Is it ever too cold for you to go shooting?

[ryan in maine]

CZ223: Where about in Maine are you located. Must be somewhere up north cause there is very little snow down in the southern and central are where I live and work.

I'm in Presque Isle.

the weather here in Maine has been lame generally across the state. two weeks ago we could see everyone's lawns here. we had 11.7" of snow total @ that point and it disappeared about as soon as it came (we did just get that 6-8" and might get another inch or two soon, hurrah for snowmobiling!). usually by now, we have over 3 feet of snow. sticking to the ground and not melting. haha. generally, in a year, we average close to 10 feet of snow. we used to be one of the 5 snowiest places in the lower 48 (according to a USA Today article and their sources). in all of 2006 we had about 3-&-a-half feet of snow, which was over 6 feet of snow under our yearly average. yikes! I hate it! not a lot of snow sports going on. altho up north here, we are getting the benefit of business due to the rest of Maine's even poorer conditions.

it's no surprise tho, since 2006 was the warmest year on record for Caribou (next town up from Presque Isle with our weather station), Bangor, and Portland. so the weather isn't the usual rugged Maine landscape.

notes:
Snowiest Places in the US from USA Today.com

but to keep on topic, I really do think every winter is too cold for any sort of regular shooting.

 

[Shrinkmd]

That's what Mosins are for!

As long as I don't have to take my gloves off, around 25-30 is ok with me. Nice big rounds, work the bolt, no problem.

No jamming little pistol rounds into a magazine with gloves on, so its rifle city for me when its really cold out.

 

[Kalashnikov]

When hell freezes over

 

[psyopspec]

Armed, I gotta admit that during a bad winter, the cabin fever builds up every 3 weeks or so and I go run a box through anyways. This one has been particularly mild - I was out for about 90 minutes this morning and conditions were as perfect as could be. My redeeming quality is that I have yet to turn down a 'yote hunt because of the temp.

when firing in the lowest temp's is necessary for your survival...or your children's, or your grandchildren's, or their children's. Keep up the trade and pass it on; it's never too cold, too wet, too hot, too windy, to icy, to dry, too anything. Consider it training and drive on.

ST

RE doing it as training, there comes a point where it's no longer practical - 40 minutes in the car with limited daylight hours in an evironment where exposed flesh can freeze in under two minutes. Sounds like harsh, challenging and rewarding training environment. And it is, but it gets old quick.

 

[22-rimfire]

Cold weather, yeah I shoot in cold weather. But I don't shoot when it is very windy and rarely in the rain.

Ryan in Maine... hey your Dad the City Planner?

 

[ryan in maine]

22-rimfire: Cold weather, yeah I shoot in cold weather. But I don't shoot when it is very windy and rarely in the rain.

Ryan in Maine... hey your Dad the City Planner?

no sir. 'fraid I'm a bastard. but is Thomas Stevens our "city planner"? I think the official title is "city manager". same thing? if so I think I know who you might be thinking of. he's a little older than me.

aaand, still too cold to shoot!

Tonight
Partly cloudy. Areas of blowing snow this evening with near whiteout conditions. Brisk with lows around zero. Northwest winds 25 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph. Wind chill values as low as 21 below.

Sunday
Partly cloudy. Highs around 14. Northwest winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. Wind chill values as low as 20 below in the morning.

Wind Chill Advisory
Statement as of 10:17 PM EST on January 20, 2007

Wind Chill Advisory remains in effect until 10 am EST Sunday...

A Wind Chill Advisory remains in effect until 10 am EST Sunday.
Wind chill values will reach between 20 and 25 below zero
overnight into Sunday morning.

A Wind Chill Advisory is issued when a strong wind will combine
with cold temperatures to create dangerously cold conditions for
exposed skin. The wind will make it feel like it is between
20 and 34 degrees below zero for a period of several hours. Those
planning to venture outdoors should dress warmly making sure that
all exposed skin is covered.

Special Weather Statement
Statement as of 9:02 PM EST on January 20, 2007

Strong northwest winds will continue into tonight...

Northwest winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph will
continue into tonight. These strong winds will create areas of
blowing and drifting snow. This will lead to visibilities being
reduced at times to less than one half of a mile with near whiteout
conditions.

