Shooting in the rain

[603Country]

Until yesterday, when it rained like crazy here in central Texas, I hadn't thought much about how rain might impact bullet trajectory. Some of you long range competition guys have most likely shot in the rain, so tell me what to expect as a trajectory change, if there is one.

I'm a hunter and have shot many many critters in the rain, but it was all close range and there were no problems. Still, with a small high velocity bullet having to blast through raindrops, surely there is some impact (no pun intended) from the rain.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

Short answer: Very low odds of any direct effect.

Long answer:
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182050

 

[tobnpr]

Was wondering the same thing a few weeks ago as we were shooting at 600 (could no longer see the steel at 1000).

I read the "long answer" Brian referenced, and his response at the end of that thread sure seemed to make sense (although, I didn't feel like checking his math...calculus was a loooong time ago for me).

We do get 5" per hour rainstorms here in Florida, even more than that during routine summer storms (we call 'em "frog-drowners" ).

At first blush, you'd swear nothing could get through 1000 yards of that, and not hit a drop.

But as I learned a loooong time ago, numbers don't lie.

 

[kraigwy]

Rain affects the shooter not the rifle/bullet.

 

[Doyle]

I actually built up a special hunting rifle just for the hurricane like storms that we occasionally get during hunting season. I chose a stainless Encore with a stainless 30-06 barrel and a composite stock. I use 180 grn bullets (normally way overkill for our small deer). The scope is a Bushnell 4200 with the rainguard lense coating.

Here is my reasoning:
1. The stainless Encore will resist rust on its own, but when I get home and want to totally dry it out, it will completely disassemble within minutes.
2. Rain ruins blood trails - I'm figuring the 180 grn bullet will stand a better chance of a good pass-thru plus it has a better chance of putting the animal down quickly.

 

[bamaranger]

F-T/R

In my limited career as an F-T/R shooter ( I make about 1 match a year) I don't think I have ever been that it has not POURED on me at least one relay. Luck I guess.

At 5-600, we just held on and kept shooting. There were some visibility probs in the instances at 1000 and if I remember the whole relay shot again.

 

[AmmoSpy]

"Rain affects the shooter not the rifle/bullet."

In my experience this is the correct answer. I personally don't enjoy shooting in the rain, however I don't stop shooting if it starts raining .

 

[4runnerman]

Last 600 yard match I shot,It actually got called due to rain. We shot the first of 3 follies in the rain. I shot better than I ever have that day. I don't think rain has much to do with it,at least at that range any how Maybe if you were shooting farther it might

 

[Bart B.]

I've shot a few matches in the rain. No significant accuracy issues through 1000 yards in my opinion. But lots of folks blamed bad shots on raindrops.

Biggest problem I've heard of regarding accuracy was when the M14NM rifles first came out. Their flash supressors were small enough that rain drops on their inner surfaces were thought to deflect bullets enough to lose accuracy. After the services reamed them out, the problem went away shooting in the rain.

But there were other problems with bullets barely skimming supressors on their way out, so the NM version was reamed out to allow clearance for that, to. There was even a gauge made to see if the supressor had enough clearance.

 

[603Country]

Thanks Bart. That was the real world, been there, done that, long range experienced answer I was hoping to get.

Missed a coyote at 500 yards this morning. Wasn't raining, so I have no excuse until I can think of something believable.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

Thanks Bart. That was the real world, been there, done that, long range experienced answer I was hoping to get.

Missed a coyote at 500 yards this morning. Wasn't raining, so I have no excuse until I can think of something believable.

Coriolis Effect. You can always blame the Coriolis Effect.

 

[603Country]

Yup, that's what it was. I'd have said that in the first place, if I could have spelled it. Yeah, sure....