the spit by the fire? Another part of cold weather shooting/hunting

 

[oldwood]

I say this from experience. Temp. was about 18 deg. F. Promised a fellow I would sight in a rifle a fellow bought from me. It was end of January , and the promised date was at hand. As things would be , we had about 8 " of wet snow , and an ice storm following. The township snow plow made a perfect ditch of plowed snow , for the water and ice to run down the 6 steps to the range , and freeze about an inch thick on the stairs. Perfect slick ice. First day there , the hand rail got me to the bottom of the stairs , with only a few minor contusions , and I saved the rifle from damage. Fired 5 shots , and while filing the front sight , the solder let go and the sight fell off. Back up the frozen waterfall steps , and was sorta semi pi$$ed off at my luck , so being cold , and brused went home after about an hour. Next day , I called up the young neighbor for a reinforcment. He brought an Ice chipper , and I an ax. Together , we did a credible job in an hour of cleaning the ice from the steps , got me down to the range , and finished sighting in the rifle. This cold weather BS is not recommended for young folks or old contrary , dumb guys. The name that I call myself while doing stupid stuff like that is , Stuart Pedasso. Or shortened , Stu Pedasso. Stay in if temps are below 32Deg. F. Just a suggestion.

 

[CyrusP]

I love cool and even cold weather. No bugs, no heat and humidity, and best of all, no people.

My hands no longer like the cold though. I need to invest in some serious, thin, warm gloves with some heating capability. I also suspect I’ll be getting a propane heater to stand next to at the range.

The guns metallurgy is not a problem at temps we’d encounter.

 

[smokeum54]

I say this from experience. Temp. was about 18 deg. F. Promised a fellow I would sight in a rifle a fellow bought from me. It was end of January , and the promised date was at hand. As things would be , we had about 8 " of wet snow , and an ice storm following. The township snow plow made a perfect ditch of plowed snow , for the water and ice to run down the 6 steps to the range , and freeze about an inch thick on the stairs. Perfect slick ice. First day there , the hand rail got me to the bottom of the stairs , with only a few minor contusions , and I saved the rifle from damage. Fired 5 shots , and while filing the front sight , the solder let go and the sight fell off. Back up the frozen waterfall steps , and was sorta semi really upset at my luck , so being cold , and brused went home after about an hour. Next day , I called up the young neighbor for a reinforcment. He brought an Ice chipper , and I an ax. Together , we did a credible job in an hour of cleaning the ice from the steps , got me down to the range , and finished sighting in the rifle. This cold weather BS is not recommended for young folks or old contrary , dumb guys. The name that I call myself while doing stupid stuff like that is , Stuart Pedasso. Or shortened , Stu Pedasso. Stay in if temps are below 32Deg. F. Just a suggestion.

Laser bore site while sitting on the couch eating chilli, yeah, she done shot good

 

[Omahkapi'si]

I wear fingerless wool gloves, they help and then stuff my hands into big mitts when needed.

 

[nick_1]

another bonus of shooting in winter is that fresh snow dampens the report so it's easier on your ears.

 

[nick_1]

chemical hand warmers inside the flaps of your fingerless mittens help. best thing is to do a brisk hike to your shooting spot.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Only have half my trigger finger, so always have to be careful of frostbite.

 

[BadDaditood]

You’ll wanna put the Bore Butter away till spring.
Get Bear Grease from October Country and/or pure Mink Oil from Track of the Wolf

 

[Billy Boy]

First winter with my BP pistols. Any tips, tricks, words of wisdom I need to know when the weather gets below 35-40?

If you’re hunting or only shooting a couple of cylinders full, wipe all lube off of all gun parts, don’t need it. I have a hand warmer in my pocket for my shooting /loading hand. This is for below zero temperatures, 20s to 40s (above) picnic weather, still don’t need heavy lube of any kind.

 

[Crow Choker]

I wouldnt leave the house at zero, winter day temps in MD are typically in mid 30s to 40. Doable at outdoor range..
Im hoping it keeps the 9mm guys away.

Good grief-that would be considered a heat wave during the winter here in North Iowa. As has been suggested dress warm, fingerless wool gloves- the one's with the attached flappers to put over your fingers are nice. I wear a pair of polypropylene gloves under the fingerless gloves at times (when bow hunting in cold weather also), keeps from having bare skin. I use wads over powder with my revolvers, so I adjust the lube I soak the wads in to something that won't get stiff in the cold weather. I don't shoot at public ranges, rather owned land, private land with permission, and alot of up and down the two local rivers in my area. If it is below 0* or a nasty wind, usually stay put inside, but have ventured out in below 0* weather shooting in sheltered areas or sunny days with little or no wind. Actually, if it's below 0* with no wind it is tolerable, but the fingers need to go under the armpits on occasion. "It's cold shooting when you have a runny nose and the liquid that drains outa yer nose freezes before it drops or ya can wipe it off-that's tough shootin (need some bark on yer hide) and gross soundin, but the truth!"

Like yer pictures rick-1, love being out in the snow walkin along a river/through wooded areas with a MZ loader rifle, black powder revolvers, or any firearm for that matter. Lookin at them makes me hankerin' for winter to be here. Love winter hunting also, just something about it.

 

[necchi]

Any tips, tricks, words of wisdom I need to know when the weather gets below 35-40?

ya, 35-40,,, ain't winter". It's tee shirt weather in March.

 

[1stnamebassist]

It’s a beautiful cool breezy 85 degrees today in Sw Florida. I moved here from Massachusetts in 1995 and haven’t been back, and I know I couldn’t handle the cold up there now. Or the dumb gun laws either. The closest I get to frostbite now is when I have a snowcone with grape syrup on it. I have to be careful my fingers don’t get numb while eating it, I wouldn’t want to spill grape syrup on my Hawaiian shirt. I may have to wear footwear soon when it really cools down to an unbearable 70 degrees. Especially if it’s windy, the windchill could drop to 65 and then the trouble really begins!

 

[CyrusP]

I assume you are a bass player? I was a bass player in a former life. A mediocre bass player.

 

[1stnamebassist]

I assume you are a bass player? I was a bass player in a former life. A mediocre bass player.

How did you know?!! A bunch of psychics on this forum don’t you know! And yes I am/was a bass player! I have the same username on many forums. Guns, knives, music, etc… right now, or I should say the last 5 or so years I’ve taken a break.

 

[M. De Land]

It’s a beautiful cool breezy 85 degrees today in Sw Florida. I moved here from Massachusetts in 1995 and haven’t been back, and I know I couldn’t handle the cold up there now. Or the dumb gun laws either. The closest I get to frostbite now is when I have a snowcone with grape syrup on it. I have to be careful my fingers don’t get numb while eating it, I wouldn’t want to spill grape syrup on my Hawaiian shirt. I may have to wear footwear soon when it really cools down to an unbearable 70 degrees. Especially if it’s windy, the windchill could drop to 65 and then the trouble really begins!

And then there are the Hurricanes! I was surprised to learn that the highest elevation in the whole state is something like 345 ft (Britton Hill) above sea level.
Lots of the more well to do folks than myself that we call (snow birds) have a winter home in Arizona and show up back in AK about May which is my favorite month of the year !