Winter practice

[wisconsinteacher]

What can a guy do to practice on his shooting skills during the winter months? It is -10 here again. I was thinking that dry firing would be good to do. Also, getting a BB gun and shooting in the basement would be fun and kill some time. Plus, the BBs could be used over and over.

 

[SJB358]

WT, I do anything I can, even if trying to jump shoot rabbits, or shoot some squirrels with a 22... Any of it has to keep you sharp.

I will use anything to get out with a rifle or a shotgun, just to stay on my game a little.

 

[HTDUCK]

Move to Dallas......

Seriously, we shoot year round.
Skeet, Sporting Clays, rifles at the range. There is some kind of match at our club every Saturday and Sunday.
And in Tx there is always something to hunt, year round.
No season on predators, hogs or exotic animals.

 

[DrMike]

For years, I continued to visit the range in virtually every weather. I believe the coldest temp in which I shot was about -35C (-31F). It is interesting. To be certain, I now have a cut-off of -15C (5F) when I shoot. Since I clean at the range, the solvents freeze at that temperature.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

Move to TX. I am a Cheesehead so that is not going to happen.

 

[Guy Miner]

Go Packers! :mrgreen: Wish we had a Cheesehead "smilie"

I do train in the winter, outdoors, but we seldom get below 10 degrees or so. This has been a particularly mild winter except for one pretty doggone cold week when temps got to 7 or 8 or something like that.

At 10 below? I'd do the vast majority of my training inside. I think you've already hit on some good ideas. Here's what I do:

Dry Firing - this can be as simple as practicing good sight alignment and trigger squeeze or as complex as drawing, firing, moving, reloading and everything else, minus the actual muzzle blast & recoil. I like dry firing.

If you dry fire, PLEASE make sure all the ammo is elsewhere. Every year I get together with a few other firearms instructors and usually somebody has a story to tell about someone who shot:

1. The television. This is always a popular target. Have to help the good guys clobber the bad guys I suppose... Seriously, a LOT of TV's have been killed by "dry fire" that wasn't so dry...

2. Fluffy the cat. No kidding. Typical scenario I hear is this: Young cop moves in with girlfriend. He doesn't like the cat, but puts up with it because otherwise things are great. He unloads his duty or off-duty gun and does some great dry fire practice. Works reloads, malfunction clearing, drawing and firing, re-holstering to go hands-on, everything. At the end of the practice session he reloads the handgun, sets it on the table and turns on the TV to watch some football. All is well...

Fluffy the cat wanders into the room. Our hero, not really thinking things through, picks up the 9mm for a little dry fire practice on a moving target... :shock: Makes a big mess. Ruins Fluffy's day. Has to move out and get a new girlfriend... Bad deal all around.

If you dry-fire, PLEASE put the ammo in another room, and when you're done dry firing, put the gun away. Far away. Deep away. Locked up away.... :grin: Unless you don't like cats of course.

A BB gun, a quality airsoft gun, a pellet gun, all make for decent practice tools. I'd spend the money and get a good pellet gun, then build or buy a good bullet trap for it. Set it up in the hallway. Practice standing, kneeling, sitting and prone. Why not?

Beam Hit has some interesting laser based marksmanship training tools:

http://beamhit.com/Home/tabid/848/Default.aspx

Also, any indoor ranges there? You can't be the only marksman in Wisconsin who wants to train in the winter.

Yes, keep on training. You don't have to go to Texas.... :mrgreen:

Regards, Guy

 

[DrMike]

Yes, keep on training. You don't have to go to Texas.... :mrgreen:

But it could be a positive thing. :grin:

 

[JD338]

I shoot red squirrels with my Remington 541HB T. Its a tack driver with Yellow Jackets.
Most of my shooting is from the comfort of my warm cozy house.

JD338

 

[Polaris]

Shoot! Find a nice frozen lake with an unpopulated sandbank, you can drive out and practice your long range shooting. 5 gal or ice cream bucket Ice blocks painted orange or black make good reactive targets.

 

[Sas874runner]

I shoot year round. Especially in the cold. Helps hone cold weather hunting season skills

 

[Elkman]

As I am still incapacited ther is no shooting for me. It's been nice here, 20's in the night and40's in the day. About every third day so the inversion sets in and visibility goes to zero. No wind for several weeks. My bench is in the shade this time of the year, and the ground hard so there is no mud. A great time to shoot.

 

[tim629]

Guy just curious do you know the prices on those beamhit programs? they look neat

Polaris- thanks for the great idea it's cold enough to make ice and then I don't have to clean up after I'm done so I think some ice targets are on my weekend agenda

 

[Guy Miner]

Same here Elkman, this is the best time of year for me to shoot accurately at long range!

Still, cold air... No sun.

 

[Vince]

In the low 70's today.
Go shooting all winter long. :grin:
We have a Cheesehead group that's large enough for one to feel they are still in Wisconsin with a caveat. The caveat being that Bermuda Shorts and tank tops are acceptable winter attire.

 

[DaveA37]

"......in Tx there is always something to hunt, year round.
No season on predators, hogs or exotic animals."........

Unless you own a ranch or have access to one, where do you propose the average guys goes to shoot or hunt? Like the other cheese heads, we have lots of space to roam, WHEN ITS WARMER. :mrgreen:

 

[HTDUCK]

"......in Tx there is always something to hunt, year round.
No season on predators, hogs or exotic animals."........

Unless you own a ranch or have access to one, where do you propose the average guys goes to shoot or hunt? Like the other cheese heads, we have lots of space to roam, WHEN ITS WARMER. :mrgreen:

It is a known fact that here in Tx you are going to pay for a lease to hunt.
There are some public hunting grounds scattered across East Tx.

Other than that, get in the truck and drive.
A six hour drive here is considered a "hop, skip and a jump"

 

[ccoker]

No offense
But please stop with the move to Texas comments!!

We are at max capacity!!!

 

[wisconsinteacher]

I don't know after looking at the forecast for next week, I might move. -40 to -60 wind chills. Ouch!!!!

 

[DrMike]

I don't know after looking at the forecast for next week, I might move. -40 to -60 wind chills. Ouch!!!!

But there are no mosquitoes! :grin:

 

[wisconsinteacher]

Very true. The state bird will be back in the spring.