IPSC matches in the rain

hobbes

hobbes

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Going to a couple of qualifiers in BC this weekend and the forecast calls for rain so just wondering if ppl would like to share some experiences they had participating in rain-soaked matches. Are they ever postponed or is it business as usual? What kind of gear would you recommend for a rain match?

Thx!
 
ohh, I've run around in pouring rain before, no big deal...

Advice: get a nice rain coat/jacket that you'll wear until the time you're up, and which you'll put on as soon as you finish shooting...

nothing to it ;)
 
They suck, but as long as everybody suffers equally. There is a risk factor and you want to think it through to be safe. Running on a slippery surface (especially wood) can be downright dangerous. Wet things, including mags and the gun, can be harder to hold on to. If your shooting glasses are wet, you can't see well. Bring a plastic bag to put over the gun/holster when not shooting, rain jacket, an umbrella, a towel, kleenex, a baseball cap or similar, something to wipe mags, gun, hands and such with. Think it through and you're fine. Don't think it through and it can be very unpleasant.
 
I've seen ppl bring covers for their holstered firearms. I guess this is a no-brainer? Don't want water to get into your gun. Any documented incidents where water was a factor during a shoot? ie. misfire, etc.
 
Boots, and pants you don't mind getting muddy.
A chair, and of course some type of rain jacket.
 
The spring matches up at Poco can be pretty exciting. Rain, sun, hail, thunder, and snow in one day. Bundle right up. Loose your layers when you shoot and then get right back into them. If your gun needs a cover to keep it running in the elements you really should look into getting a better gun.
 
Common sense stuff.

Bring spare shoes, spare socks, spare clothes and a towel.
Long raincoats are good, umbrellas and wear a hat. Bring mittens or gloves.
 
invest in some gortex socks ($20.00) you wont be sorry. last spring at poco I had some mechanics gloves which , even when wet , kept my hands warm while RO ing. umbrella, rain pants and coat as said above .
 
Always take along a large plastic bag (a garbage bag works well) to put your shooting bag and ammo bag in so they don't get soaked and muddy.

bkir
 
Story...

In 16 years of matches in Nova Scotia, 2 matches were called for weather. One was a tropical storm that hit Yarmouth, the other had 80kph winds straight up range. We could not keep the targets on stands or walls to stay up. We were most worried about props falling on shooters.

Our 3 gun last year had 55mm of rain on day one, 65mm the second. Still had 14 competitors...We tend to take the "rain or shine" a little too seriously.

Advice...

An oilskin cowboy hat and long coat are amazing at keeping you dry and has lots of room inside for a full gun belt. Also good are the hooded long storm jackets that Marks' sells, but if you have skatebaord tape on your grips, expect it to wear the liner out fast.

Consider anti-fog treatment for your shooting glasses. I have stuff marketed to paintballers, I've seen sprays at glasses stores.

Work hard to keep the water out of your earmuffs - once they're wet - it's a full day wet willie...

Bring a towel to dry your hands before shooting.

Golfer's umbrellas are handy.

<Edit> - garbage bag advice already given...:redface:
 
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one more thing to add to all of the above. bring something to wrap around your neck. a towel works or a bandanna. i shot one match in the rain where i had to shoot three strings. by the time i shot the third string i had water running down my neck and i was shaking so bad i took a zero on the third string due to to many mikes!
 
hobbes said:
I've seen ppl bring covers for their holstered firearms. I guess this is a no-brainer? Don't want water to get into your gun. Any documented incidents where water was a factor during a shoot? ie. misfire, etc.
Click to expand...

Shot an IPSC match in pouring rain with 38 Super, ammo in 100 rd casegaurds, ammo got wet while opened. Finished match, no problem, but next week had several misfires/squibs with that ammo. Keep yer ammo dry! If it gets wet, don't trust it in a match, use it up in practice, good jam clearing practive anyway.
 
Rain gave me malfunctions with a Benelli shotgun. The inside finish of the magazine tube was worn away at the mouth of the tube from normal use. Doing a 3 gun in the rain that part of the tube got wet and rusty, making it rough enough to cause feeding problems on the second day.
 
IPSC & Rain

I've shot lots of matches in the rain.

Get a good rain coat (oversized so you can wear it over your rig) you’ll need a plastic bag for your gun bag (I always bring a camping chair to keep it off the ground) a towel and several shopping bags for your shoes/boots cloths when it’s over (and a change of clothes). (Unless you enjoy cleaning the mud from them in your car) I also have a good hat and a carte with a golf umbrella too.

You want to have several extra magazines, you can clean them but once in a while you will drop one in the mud and it will have to be cleaned when you get home. (A few bottles of water can help you quickly clean them at the range or try to find a puddle)

As for the matches, I’ve only seen once cancelled (3/4 completed) due to extreme lightning and a few delayed for an hour or so for excessive rain (one due to a tornado sucking all the targets away).

The hardest part about shooting in the rain is the plastic bags they put on the targets. You will be shooting at the target and you see the bag move so you think you got your hits but they were not on the target. You also need to be aware of your footing, some ranges get pretty muddy and others get very slippery. Good footwear is very important here.

The only thing I can add is no one likes shooting in the rain (some people will not) so don’t feel bad if you’re not having fun doing it. We will all be just a miserable because we all have to clean all our gear, clothes and cars after the match and we wouldn’t of had those misses if it wasn’t for those #@@#%#$% bags!

Good luck I’m shooting today with no call for rain
:D
 
If we worried about rain or cold here on the rock then we'd never put any lead downrange.

to tell the truth it really isn't the wet that bothers me but the fog that drifts in and shuts down any visibility even at the closer ranges.
 
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