Back from range. Questions and a pic

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Ruger GP100 fan

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I just returned home a short while ago from my first trip to the range in near-freezing temps (34). First of all,the loads I took were loaded by me using new brass that I had FL sized and trimmed,pockets uniformed with Lee tool,and loaded with 50gr V-Max and 8 different charges of Varget. I'm adding my best group of 5. They were loaded with 34.5gr,the minimum recommended on Winchester's reload data site. It took about all of the 10 fouling rounds to get the scope dialed in...I had loosened it to straighten it. I'm hoping that now with the brass having been once-fired in my rifle I'll get better results. Is this assumption valid? Range is 100yds. Target inner circle 1".
My question is in regards to a problem I had with my Weaver V16 fogging up every time I fired the gun. At first I thought it might be due to the UV filter I had screwed onto the end of the scope to protect the front element from damage,so I removed it,but continued to have the fogging problem. What might I be doing wrong?
The group in the photo was one of my best yet,but I got miserable results with the higher amounts of powder. Barrel temp was hard to maintain because it seemed like the range was down every 2 minutes for someone to check targets:(,and I don't know what roll,if any,that played. Please share your thoughts.
 

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Your complaining about 34 degrees? Shoot we are in the negative temps here, can't hardly pee out side without risk of loosing something.
 
Internal fogging or external? Objective lens or ocular lens?

If you are getting external fogging on the ocular lens I guess you just need to try to try breathing differently.
 
Also I had mentioned barrel temp when shooting paper. What do most do to get as consistent of temp for each round as possible?

And,when bringing a gun in from the cold,doesn't moisture form everywhere,including internal parts? How is this problem remedied? I also am an amateur photographer and I always place a cold camera in an air-tight bag before bringing it indoors,then allow it to rise to room temp before opening. But what about a rifle and scope?
 
The scope needs no such special treatment since a modern scope will be sealed and purged internally with nitrogen.

The rifle should be left where it can air out and not be placed next to any sources of heavy moisture while it is still really cold. If possible give it a good wipe down after it has had time to come up to room temp. Do not put it in a case or a sock or anything else that will trap moisture against the steel, at least not until the rifle is no longer drawing condensation.

If you are going to be using it again soon for hunting and you are just going in and out, leave the rifle outside all the time or at least in a storage area that will remain cold like a garage.
 
i should be so lucky to get groups like that.
one thing about the OP that i think curious. the UV lens caps? that the scope is very likely sealed could it be possible that the UV caps might trap moisture betweeen the lens and the cap? just a thought. there could be a potential to cause an internal fogging between the lense and the cap yes?
i wouldn't fret so much about the minimum powder charge. all rifles are different. i have one that i kept bumping up way beyond listed max in my manuals and accuracy is still ok (1 1/2-2" no pressure signs) but when you drop it back to the minimum the groups will shrink to 1/2-3/4". they just hit a little lower. same primer, powder and OAL. that's it's happy spot.
 
awesome shooting. ive used some of the anti-fog auto glass wipes before during deer season and they seemed to help some. not sure there is a be all end all for eliminating fogging glass.
 
Thanks for the input folks. The uv I am referring to is a threaded,clear,photography lens that screws onto the threaded end of my scope. The reasoning being that once cleaned and thoroughly dried the front element of the scope can be sealed by screwing on the filter,eliminating the need to clean and re-clean the delicate multi-coating of the scope optics. If the filter gets damaged(saving the scope optics) I can just toss a $20 filter and add a new one. When it first fogged up today I immediately thought I had discovered why this practice is not used much in the gun world,but when I removed the uv lens the fogging continued. So it must just have been me blowing hot air on the rear glass:rolleyes:.

As for minimum powder charges....I'm tickled that the start load shot best. Less wear and tear on the barrel.
 
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I had also asked for input regarding keeping a steady barrel temp while working up loads. Today I was down constantly due to other shooters adding/checking/removing targets so I was unable to time my shots like I would have liked. I've asked before about temp guns and could they play a role in target shooting. The price of these things have come down considerably and I'm thinking about getting one to check barrel/chamber temps. Lame idea? Anyone else use one?
 
Cant help on the temp control issue but I picked up some Rem oil wipes the other day and they are great. After shooting I wiped down all the metal on my guns I could find and put them in my case. they spent the Holiday's in my truck since we were out of town and I did not have room for my cleaning gear. I got home late in the the night and put them on the table near our wood stove and forgot to crack open the cases. I woke up in the morning expecting to find lots of rust, but was pleased to see absolutely none on any of my guns. I will be wiping down all my guns with those wipes when I leave a range now.
 
That group is quite good, but I assume you are going for pure accuracy. So even if you had a temperature gun it isn't like you can control it at warmer temps. If pure accuracy is what you are after I think it would be best to just cool the barrel back down to ambient temp between each shot.

Get your fouling shot ("cold bore shot") out of the way and then go for groups. I suppose a temperature gun would tell you when it's back down to ambient, but I am thinking it doesn't make that much of a difference.
 
Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. :) I'm anxious to get back to the range with the same brass that now fits my chamber. If my understanding is correct,that makes a fairly big difference.
 
"I set a timer for a couple of minutes and don't fire a shot till it goes off."

That was my intention,jerkface11,but as I wrote earlier,the others at the range had a different plan for my day. Seemed like every minute or so it was eject the live round and pull the bolt.
 
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