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Speaking of shooting ranges, do you...

nitesite

Average Guy
Moderator
"Philanthropist"
... shoot even during extreme heat?

I have to confess that with the heat index these past several days around 110-degrees and very high humidity as well I find that I have NO interest in keeping the sweat out of my eyes just to see my sights.

Give me cold weather any day when it comes to shooting.
 
Yeah. I have used less than best sense too often.

Not that I'd just go out on a day like today when it is forecast for 96F and 108F heat index.
But I was at matches as a competitor, Match Director and Range Safety Officer about 3 out of 4 weeks a month.
As I remember in the years '95 to 2019 there was never a match shut down due to high temps.
These matches were as far south as Sarasota and Orlando Fl and north to Green Bay WI.
Matches were cancelled or interrupted due to rain, wind, thunderstorms, hail snow and cold.
Not heat.
 
OP here.

During the summer my wife is off from teaching and she really likes to sleep in. I have a steel plate and paper shooting range parallel to my 900-ft driveway so I COULD shoot early (I'm up at 5:00AM) when it is the coolest. The problem is our two dogs who go nuts at the sound of gunfire and that would disturb Kathy, soooooo what momma wants momma gets ::: no morning shooting if it can be avoided. That pretty much rules out summertime outdoor shooting unless it clouds up and a cool front moves in.
 
I spent too many years in the Regular Army and as a cop where I had no choice but to work and also to shoot with sweat burning my eyes. I ain't ever doing that again unless I would be forced to.
 
Around here (Central FL) I tell people "it gets even hotter the more you complain about it..." ;) I can deal with heat for the most part, sunscreen and hydration is key. Shade and fans blowing on me is even better! I can work in it but have adjusted my hours to work in the evening and night when it is only 80... :rolleyes: As far as shooting goes, my range shooting stations are covered but sun does glare in by the afternoon. I can't really shoot in my shop but have thought about it--it is zoned industrial so I can make noise all night.
 
No. I don't shoot when the weather is "too bad".

Unless I have to.

When the heat/humidity of the south gets as bad as it's been this week, I admit that I haven't shot since last Monday.

When the temp of cold weather gets down below 0, I don't shoot then either.

Unless I have to.

I will more likely shoot in the extreme cold than the extreme hot. I have coyote hunted down into single digits to where ice will freeze in the top of your thermos cup after about 5 minutes. In the extreme cold, I can dress for that to keep warm. But in the extreme heat/humidity that we've been having this week, you could go naked and still be hot. So, there's no real way to dress for that.
 
Well monkey, how is it living in a free state? You've been there long enough to be able to decide what you like about it and what you don't.
 
Well monkey, how is it living in a free state? You've been there long enough to be able to decide what you like about it and what you don't.

Love the freedom.

Standard capacity mags, stocks that fit. Buying a handgun in 20 minutes. Full CCW Carry.

I am a member of 2 private gun clubs.

living on the skeet field these days but need to reconfigure a rifle or two.
 
I'm in a state that can get toasty in the summer and still do range days, uspsa, and 3gun

the right gear makes all the difference in having fun in the heat - hat, sun shirt, cooling towel, cooler, umbrella

some people go all out at matches

IMG_4780.jpg
 
Being in the Uk its not a problem we have... :D

Our normal temp range is -5 to 30 C, (23-86 F) so its not uncomfortable to shoot all year round.. when it gets into the minus temps, trigger control with numb fingers gets a bit tricky though..
 
You can NEVER pick the day you will have to fight. Myself and the guys will be having a full gear range day (property next to B F Egypt) this Saturday, forecast is 92 but the humidity is supposed to be low ????
 
Report on training day: the heat kinda sucked but manageable,and go figure when we called it 18:30 the breeze picked up and clouds moved in and temp dropped 12-15 degrees. Worked out some gear issues ( I've lost 18lbs since I set up my plate carrier - made a big fitment issue) and a few other small things but easily correctable. Worked out some scenarios for training. It was rough ground with stumps,roots,dips and it kinda sucked but more realistic, you won't always have smooth flat ground! And a LITTLE bragging but hits at 75yrd on a 16X16 steel with with a G19 for me, several other 19's and 17's and a Sig but we all where able too make the Ding. And the best part was around 05:30 our German shepherd Athena woke me up with a smack to the face. Sorry for the full frontal nudity :)IMG_20220625_103300795.jpg
 
I have a genetic propensity for sweating at the drop of a hat. So what I do is first wearing one of my Wilson brand headbands and second on these hot days I go to the range in the early morning during the coolest part of the day. When the temp starts to climb I finish up and head home.
 
Now that it’s in the 100s every day, I will probably go because I got my motorcycle back together.

But I will go at 7 AM when they open and I will leave before noon when it will be 90.

Now I can tolerate the heat, and it’s a dry desert heat most of the time, And we have a very nice cover overhead at our range.

But when the wind shifts around noon you get a breeze from the garbage dump across the “canyon”. That throws my aim way off.
 
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