All my 22s suck in cold weather. Calling the biathlon crowd

[tommy88]

You start seeing a shift in zero at around 0c. At -10 it really starts to spit and open up. This is all of my rifles, marlin xt22, ruger 10/22, savage mkii, cz 452..... and with all different types of ammo; I usually don't use anything more expensive then cci though.

How do the biathlon guys do it? Is there some secret coolaid that anschutz has? Do I have to buy fancy expensive ammo?

 

[CzyHorse]

Tesro has biathlon ammo

 

[sk8snwmx]

Wait till you put something better then cheap CCI stuff through your rifles when its warm again!!!! grab some Lapua Center-X and SK Rifle Match for the mark 2 and 452 if you can find it in stock in Canada...

and Yes, as stated above pick up some Biathlon ammo, it won't be cheap though.

 

[RabidM4U5]

SK Biathlon is reasonably priced and I've had some pretty good results with it. Rimfire ammo is pretty temp sensitive so what worked for your rifle in the warm may not work in the cold. That said, I shot the 1/4" club in the cold with non-biathlon ammo. Some say keep your ammo warm in your pocket, I set it out on the bench and let it acclimate to ambient temperature. The rifle I was shooting is equipped with a tuner, which I observe to mitigate the effects of a temperature change that naked barrel rifles are prone to experience.

 

[Brutus]

Sir if you read anything about biathlon shooting sports ( I highly suggest Norwegian generated websites) there is two factors regarding below zero and 22 LR.
Biathlon match ammo is purposefully better performing in colder weather. Not sure why but you can bet the manufacturer knows.
Number two is much older factor: biathlon rimfire rifles for many decades have a choked bore.
Meaning through the barrel making process the last few inches of rifle bore become slightly tighter close to the muzzle.
That's what I read.
Anyone else feel free to correct my observations.

 

[horseman2]

Eley claims their Biathlon ammunition is "Specially Formulated".
Having taken some of the Match, and three different lots of the Eley Biathlon apart, I can not see any difference in the powders.
The weight variation in the powders does not tell the story in velocity changes. Lapua also has Biathlon ammo and similarly SK.
This is the first year to have experimented with Biathlon and have not had any cold weather yet but we do shoot all winter once a month.
A small orange plastic box with an electric hand warmer will keep the temperature fairly stable but I bring a spare battery.
This parallels keeping a box in a shirt pocket and dispensing five rounds at a time . . . although that does not appear to be what the Biathletes are doing!
Hand warmers work too but should be gapped off the ammo . . . just keep the box temp up.
I dropped one down each sleeve of my shirt to warm the inside of my wrist and consistent with the warning . . . they will burn the skin!

 

[Brutus]

On a side note I would love to see the Fortner straight pull (biathlon motivated) bolt action adapted to a magazine repeater in a good 22 Hornet rifle.
Yum yum yummy.....

 

[grauhanen]

It's not clear that biathlon rifles shoot better than other rifles in colder temperatures due to any "choke" in the bore. Many non-biathlon rifles are said to have a choke also. Serious biathlon competition is dominated by Anschutz Fortner action rifles. They have a factory requirement to shoot a ten shot group from a vise at 50 meters that doesn't exceed 18 mm. Biathlon rifles shouldn't be expected to be more accurate than other non-biathlon specific rifles.

The key difference between biathlon ammo and other match ammo is in the MV. Biathlon ammo is a little faster. All SK and Lapua biathlon ammo are nominally "1106 fps", while other SK and Lapua .22LR match ammo is nominally 1073 fps. (Please note that the "1106 fps" and "1073 fps" are only factory estimated averages and like all .22LR ammo their actual MV will vary from lot-to-lot, between rounds, and from one rifle to the next, regardless of barrel length.)

Some biathlon ammo may have different lube that may be better performing in colder temps. At the same time, some ammo, like the apparently now-discontinued Lapua Biathlon Xtreme, has a different propellant. It's unclear whether Lapua Polar Biathlon, which is the most commonly used biathlon ammo, has propellant that's made specifically for colder temps. The bullets used on the Lapua biathlon ammos is differently shaped than other Lapua ammos such as Center X, Midas +, and X-Act, all of which use the same bullet and are. The biathlon bullet is shaped to offer better loading in biathlon's repeating rifles.

SK Biathlon Sport is the same as SK's other "1106 fps" varieties, SK Long Range Match and SK Pistol Match Special. It uses the same bullet, lube, propellant, priming material, and casings as Long Range Match and Pistol Match Special. The only difference between the SK 1106 fps ammos is the packaging and the criteria used by SK to grade it into the different varieties of SK 1106 fps ammos.

As with all .22LR match ammos, performance will vary by lot. In other words, some lots will shoot better or worse. Performance in warmer temperatures should be similar, but shooters should always expect slower MVs when temperatures are colder -- regardless whether the ammo is "biathlon" or not.

