Do you shoot in the snow?

I make it a point to get out to our local winter IDPA Sanctioned match each year, and often work it.

Shooting with very bulky gear on, with numbed hands, and trying to move safely and quickly on snow and/or ice is a real test! But if you want to know what you and your gear can do, you've got to try.

I did it one year after having been sick all week, and on no food, and it just became an endurance test for me. Not a great deal of fun, with 6" of snow falling during the match and temps never rising above freezing through 12-14 stages. It did help that one of the guys in my squad shot it in a kilt, so I figured if he can do it, I can!

Snow on the ground? sure. Actively snowing, no.

ETA:
Differences other than cold? Finding brass can be a challenge when it melts down into a snowbank.

...is the experience vastly different?

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Yeah,,,
It's colder!

Aarond

.

Out here in the countryw, we shoot our icy ponds all the time. Toss a chunk of wood out on the ice and have a blast. Please note, there is no 1 close enough for water shooting to be a danger, we also shoot from an elevated position, never have had had round glance off ice, which is usually about 2-4inches thick.

Yes myself and an equally crazy friend of mine have gone out to the range in sub-zero weather with lots of snow on the ground and a steady bone-chilling breeze coming out of the Northwest. For some unexplained reason we had the range all to ourselves; even the owner didn't want to come out to check us in. He just had us leave one of our driver licenses on the back porch (they lived nearby the range), and we paid and picked up the license on our way out. We used the 100 yard rifle range for all of our shooting, which thankfully wasn't for too long a period of time. Still it was fun and definitely a unique shooting experience.

All the time! In the winter. I've gone to dropping a small tarp down for my brass. But don't step on it.

Yes. Whenever our range is accessable. Sometimes it gets snowed in. Long country lane isn't plowed and makes for an exciting trip if you want to get in and out.

I went yesterday. Not really a lot of snow on the ground, but a solid sheet of ice covered everything.
I had removed the stock from my deer rifle to fix the bolt release lever and I know that when you do that, the tension may not be the same on the screws, thus negatively impacting accuracy. Good thing I went. It was 2 inches low and 2 inches left of the bull. Should have been 2 inches high.
I enjoyed it for the simple reason, I had the range to myself.

Done it. Range road access is the biggest issue for me. Second is gloves that permit warmth and trigger manipulation. Just-fired cartridge cases will melt into the snow, so if you have aspirations to recover them before the spring, use a tarp

You may have to bring your own target stand and verticals since the ones on the range may be hidden/frozen.

I love shooting in the winter. As much as I hate the cold, I hate a crowded range even worse. This last Friday It was about 15 degrees. It was me, my buddy and a few range officers. It doesn't get much better than that!

Yes,I shoot all year round. I shoot revolvers and long guns that are not semi-auto,don't like the brass melting into the snow. I shoot my self ejecting stuff when its warmer and dry(er).

If I had seen a deer yesterday, and had a clear shot, I would have shot in the snow...
As it was I just sat in the snow.

aarondhgraham said:

Yeah,,,
It's colder!

Aarond

.

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and whiter.

And after the snow melts it's not uncommon to find bullets laying (lying?) on the ground without a mark on them except rifling grooves. With 2-4 feet of snow on the ground they plow a long way before they reach the ground.

I did a lot when I was a kid living in the North East, almost always had the place to ourselves. Don't miss it now.

The only time I don't go for recreational shooting under the open sky is if its raining . I will shoot if under roof and I will hunt in it.

If there's snow on the ground then yes, if it's snowing then no. I cannot see the target black through peep sights with my old eyes if it's snowing very much.

Nope, but then where I live if there is a 30% chance of snow the schools go on a two hour delay. We my have gotten 18" of snow in the last five/six years. Would love to try it though.

Of course. How else would I shoot in the winter? I do tend to shoot less frequently though.

I love early mornings in the winter, because I can usually have the range to myself, but I do not think I have ever shot in the snow. Hunted in the snow a couple of times, but never shot.

I haven't.

But I have a planned shooting event in Michigan later this month where, well...we'll be in the snow.

monotonous_iterancy said:

Does anyone shoot in the snow? I can maybe recall doing so one time. It seems like snow on the ground is a time when most things come to a halt. If you do shoot during snow times, is the experience vastly different?

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Have I shot in snow with ground snow and falling snow? Yes, when hunting. Do I go to the range and shoot under those conditions? Nope, time was when I did but as I get older I tend to like cold less and less. I have become a mild weather shooter.

Ron

Revolver and bolt actions only for me in the snow... I'm not leaving my brass or diggin through snow for it.