Cold Weather - Mag Primers Needed?

"...visiting in mid-November..." Hi. Depends on how cold it'll be in Saskatchewan, then. I'd be inclined to work up a load using magnums primers just in case it does get cold. Mind you, cold to you isn't likely the same as it is to us. At -40, the two temperature scales meet. (-40C is friggin' cold. Bare skin will get frost bitten, fast.) Isn't likely to be that cold in November though. Probaly not cold enough to need magnum primers either, but a little CYA wouldn't hurt.
-14C is 6.8F. No oil or grease in rifles when the temperature is below freezing.
"...magnum primers in the magnums..." Magnum primers have nothing to do with the cartridge name. They're about the powder used.
 
One thing I would strongly recommend is moisture wicking underwear. I have spent many hours sitting in tree stands up here and the key is to keep dry. There are several brands but Haley Hansen is as good as any. Put these on first, I prefer a 2 piece setup, and then use several layers with a windproof breathable outer layer. Same goes for footwear. I use Smart Wool socks, they keep your feet dry and warm.

For your firearms I would suggest a good cleaning and then a light coat of synthetic A.T.F. It works well even at at -40. As for primers I would agree with regular in your .308 and magnum primers in any magnum cartridge,just to be safe. Good luck, the small bucks have started to move around, the prime rut runs somewhere in the last 2 weeks of Nov. 1st week of Dec. depending on the weather.
 
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jeffbird, I hunt about 50 miles further south but have friends that hunt about 100 miles north of you, we hunt the 2nd and 3rd week of November, the rut hits during those weeks. The weather is usually cold, we hunt out of open treestands, we are well prepared and have been hunting the north country for 25 years, you gotta be prepared. As for your ammo concerns, the magnum primers might be of advantage but none of us use them and we all handload a vast array of calibers, the only mag primers we use are in the magnum calibers. My best advise to you is to verify your rifle by actually shooting the rifle once you are there, there should be a range near by otherwise pin up a target and have at her, in any case don't walk into the woods without first verifying your rifles POI. I guess hunting in the first week you will be hunting the forest fringe over bait, the 308 is all you need and any good 150 to 165gr bullet will put a rack on the wall. As others have mentioned try to avoid lubricants, we have had problems with reliability in cold weather, what we have been using in the last five years is Eezox, this is a treatment and works fantastically because it goes on wet but dries so there are no problems, great for preventing rust and keeps things working, degrese everything very very well in colld weather or hot weather for that matter. Dress in layers and dress down when walking to the stand, put on your warm gear when you get there unless you can pace yourself to not break a sweat. Hand muff with a handwarmer works good for me,
Good Luck
bb
 
Load em all with Mag primers, My old man got me on to mag primers year round. Why not? never had an issue with them. Try them in +35c and -50c every gun shoots different.
 
carbonrod said:
I shoot my same varget 210m load that I hunt with year round. At least once a year it will be below -30. They work fine. Same goes for my 223 205m load. I see no reason to use magnum primers.
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How much does velocity or point of impact change from your summer to the serious cold? We are still bumping 30C here, so it is hard to really evaluate loads for that type of cold.

Thank you everyone for all of the input, it is very helpful, and very much appreciated.

My one previous trip - in the summer - deeply impressed me with the beauty of the country, and the even more so with the wonderful people. Your kindness and helpfulness here have reinforced my impression of Canadians as gracious, kind and friendly. Hopefully if you ever visit Texas, we can repay your hospitality.

Thank you again.

Jeff
 
One other thing, leave your gun outside after the hunt. Bringing it into a warm house/cabin from sub-zero temps attracts condensation and will give you lots of grief when it hits cold air again.

Also, when you are finally lined up on that buck of a lifetime, be careful not to breathe anywhere near the scope's eyepiece.......instant fog-up in cold temperatures. :)

Good luck !! :cheers:
 
jeffbird said:
How much does velocity or point of impact change from your summer to the serious cold? We are still bumping 30C here, so it is hard to really evaluate loads for that type of cold.

Depends on what type of gun powder that you use. I have seen up 4-5" at 100yds going from +20C down to -30C. Several new powders are temperature insensitive. I use mainly R15 and Hornady Extreme powders just for this reason. Have never tried this trick but you could freeze your ammo in the freezer over night and shoot a group before they warm up to see any difference.

You asked about a local range early. Sask Wildlife has a 200yrd range just outside of Saskatoon but it is members only, not sure if your outfitter would have access. Most outfitter's have some type of range close to camp to check zero after traveling.
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Have never tried this trick but you could freeze your ammo in the freezer over night and shoot a group before they warm up to see any difference.


Been there, done that. In freezer over night, packed in insulation for the short time to the range.
Couldn't detect a speck of difference.
I personally think the temperature change bit is greatly over done. For our friend from Texas, just make sure your rifle will fire, if it happens to be a cold spell. That is, clean firing pin. As I have said before, years ago when the people in the general area you are going to shot game year 'round, often in very severe cold, they had the rifle cleaned of oil with kerosene, then never oiled it again until spring. For your short trip, leave the firing mechanism complete free of oil, of any type. On bolt action rifles the area around the spring over the firing pin is particularlly vulnerable. I know. I have pulled the trigger and heard the firing pin very gently go forward on a P17!
If you get a shot at an animal in severe cold, aim right where you want to hit him, with the sighting you used in Texas. Maybe it will land 1¼ inch lower than it would have in Texas. Big deal!
Of all the people in the earlier years who shot game all year, I never heard of a single one who said they aimed their 30-30, or 38-55, etc, any higher in cold weather.
 
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