 

[enefgee]

Mine shoot fine in the cold - they suck in high winds though. (JK)

 

[skwerl]

I found that when the temp. goes below 10c my accuracy
decreases proportionally .
It doesn't matter what ammunition I use my trigger hand
my knees and the rest of my body just don't function well.

 

[J.Hancock]

I found that when the temp. goes below 10c my accuracy
decreases proportionally .
It doesn't matter what ammunition I use my trigger hand
my knees and the rest of my body just don't function well.

Big factor here, everything requires a little extra effort when it's below freezing.

 

[grauhanen]

I found that when the temp. goes below 10c my accuracy
decreases proportionally .
It doesn't matter what ammunition I use my trigger hand
my knees and the rest of my body just don't function well.

Big factor here, everything requires a little extra effort when it's below freezing.

Here's the inescapable problem with shooting in freezing temperatures. Even in good conditions, when the temperatures are nice and comfortable, good results are consistently achieved only when a 100% effort is put into all aspects of executing shots. There should be nothing left for extra effort. Despite frequently repeated clichés of giving 110% (or more), there is a hard limit.

Simply put, shooting in the cold can be uncomfortable, and that never contributes to good results. There is no magic in biathlon ammo that overcomes all difficulties in cold weather shooting.

 

[J.Hancock]

Here's the inescapable problem with shooting in freezing temperatures. Even in good conditions, when the temperatures are nice and comfortable, good results are consistently achieved only when a 100% effort is put into all aspects of executing shots. There should be nothing left for extra effort. Despite frequently repeated clichés of giving 110% (or more), there is a hard limit.

Simply put, shooting in the cold can be uncomfortable, and that never contributes to good results. There is no magic in biathlon ammo that overcomes all difficulties in cold weather shooting.

I'm the type to complete what he sets out to complete. How arduous that is can be influenced by environmental variables. One can always "dig a little deeper" than one is currently digging, in my experience. Maybe I've yet to apply 100% focus and effort into anything? I do find that over concentration can be as detrimental as under concentration when it comes to shooting tight groups.

 

[mojoman]

"Some biathlon ammo may have different lube that may be better performing in colder temps". Shoot with a friend both he and his wife were biathlon coaches, she was the womens biathlon coach of the year. He told me competitors clean all the lube off the ammunition to prevent any chance of it gumming up the gun in the cold weather.

 

[tommy88]

Thanks alot guys for the info. Feel free to add links to more info if you have good sources. Has anyone looked into 22mag? I'm not a biathlon guy, more of a sport shooter/hunter. Maybe it's just better to use shotguns for small game hunting and my 7.62x39 for target shooting.

 

[Mystic Precision]

You start seeing a shift in zero at around 0c. At -10 it really starts to spit and open up. This is all of my rifles, marlin xt22, ruger 10/22, savage mkii, cz 452..... and with all different types of ammo; I usually don't use anything more expensive then cci though.

How do the biathlon guys do it? Is there some secret coolaid that anschutz has? Do I have to buy fancy expensive ammo?

Not sure how far you are shooting nor what your accuracy expectations are but in the winter, I train inside 100yds. I then run either Blazer or some better quality Fed HV ammo depending on what the rifle prefers. I am not trying for BR accuracy but 1 to 2" size targets at distance... just to know I am hit or miss.

If any of your rifles has a threaded muzzle, a great investment is a tuner as it can help make good quality HV ammo shoot 'better' in your rifle.

I have competed with biathlon ammo and it definitely worked well BUT costs are up there for the type of practise I want to do (high rd count at close range) so I prefer bulk HV stuff.

In my rifles, Lapua biathlon ammo shot best (figures)... so I use it sparingly as I do not shoot far once there is snow on the ground.

You will likely find the bolt rifles to be easier to tame in the cold

good luck

Jerry

 

[gandalfe]

My Anschutz is specially designed to shoot in below zero temperatures, and I recommend that model to shoot in the winter..

 

[Eagleye]

My Suhl 150 Match has a marked preference for Lapua Polar Biathlon once temperatures dip below freezing a bit.

It is a ¼" at 50M capable rifle in warm temps, using a certain lot of ELEY EPS match. But, at -10ºC that ammo
in the Suhl struggles to stay in ¾" at 50M

The Polar biathlon will stay in ½" at 50M if I do my part, so definitely better suited for the cold. Dave.

 

[sillymike]

How strong are your rifle stock?
How is the bedding?
Are the barrel free-floated?

 

[grauhanen]

Shoot with a friend both he and his wife were biathlon coaches, she was the womens biathlon coach of the year. He told me competitors clean all the lube off the ammunition to prevent any chance of it gumming up the gun in the cold weather.

It's curious advice to remove the bullet lube. What replaces it?