Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles R17 @ 4 below

Them yotes got my number!


1mph wind predicted for tomorrow so there goes that excuse......(grin)
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=59741


You guys ever have much for scope problems when it gets that cold?

Sam, the only time I had any scope issues like that was because the rifle kept going from -26 to a warm, wet pickup cab...and back....
Wasn't a big deal though, my glasses were so fogged and frosted, I couldn't see the scope...much less see THROUGH it!!

Ingwe

That usually happens when the big buck shows up!


There was a guy camped next to cowcamp last Fall that had a Breaks bull tag. He was after a big one and had been looking around quite a bit when finally the ranch foreman gets him on some elk.
He goes to shoot and the Leupold was fogged up! Foreman offers to hold the barrel and 'aim' at the bull but the hunter declined.
Poor old bastid, never did hear if he got an elk.

Sam I had a cow tag that year ( 1991) and the first week was all -25.....
I killed my cow pretty much right off the bat with my 7x57 ( Duh..)
Actually worked up a sweat dressing her by myself, and had to take my glasses off to finish the chore...
At -26, when I was done, I stuck my glasses back on to head to the truck..


" Stuck" is the right word, they immediately froze to my sweaty head, and frosted over completely!....

I couldn't unstick them, and I couldn't see through them, so I went the whole way back to the truck looking over, under, and out along the sides of them!

Yes, I was younger, and yes, I learned a LOT of lessons the "hard way"...

Ingwe

And yet, one time when hunting with Eileen up Rock Creek, 20+ years ago, I rattled in a whitetail buck at around 30 below. At the peak of the rut they don't lose interest just because it's a little cold....

Damn dude, that would suck!


What's that Spanish word....Eye cu rumba!

True dat JB...I killed one of my better whitetails that same week, @30 below..he was out lookin' for love...

Ingwe

Mark,

Cold soak the rifle along with the ammo. And sloooow fire, and don't let the next round sit in the chamber very long and become heat soaked. When I did my test on RL22 a few years ago, I put the Oehler in the the cab of the truck and strung the line out to the skyscreens (I can drive up beside the end shooting benches at our range) in order to make sure it remained warm and functioning in the single digit weather. Pay attention to the speed reading of that first cold ammo-cold barrel round. My ES ws a lot larger in cold weather with RL22.

I'm sure you know the drill.......


Casey

Those little square batteries don't last very long....(grin)

Now that's funny --and this is from a guy who wears glasses......I've had them fog up and freeze up, but I've yet to freeze them to my head


Casey

Thx Casey, and trust me on this. Once I've gone hot I've never been accused of allowing the round to sit in the chamber very long...grin

-20 this morn so the ammo and rifle should be plenty cooled for my testing.

Dober

Looks to be a fine morning for your test!

Hope it don't warm up too much by range time.....grin

Yep, gonna be a little chilly.

A guy might have to wear a long sleeved shirt and maybe even some gloves....(grin)

You guys have fun. I was going to go yesterday but couldn't find any mag pistol primers. I think at -20 I would be looking to shoot prone from a thermarest and forgo the concrete bench

I bet you guys dont have to wait too long to set up your targets

Just sized up 60 pieces of brass for the Bob, gonna be a good day to pop a bunch of rounds off!


My prone pads are still rolled up in the bedroll but I did carp onto a good sized piece of carpet from a job last summer. Hopefully the boss didn't through it away and I can find it in the garage. Might be nice to have today.

KK-if you need mag pistola primers let me know, I may be able to help you out.

Dober

On the way Mark!

I just had to plug the old Ford in. Changed the oil last week and it didn't want to turn over..at all......(grin)

Well I just finished with a little cold weather testing myself, This topic is a good one and since I am in Southern Montana and it is only 0 degrees I gave it a go, tested a couple 7 mags with 140 Accubonds and 71 grains of Rl 19
average at 65 was 3255
1. 3248
2. 3225
3. 3209
4. 3179 10 minutes after # 3

Cant say RL19 was that bad at 0 degrees

Tested 168 Berger VLD's moly over 73 grs Retumbo, average at 65 is 3066

1. 3115
2. 3069
3. 3062
shot 3 168's naked with a different lot of powder and they rang up,1 3111, 2, 3099 and 3 at 3091
I also banged 3 rds through my little Marlin .243,58 gr Vmax
over 44.5 grs Varget, average 3680 at 65%, today
1. 3528
2. 3662
3. 3697
I would say the Marlin is more in line with the other guys findings as far as temp and velocity but they is what they is.

Thanx Dober for gettin me thinkin and my butt outside to try this before gettin on the plane, good stuff.
Rifles and ammo were left outside in the truck, only got 9
below last night, but the cold nites before really made the Elk come down off the Bighorns, we counted 30 Bulls last night, all dandys, 22 in one bunch, still fighting and carryin on, the bunch of 8 were some big old Monarchs, huge racks, nice to see.

Dakota-do you know what speeds your loads were running earlier on when it was warmer.

What I'm really looking for here is to use the exact same components in warmer weather vs todays colder weather. For sure the same lots of powder, same clock etc.

Thx

Dober