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How Cold is Too Cold?


Wild Ben VanDorn

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The Ozark Posse cancels shoots if the weather prediction is <32 degrees at 10 AM.

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Howdy

 

Around these parts (New England) CAS usually shuts down in November and doesn't start up again until March. I see a couple of clubs are being optimistic and are planning some January shoots, but I don't even think about shooting again until March. Probably half of those get cancelled anyway. The guys putting on these matches know from experience that it isn't worth the effort to run a match where not very many shooters will show up.

 

I don't shoot in the rain anymore. It ain't my idea of fun to stand around in the rain for three or four hours, with both me and my guns getting soaked. Yeah, I have a big umbrella and a good waterproof duster, but the guns wind up getting soaked anyway. Then I have to take them apart to dry everything out. Not my idea of fun.

 

I don't like shooting when it's cold out either. This photo is from at least 15 years ago, when I wasn't quite so old and crabby.  Notice the thermos of hot coffee in my cart. These days, I don't shoot until spring.

 

 

driftwoodcold.jpg

 

 

 

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The coldest CAS shoot I attended was -14.

Driftwood, I was there the day of your photo; the first photo I just looked at from the "Snowy River" shoot was a view of you and some others, with you wearing that same outfit.  2/16/03.  As I recall it was -14 and I was saying I was there in NH because it was 10 degrees warmer than home in VT!

It was a great day for a Russian rabbit fur hat.

 

 

IM000420.jpg

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Well, well, well. At Briggsdale County Shootists here in Colorado the temperature standard is if it is not going to be above 32 degrees during the match, then no match. The other harsh winter element here is the wind. During today's shoot, we were chasing cowboy hats and that is sure distracting when shooting. but fun for the onlookers. The flags were snapping briskly and the barrels with burning wood felt really great. We had 26 hearty souls come for the fun. Almost all misses were because the wind blew the bullets off course.

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I was shooting with Michigan Slim at Paradise Pass when it was -3. But it sounds like we may top that next weekend. Flush Draw said everything was ready for next weekend shoot. The 7 day forecast shows -3 next Friday night into Saturday morning. It's too bad that the old cowboys didn't have thinsulate and gortex. 

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From my Grandpa:

 

Whether the weather be cold,

Or whether the weather be hot,

We'll weather the weather

Whatever the weather

Whether we like it or not!

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It was 29°F when we left the house this morning and 32°F when we arrived at the range.

 

It was almost 60°F by noon!

 

Humidity was well over 75% and there was no wind.

 

Turned out to be a beautiful day at the range.

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Wind is worse than cold alone.  Typically, I'm with Captain Bill.  Below 20, I'm out.  But if it is raining or windy on top of being below 30, I'm more likely to stay warm under the blankets with Bea and a dog or 3.  This making it a "3 Dog Night".

 

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I have shot a match at 28 and 98. Penguin getting along quite well with all those bullet holes

On ‎1‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 5:15 PM, Dantankerous said:

Ain't no sech thang as too cold, pilgrims. 

 

e7f71a43a0c96fee3fb2e78ba9ad5e17.jpg

 

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Awwww, come on fellers! My 78 year old mom cross country skiis clear down to 0 F.

 

And yup. I admit she's tougher than I am and I work outside!

 

:D

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Three of the clubs I shoot at have buildings with wood stoves in one or more buildings, so when it's cold, we shoot the match on one stage, then step back inside & stay warm. Without a setup like that, I'm probably going to stay home if it's below 35. I don't tolerate cold very well.

 

We had a match a dozen or so years back where we had to finally quit because it was snowing too hard to see the farthest targets.

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:ph34r:  The Vigilantes don't do rain.....  we've cancelled 3 times since 2001 when I started because of water falling from the sky.  We fear if our firearms get wet they may shrink, and our center fire arms might become .22's. :D

We've also been blown out once, when the frequent gentle desert breeze became somewhat more, and affected the safety of participants.  I believe it was between 65 and 70mph.....

 If it ever got cold AND humid, frost on the boardwalks at the facades would be a factor, but so far that hasn't happened.

We have, on occasion, had a bonfire to stand around.  I don't recall a shoot where it was below about 36 f when we began.

 

I personally am solar powered B), so it hasn't ever been TOO warm for me.  My joints prefer WARM....

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The Arkansas Leadslingers never cancel.  We have 2 different enclosed stages where we have propane heaters set up.  We have had shoots when it is below zero and when we had 26 inches of snow on the ground.  We are lucky in that the county keeps the road plowed.  Obviously we don't have big turnouts on those days but that means there is plenty of room inside for everyone to load and unload out of the cold and wind.  We have portable targets set up where we can change things up so we can shoot all 6 stages with out doing the same look on any of them.  Northwest Arkansas is in the Ozarks so we have our share of winter weather but our little town is down in a valley so it blocks most of the wind and heavy snowfall.  Love to have y`all come on out and visit us snow, rain or sunny, it don't matter.

 

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I was on a elk hunt one December and when I shot a .300 Win Mag across a canyon the bullet left what appeared to be a contrail.  Granted is was about 10 below, the elk was shot around 4:30 PM and by 10;30 the skinned carcass was frozen solid and so were we.  But I'd do it all over again......  

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6 minutes ago, Hashknife Cowboy said:

I was on a elk hunt one December and when I shot a .300 Win Mag across a canyon the bullet left what appeared to be a contrail.  Granted is was about 10 below, the elk was shot around 4:30 PM and by 10;30 the skinned carcass was frozen solid and so were we.  But I'd do it all over again......  

I'll hunt elk in very cold weather.  Public draw elk tags are hard to come by and one best go hunting whenever one can.  However, I can shoot every weekend on both Saturday and Sunday so I wait for suitable weather.

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On 1/26/2019 at 7:54 PM, Slip Notz said:

I was shooting with Michigan Slim at Paradise Pass when it was -3. But it sounds like we may top that next weekend. Flush Draw said everything was ready for next weekend shoot. The 7 day forecast shows -3 next Friday night into Saturday morning. It's too bad that the old cowboys didn't have thinsulate and gortex. 

It's up to 5 now! I might have to dress lighter!

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