Went to the range today

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4V50 Gary

Staff
It must have been in the thirties and I wore only a wool shirt with a light windbreaker. Brrr. The rangemaster loaned me a Seattle SeaHawk sweatshirt which helped and the ear muff hearing protectors kept the ears warmed.

Anyway, everything felt like ice. The rifle barrel, the adjustable powder measure, the range rod, the cap tin all were cold as heck and my hands quickly became numb. I had a lot of trouble placing the cap on the nipple. After five shots, I called it quits. It's snowing now, the barrel has been cleaned and I'm sitting by a fire. My admiration for the mountain men and 1700s frontiersmen has soared.

Anybody going to the Western Shoot at the Ben Avery Range next month? If you've been there before during March, what was the weather like?
 
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BirchOrr

New member
I can relate. It is 35 below zero here In southern Michigan wind chill. The blazing wood burner won't even keep up with it. No warmer days in sight for at least two more weeks.

Ice Road Truckers have nothing on us right now.

On a more positive note, I saw something very cool today. There were 15 deer and about the same amount of turkeys feeding in the cut corn field behind my house. The deer were pawing through the snow and loosening the corn left behind by the combines. The turkeys mingled right in there with them and we're gobbling up every bit of corn they could scrounge. A beautiful display of our wildlife working together and feeding during these brutally cold temperatures. Simply amazing.

Birch
 
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Chowmif16

New member
I wish...

Gary,
I can sympathize, I lived in Alaska for 6 years, however, I have a request for you.
Please go shooting so that I may live vicariously through your shooting exploits!
I have changed jobs 3 times in the last two years and moved once, and have a 3 year old daughter.
When I was in my prime, I shot at 20 below zero. Now, I can hardly find time to plink for an hour. Please, please go shooting and tell us about it!
Yours respectfully
 
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Model12Win

Moderator
And this is why I don't shoot black powder during winter, but, spring is right around the corner... LET THE FUN BEGIN!!! :D
 
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Poodleshooter

New member
My personal favorite is charging a flintlock pan with cold fingers, right after I get settled into my stand during the early mornings of our late MZ deer season.
They were stalwart souls in the old days to do such things while not only cold, but with their lives on the line.
 
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Old Stony

New member
I lived just over the pass south of you for years, and can sympathize. I've spent some really cold mornings out tramping around looking for antelope and deer. I can remember the warmth coming from an antelope when I opened it up feeling pretty good as I was on my knees in the snow.
I spent one winter over near Eagle Nest and it's the coldest winter I have spent anywhere in my life.
 
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Sure Shot Mc Gee

New member
Ooo!! Hard core y'll fellers are.

Well Gents. As for my winter time B/P addiction. 2 shots fired off the back deck on New Years Eve with two pre-loaded cap lock 54 cal rifles. {done so to speed up my exposure to the outside elements of course} Once that mission is accomplished. Yesiree4v50gary I'm in hibernation mode until it gets to be 60* again. :)
 
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BerdanSS

New member
Well I've never been to Arizona, flown over it a couple times. I'll tell you this though, Mesa is 50 + degrees right now. While I'm watching another inch of snow fall from my office window. We're currently at 11* here in central Indiana :( A friend of mine transferred to the Mesa Police department back in '07. He said the summers were unbearable. Told me one time just getting out of the patrol car for a traffic stop in August, felt like all the air was immediately sucked from your lungs as soon as the car door opened. But late winter / early springs were perfect. I'd think the Mach weather in AZ would me more than agreeable to you folks in CO ;)


My buddies and I used to go out and shoot EVERY Wednesday afternoon year round, even if there was foot of snow on the ground....when we were in our teens:D
 
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4V50 Gary

Staff
One thing I learned was to make your own powder measure out of horn. It's light and being horn and not metal, it won't contribute to your hand freezing.

I just made my reservation for Phoenix. I'll be there from Mar 2-6. I'm seeing if the school wants us to have a booth (at least pay for a table).
 
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g.willikers

New member
I've been there both summer and winter.
Winter is better.
Take a good jacket for evenings and nights, but a sweater will do during the day, at most.
Probably will get by with shorts and teeshirt until the sun goes down in March.
Enjoy, wish I was going with you.
 
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bedbugbilly

New member
Winter shooting is the best excuse there is for a nice Hudson Bay blanket capote .

When I was in MI in the winter, I got to the point i didn't even want to go hunting if it was cole outside . . must be something to do with age?

Birch - I talked with a friend yesterday who was on the road to Florida . . he'd had enough of what you're getting back there. I was hoping it would be a more mild winter but doesn't look like it turned out that way.

As for AZ - it's Wednesday morning, having a cup of coffee - I'm looking out my window at the desert - bright sunny skies and is supposed to be high 70s today. (south of Tucson) I'm not trying to rub it in as I can almost fill the chill as you guys talk about how cold it is where you are . . . but keep in good spirits as spring will come at some point and the smokepoles can be brought out! :)
 
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