Shooting in the heat

[High Desert Hunter]

I live in the desert, very used to the heat, I'm also fat, so I don't necessarily enjoy it. Wondering how many use sunshades when the shoot? I don't shoot at an established range very often, mostly set my own steel up in the desert, and boy howdy this time of year the sun is intense! Fouling control is also very difficult, and I only wet wipe in the summer, 105+ and 9% humidity makes for HARD fouling. Just curious what others do to keep shooting all summer long. I have been suffering from terrible shoulder pain, and I am still doing physical therapy for a damaged labrum, but I am hoping to get back to it after several months, and would really like to drive North a little ways and take a whack at the white buffalo again, see if I can improve my hit percentage.

Dave

[Cotton Eye Joe]

I've been shooting in southern Arizona for the last year since I moved here. Very desert, very cactus, very hot, especially the last couple months. I don't use a sunshade, but I always park near one of the tiny trees that grow around here. I haven't gotten a canopy shade just yet, but I've thought about it. For sun protection, I try to wear a wider brimmed hat, a thin long-sleeve shirt, and thin pants. Like fishing clothing basically, very thin and breathable yet blocks the sun. And then a good bit of water, of course. The longest shooting session I've had using that method was about 4 hours in temps around 98-100 degrees. That's advice from a 30 year old in pretty good shape.

Temps are starting to hit 108, but I think I can keep at it. I've focused more on covering firearms with blankets and keeping everything out of direct sunlight. All that said, I'm not suggesting it's easy! A range session here is both fun and draining.

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[High Desert Hunter]

Beautiful! Are you North of Phoenix?

[Cotton Eye Joe]

No, I'm basically in Tucson. I shoot a bit south of there.

[High Desert Hunter]

Gotcha! I have spent a little time over in that area with the Air Force and long weekends. Tuscon is about 5 hours away, about the same distance I am from the Whittington Center.

Dave

[VBull]

Back in the mid to late 90's, I lived just east of El Paso (Horizon City). I shot much of the time at the Fort Bliss R+G club, Ysleta, Las Cruces and several other ranges in that area.
There was really no way to shoot black powder for any lengthy string without wiping. The barrel would get too hot and any moisture you could blow into the barrel would flash off before a shell could be loaded. Short strings were OK, less than 12-13 shots. It was important to have the barrel covered out of the direct sun when not shooting. When shooting in the open, I used to put the tailgate down on my truck and back up onto the berm then put my shooting mat in the shade of the tailgate. Duplex loads and straight smokeless allowed extended practice sessions without needing to wipe.

[desert deuce]

High Desert Hunter, the term fat does not apply to black powder cartridge rifle shooters. We are referred to as "Well Nourished".

Cotton Eye Joe, I was at Tucson Rifle Club this morning, by 9:30 it was 99F ambient in the shade. Forgot what the humidity was. The range is just West of Three Points, West on 86 (Ajo Way), from Tucson, I think about 23 miles. Annual Club Membership is $100.00 U.S. Dollars, (no acceptan pesos, yet), shoot every day except certain holidays, 8 ranges, out to 1,000 yards and yes the firing points are covered.

Most of the midrange and long range target events I have shot in are not shaded, at all.
A few observations. Here, when the ambient hits 88F (think high UV factor) or more and/or the humidity drops below 30%, what matters is what the temperature and humidity at barrel level registers and what the temperature is on the shooting mat, reflective heat.

Three things contribute primarily to excessive internal barrel hard fouling. First, radiant UV heating on the external barrel, heat of combustion inside the barrel, and the evaporation rate at ground/barrel level. This is especially noticeable when firing sighters plus 15 shots for score. The rule of thumb of 88F, 30% humidity, becomes an increasing problem as the effects of radiant and combustive heating contribute to internal barrel heat. So about the 7th or 8th shot in a 45-70 consuming about 72-74 grains of 1.5 Swiss will have decreased accuracy, increased hard fouling, if fouling control is inadequate.

If you fired 5 sighters, I have fired as many as 10, about your second record shot will possibly be adversely affected by internal barrel fouling if you did not start out with shot #1 with sufficient fouling control to prevent shots 7 through 20 from accumulating hard fouling in the barrel, especially the last few inches of the barrel, you will have accuracy issues before the last record shot.

In Summary: The trick is to prevent hard fouling from first to last shot and much of that depends on you knowing your rifle and load well enough that you know intrinsically what level of fouling control you need to apply from first to last shot. The only way to determine that level of fouling control is by shooting in adverse conditions.

[Cotton Eye Joe]

Desert Deuce, the Tucson Rifle Club is annoying the exact same distance from where I live now, compare to the distance I drive to BLM land for shooting. And on top of that, holidays are about the only time I can shoot. $100 a year is a good price, though. If you don't mind the sight of smokeless powder in a Sharps, I'd consider heading out that way for some shooting. I shot fifty rounds of 50-70 in 75F heat and 35% humidity a few weeks ago, in the span of about 15 minutes. That was in West Virginia. It has never occurred to me that I probably wouldn't get away with that if I shot black powder.

[bryany]

"I shot fifty rounds of 50-70 in 75F heat and 35% humidity a few weeks ago, in the span of about 15 minutes."

I hope that was a successful self defense effort. Must have been a lot of them.

Bryan

[High Desert Hunter]

The closest range to me that provides 1000 yards is just West of Las Cruces about an hour and a quarter from me. I was thinking about this, there is really only a 2 month window where we have what I would call "ideal" shooting conditions. The month of February is nice, temps in the 50s and 60s with not much wind, and October when temps have finally dropped out of the 90s and we have very little wind. Shooting in the heat is a challenge for me for sure, but the 15-25 knot constant winds are the biggest challenge. If I try I can mitigate that threat by setting up to shoot into or with the wind, as our prevailing winds are South by Southwest (Texas s*cks and Mexico blows), but my favorite spot is always either a full value or a quartering wind on a good day. My favorite spot offers up to a 730 yard shot, and I have another spot where I shoot the new fangled stuff that lets me shoot to a bit over a mile. All in al I hope the shoulder calms down so I can get enough practice in to take a whack at the White Buffalo again. I am trying to decide which match I want to go and watch first, and then get to working on trying one myself, I am not getting any younger.

Dave

[desert deuce]

High Desert Hunter, there is a near perfect solution to your conundrum.
Jan 30-Feb 8, Desert International Long Range Black Powder Target Rifle Championships. Phoenix, AZ: wink:
Details to be posted here on Shiloh Forum next month.

[High Desert Hunter]

That shoot has been on my radar for a few years now. I should roll up and watch a match at the Whittington Center, as it is only 5 hours away, lodging can be tough during big events though.

[JonnyV]

How much ammo is needed for the DI match? those dates might work for me!

[Cotton Eye Joe]

"I shot fifty rounds of 50-70 in 75F heat and 35% humidity a few weeks ago, in the span of about 15 minutes."

I hope that was a successful self defense effort. Must have been a lot of them.

Bryan

The good guys were unscathed. The dead tree stump seemed a little smaller, though haha

[desert deuce]

Number of rounds depends on what events you wish to shoot
2 days of 40 for score big bore silhouette maybe 120 if you don't go wild with sighters or caught in a shoot off
1 day .22 target usually consumes most of 100 rounds (60 for score + sighters)
2 days midrange about 85 minimum should do it (500 & 600)
2 days long range (800 & 900) 100 should get you by
3 days at 1,000 130 should get you by