Do you shoot in the snow?
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km101
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Not unless someone is shooting at me!
I don't have many opportunities to shoot in the snow and I try to not take advantage of the ones that I have. I don't enjoy digging in the snow for brass. I will hunt in snow cover but not if it is actively snowing!
I don't have many opportunities to shoot in the snow and I try to not take advantage of the ones that I have. I don't enjoy digging in the snow for brass. I will hunt in snow cover but not if it is actively snowing!
ngnrd
Member
I work a LOT in the summer, and spare time is hard to come by. So, I actually do most of my general shooting in the winter. Besides, deer hunting is open through December here, and I've been caribou hunting in December a couple of times too, and even moose hunting in February. Snow isn't a problem for me. It's the sub-zero (F) temps that are hard to deal with.
montanaoffroader
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Around here, if I didn't shoot when there is snow on the ground I wouldn't be doing much shooting for half the year. As long as it's above zero I'm good to go. Subzero, not so much, I must be getting old. 
tactikel
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Heck yeh! I hit the range at least monthly. In Illinois Theres snow on the ground four months easy. One of my favorite times at the ISRA range it was 7 degrees I was at the range for 4 hours, shot 220 rounds, with not a soul around. The snow soaks up lots of noise. It was great.
lindy
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Here in northern California we have Belding ground Squirrels, A small Squirrel that comes out of hibernation mid-January to mid-Febuary while there is Snow on the ground. They are a serious threat to farming operations. one study estimated that 123 squirrels per acre removed about 1,800 pounds of crop per acre in a 44 day period. Shooting them is one method of controlling the population. winter before last on a weekend shoot, two of us shooting 22-250s eliminated approxamatly 1500 hundred in the two day shoot. Snow on the ground helped us with the count , when You shoot one in the snow it leaves a red mist that in unmistakably a Hit on target. So yes I Shoot in the Snow.
Good Shooting
Lindy
Good Shooting
Lindy
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peacemaker45
Member
Sure. If the snow is deep enough, it can make for very good prone rifle shooting, as you can merge with the ground in a way you can't when the ground is bare. The muzzle flash does interesting things to the snow, though.
Make sure when you come back in from the cold, you let your guns warm up, then wipe the resulting condensation off well.
I just learned a new trick a week or two ago. If you're shooting a steel frame auto and don't want to freeze your fingers, stick a disposable hand warmer in the magazine well between strings.
Make sure when you come back in from the cold, you let your guns warm up, then wipe the resulting condensation off well.
I just learned a new trick a week or two ago. If you're shooting a steel frame auto and don't want to freeze your fingers, stick a disposable hand warmer in the magazine well between strings.
Sommerled
Member
Of course. Like another poster said, otherwise one would get rusty not practicing for such a long time. Here in Minnesota it is snow and cold 5 months a year. Just dress for it and load your mags inside. It is important to know how my rifles and loads perform in the cold.. I routinely hunt coyotes and deer in subzero conditions. Many others do too. BTW: A heavy 357 Mag load with a hollowpoint bullet will be stopped by less than 18 " of snow.
Texan Scott
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In the wut? 
buck460XVR
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Coupla years back I was at my local range when two guys with a new 9mm and a coupla boxes of ammo showed up. There was a good foot of snow on the ground, but a lane had been plowed to the berm and target stand. They didn't have any paper targets but instead set up unbroken clay pigeons from the trap range on the snow bank at the end of the lane. Come spring there was a pile of 9mm bullets laying in front of the berm as if someone had poured them outta a bag. Iffin I reloaded 9mm, I would have been temped to try reusing them.
Around here, if you don't shoot when there's snow on the ground, you'd only shoot about 5 months a year.
gdcpony
Member
I shoot and hunt year round. Hunting is especially more fun in the snow. From another thread similar to this one:
Sorry, no sympathy for you all here! When it gets cold around my parts, I slow down my shooting, but spend more time with my weapons. See below.
I usually go here:
And do this:
It works with a gun too:
I tend to get my kids involved too:
TanklessPro
Member
It's been over three years since I saw snow on the ground and I was at work that day, I would say no. Funny thing is my six year old has only seen snow once.
And by the way, do you see where I live???????? How would I get there?????
And by the way, do you see where I live???????? How would I get there?????
Palehorseman
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About 35 years ago in Wyoming, winter camping and shooting, me 2nd from right.
beatledog7
Member
Snow is one of Earth's best features. I wish we got it more often around here. As for shooting when there's snow, sure. No reason not to.
Last winter we had an action-style contest with pre-1945 military arms, in the sprit of Talvisota (Winter War). A web-TV channel made a program about the event, the clip can be viewed at http://moontv.fi/ohjelmat/harveli/perinneaseammunta . There could be more shooting instead of babbling in Finnish, sorry. At 1:37 - 1:54, Yours Truly can be seen fumbling with a Mosin M44
While it wasn't a re-enactment event, many contestants wore contemporary outfits. Starting at 3:11, the chairman of my reservist club presents his m/36 uniform, complete with a semiautomatic Suomi SMG. In the end of the clip, the reporter tries his hand on one of the stages. He shot the M39 quite well as a novice. Grenades were dummy!
Yes! I have a range outback and a bullettrap outback of the house If I get cold I can just come inside a few minutes to warm up. With bolt actions i just eject the shells into a bucket next to me same with revolver empty shells. With a Auto I just lay a small tarp out and collect brass that way. I like to make Ice targets with snow that I add water to and then use various sizes of plastic containers to mold the slushy snow (let them freeze hard) then set them up on a board and blast away.
Here we go. These were taken many years ago in October, on crisp below zero F weather, on a hunting trip somewhere way up north near the arctic circle...
saturdaynightpolitics
Member
This is a terrible but fun story but it seems in the spirit of the thread. Our local indoor range had the worlds oldest ventilation system and when it would snow outside it would also snow inside much to the patrons dismay; we would still shoot! That is until last winter when the ceiling collapsed and the whole place was shut down for two months! Then we didn't shoot!
At least till the spring!
At least till the spring!
Snow? yes. -30 degrees F? Not without serious preparation. I postponed teaching a new shooter this past weekend for super cold weather.
ol' scratch
Member
I shoot in the rain, snow, heat, cold...whatever. I really like going to the range when it is cold because I have the place to myself and the barrels cool faster on the rifles. I do choose my firearms differently. While they would probably be just fine, I don't take some of my rarer surplus firearms out when it is actively raining. Everything else sees time in various weather conditions. My AR is my favorite rain gun.
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