Motorists need to use extreme caution tonight especially in open
areas that are prone to blowing and drifting snow. A Wind Chill
Advisory remains in effect until 10 am Sunday.

Public Information Statement
Statement as of 10:09 PM EST on January 20, 2007

The following are unofficial observations taken during the past 12 hours
for the storm that has been affecting our region. Appreciation is extended
to Highway departments... cooperative observers... Skywarn spotters
and media for these reports. This summary is also available on our
home Page at weather.Gov/Caribou

*************************peak wind *************************

Location peak wind time/date comments
of
(mph) measurement

Maine

... Aroostook County...
Frenchville 55 1230 PM 1/20
Caribou 48 730 PM 1/20
Presque Isle 45 1035 am 1/20
Van Buren 45 612 PM 1/20
Caribou 43 134 PM 1/20
Fort Kent 39 338 PM 1/20

I'll leave the cold-weather shooting to you cold-weather shooting endorser folks.

 

[22-rimfire]

Thanks Ryan. Where I live, it never gets that cold. I don't miss that kind of cold a bit. If you know who I'm talking about, we're related (originally from PA). Yes, City Manager.

 

[Ala Dan]

We don't have many days here in central Alabama that actually delays us
from going shooting~! We shoot in rain, sleet, and sometimes even snow;
just so long as there is not a COLD WIND blowing in our face. Low temps
don't necessarily bother Alabama shooter's; but that dang wind blowing
'bout 20 mph, with the temp at 15 degrees will drive the best of 'em off
the range~!

 

[BobMcG]

Yes, but it might be age related. In my youth I'd shoot at any temp including well below zero. Now I'm over 50 and won't go out to shoot when it's that cold anymore. This morning has gone from 3* to 9* so far and it will come up a few more degrees but not much more. I won't be going out for a long session today but I am going to check out some 10ga B/P handloads I've made for one of my old hammer doubles.

 

[Exposure]

Two friends and I went to range for about 3 hours yesterday. It was only 14 degrees F with occasional gusts of wind up to about 20 MPH. The walks down to the 200 yard line were pretty crappy but it wasn't all that bad. We were all bundled up and had a blast!

We tried to stay under the enclosure as much as possible but the muzzle blast from my Barrett Model 99 was so unpleasant we setup on a bench out in the open!

We had a couple of AR's, my Barrett, my Reising, and an M1 carbine. They all functioned great except the Reising which didn't like the cold much, until a mag dump warmed her up! Then all was fine and dandy.

I also brought some Tannerite, anyone who hasn't popped off Tannerite against a snowy berm is missing out. What a show that was! And the .50 BMG rounds carving up the frozen earth was pretty impressive as well.

I may not like the cold but I'm not going to let it stop me from having fun.

 

[ChefJeff1]

nope, I live in Idaho.

 

[ryan in maine]

22-rimfire: Thanks Ryan. Where I live, it never gets that cold. I don't miss that kind of cold a bit. If you know who I'm talking about, we're related (originally from PA). Yes, City Manager.

no problem. it was pretty easy to verify once I realized the city manager was a Stevens. his boy was a hockey player, I believe. and it is certainly cold enough for that!

 

[bear71]

Not really, because it's cold several months of the year here. By example though, if it gets below zero, I'd rather be running the air cooled snowmobile than shooting. Above, say 20, it's a tossup. Snowmobile or shoot, snowmobile or shoot, hmmmm.

 

[hoji]

Not Yet.

 

[springmom]

It depends on the gun. I simply cannot shoot my SRH in cold wet weather. My arthritis just makes it a miserable experience. I can shoot rifles all day in the cold as long as my joints can take the cold; but the recoil off the SRH is a no-go.

Springmom

 

[TimboKhan]

Actually, my roommate/buddy just bought a new AR a month ago and we have yet to go shoot it! First off, we were essentially snowed in for a couple of weeks, and secondly, I just don't find it particularly fun to shoot while my naughty bits are freezing off. Where we shoot it is usually pretty windy, and given that the temp has been no higher than about 30 the last month, thats just too dang cold. I will hunt in cold weather because sometimes it's necessary, but when I am shooting for fun, I prefer not to freeze.

 

[Barr]

I usually do not go if it is below 45-50 degrees. If I have a new toy or load that just has to be tried, the weather usually does not play a factor in whether or not I go.