Shoot or Practice in Inclement weather?

T

Tinybear

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Do you all go out and shoot your rimfires in inclement weather intentionally?

I try getting to range once a week generally and for most part will still shoot in the cold or rain or snow. Shoot on windy days as well all within reason of course. Any temps colder than -15 or so or wind over 30kms I skip it, specially for Rimfire. I will say sometimes it’s kinda nice as most crappy weather days I end up with the range to myself.

Planning head to range today after work as temp seems nice but winds are supposed to be in high 20kms. Packing my gear this morning Just got me wondering who else braves the elements to have some fun or get in some competition practice (after all comps can fall on crappy weather days)
 
-15 is when I stop shooting. Arthritis gets flared and just not fun.

I shoot in the rain, as I know nobody be out. But have to shoot steel because paper targets just get beyond damaged.

As for wind. There is no such thing as a calm day living next to the ocean. 15 to 20kph is avg daily.
 
I shoot at home, and try to do at least a little bit of shooting every day. Shooting in extreme cold (say, -30 or colder) or shooting in high wind, or both, is always a good learning experience and I don't let either of those conditions stop me from going out and at least shooting 20 or 30 rounds. In cold weather, I always leave a gun case outside in the cold, so that I can slip the rifle into it when I'm done, zip it up and then take it inside without having it soaking wet from condensation. Just leave it in the case for a few hours while it gradually warms up to room temperature, easy peasy. I also leave a case in a protected cold location at the house when I'm out hunting coyotes in winter, for the same purpose. In the wintertime I always have a couple of guncases stored in my unheated garage in case I need "a cold one". :)

Shooting in winter is great; takes almost no time for barrels to cool off after a group. Don't even need two rifles to shoot in rotation. Putting your mitts back on to warm up your hands is the limiting factor, not barrel temperature.

Rain and snow? I have one covered shooting position that I can use for that. I admit I'm a wuss, I don't like getting myself or my rifle wet without a really good reason. Hunting is a really good reason...plinking/practice/target-shooting isn't. :)
 
Our range has good protection at the rifle benches, and a heated lunch room, so temp isn't the issue
but wind and rain, no thanks, COF stages and props can be practiced at home
 
Going out with the session's ammo already charged into magazines really makes it more comfortable. Especially with .22 having to handle individual rounds with bare fingers can be painful. At least centrefire rounds can be coaxed into place with gloves on, but even so having them in mags saves cold time.
 
I think if you’re competing, unless you pick only nice weather, you should practice in all weather conditions. It’s how you learn that excess lubricants turn too honey at -25 and slow the firing pin enough that the gun has to be recocked numerous times before it fires. How poor your great warm weather ammo shoots in the cold. How stiff adjusting parallax or power settings become. How clumsy we are with gloves on etc. How fast a cold glass lens fogs with a warm exhaled breath.

Shooting in windy conditions are great for practice and learning. When you practice in all conditions that prepares you when it happens, it will happen. Wind,rain, cold and high heat are all part of shooting in Canada. JMO
 
I don’t know why I didn’t think about this when I responded earlier but the best hunting is usually when the weather is sh1t. Hunting, you’re either dressed for it, in a blind, or moving to stay warm. I go to the range when it’s cold and raining or snowing but I also golf in the snow and fish on the Great Lakes in the winter. You just dress for it. Wool in layers
 
I do spend time at the range in all weather. A local Rimfire even has a wood fire under cover at the range and it’s an absolute pleasure to be around. My personal range sometimes rolls out the propane heaters tho. In the future I may bring a diesel heater with me cause I have one!

Rain definitely plays havoc with Rimfire shooting but so does a light changing wind. It’s more for trigger time. If I’m working with a centrefire rifle and I have a deadline you sometimes have to go when it’s crappy and it gets boring in between barrel cool downs to not do something else like shoot Rimfire!

Usually just cheap ammo is used though.

B
 
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