How cold is too cold for rimfire

I've shot 22LR as cold as -40 lol
Good old Canada...
Just go easy on the oil at first/before you take it out/before you start shooting. It will freeze up. Fire a couple rounds to heat it up a bit then lightly oil the action. You'll be fine.
 
The cold (-5C) definitely messes with my Lapua Center X ammo. When I start shooting and the ammo is still warm it shoots great. Then at the snap of a finger after the ammo cools down my groups open way up. I've only been out twice with Lapua Center X ammo this winter and it performed exactly the same on both occasions. I walk back into the house (my range is behind the house) to grab a warm box of Center X.....groups shrink down back down to awesome. Go figure. ???????????????
 
I've used a small cooler with a Mason jar of hot water wrapped in a hand towel to keep ammo warm as I shoot. It works better if you feed from a mag, single loading leaves the box exposed to the cold for too long IMO. You could put loose rds in an inside pocket to stay warm, although I'd be willing to bet bullet lube in the same washing machine as the missus' unmentionables might be a problem.
 
I left for the milsurp comp at EOSC Sat morning at -26 C ...warmed up to a balmy -15 or so by the afternoon and we all had a blast !! I shot ammo in 22LR, 5.56, 7.62x54R with bad primer issues in the SVT-40 using copper washed surplus FMJ .I left the 22 LR ammo ( CCI SV and mini mags) outside all day with no issues .
 
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When shooting in cooler temperatures, I keep the ammo in warm until I need it. I take out five rounds at a time. But I'm getting to the age that I've had all I can take after two hours outdoors shooting in five degree temps with no gloves and the only exercise being walking downrange to change targets. My fingers are quite cold at that point and feel painful when warming up. It's probably just as well that my range is not accessible during the months with snow.
 
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