cold weather shooting
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Topic author
cold weather shooting
How many of you go out and practice shooting with all your normal cold weather gear? I know many that will only go to the range only when it's warm. They don't practice with their cold weather gear on. What do you do when you are in layers and layers of clothing and gloves? Can you shoot as you are dressed? Can you get your gun out from under all the clothing? I know I'm heading to the range for a practice this week now that winter is here. I always practice as I carry and at this time of year I am often wearing gloves at work.
Re: cold weather shooting
Yup. Impossible to draw a handgun and shoot it with mittens on, without an accidental discharge because there is no trigger "feel" when you have gloves on. Lucky I did this with an airsoft replica of my handgun before I tried it with the real deal. This was with a Glock 19 and arctic subzero mittens that are an inch thick.texanjoker wrote:How many of you go out and practice shooting with all your normal cold weather gear?
The AR-15 is very easy to shoot with gloves on because the trigger guard is huge. I have the S&W 15-22 that doesn't have a hinged trigger guard but the trigger guard is oversized. Without looking down, I can just by "feel" draw my rifle from a sling and put my finger in the trigger guard, then fire it without an accidental discharge. I used the same enormous mittens.
Re: cold weather shooting
I don't do it intentionally, but I do practice this when I do get to the range when it's cold. Also, weather permitting, I'll be doing an IDPA match in two weeks. We did a few last year when it was cold and IIRC a couple of the stages required a cover garment. And it was cold enough that on one or two cover garments were used even though they weren't required. So were gloves.
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Re: cold weather shooting

texanjoker wrote:How many of you go out and practice shooting with all your normal cold weather gear? I know many that will only go to the range only when it's warm. They don't practice with their cold weather gear on. What do you do when you are in layers and layers of clothing and gloves? Can you shoot as you are dressed? Can you get your gun out from under all the clothing? I know I'm heading to the range for a practice this week now that winter is here. I always practice as I carry and at this time of year I am often wearing gloves at work.

This is a really good thing to do with winter clothing!
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Re: cold weather shooting
Well, I admit I haven't made it to the range in a while, warm or cold weather. But I am planning to go this coming Thursday if things work as planned. I've got a new scope on my AR that I need to "dial in", and a little practice with the pistol while wearing gloves wouldn't hurt, either.
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Re: cold weather shooting
My cold weather gear consists of a lettermans style jacket, no gloves, and no other "gear". I'm not a badass, but I am from up north and 20 degrees ain't cold.
:P
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Re: cold weather shooting
I verified that the trigger guard on my P226 is big enough to get my gloved finger in, and that I can still pull and reset the trigger (barely... it's actually way closer than I'd like it to be on the reset, but I can't afford an HK Mk23 and I don't wear the gloves if I'm not doing actual work, and since I can't carry at work...). Oh, and I've got a few extra mags with me in case the BGs are wearing enough heavy winter clothes to be bullet resistant. I didn't bother checking my PPQ or PPS because they both looked a bit too small.
Fortunately it was all a moot point and all the interesting stuff that happened to me tonight was related to the weather's effect on my drive home.
Fortunately it was all a moot point and all the interesting stuff that happened to me tonight was related to the weather's effect on my drive home.
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Re: cold weather shooting
Dito, I have not wore gloves since I moved to Texas, Now I also don't spend any amount of time outside in the cold. If I could get to an outdoor range I might try it but suspect my fingers will be a bit stiff.HoosierTexan wrote:My cold weather gear consists of a lettermans style jacket, no gloves, and no other "gear". I'm not a badass, but I am from up north and 20 degrees ain't cold.
:P
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Re: cold weather shooting
Back in the day, the Army taught to remove the leather shell and shoot using the knit glove liner. In arctic conditions, soldiers were issued trigger finger mittens. These were mittens that you could get your protected trigger finger out of the mitten shell to shoot.
Like several of the others I rarely wear gloves, when I do they are the thin flexible "mechanics" gloves.
Like several of the others I rarely wear gloves, when I do they are the thin flexible "mechanics" gloves.
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Re: cold weather shooting
suthdj wrote:Dito, I have not wore gloves since I moved to Texas, Now I also don't spend any amount of time outside in the cold. If I could get to an outdoor range I might try it but suspect my fingers will be a bit stiff.HoosierTexan wrote:My cold weather gear consists of a lettermans style jacket, no gloves, and no other "gear". I'm not a badass, but I am from up north and 20 degrees ain't cold.
:P
I came form Colorado where we also have cold.....Im either getting old or my blood is getting thin because 20 is now cold
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Re: cold weather shooting
I try to practice once a week, regardless of weather, unless the range is a mess from rain / flooding, etc. And I dress for the weather, so yes, I practice this time of year bundled up. That said, I don't typically wear gloves, so that part doesn't throw me off. It does take more time to clear cover garments and I slow down a little during the draw, just to be on the safe side. Hands in the coat pockets if I am not reloading magazines or shooting. 
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Re: cold weather shooting
For a second there, I thought I had logged into the Minnesota CHL forum. I have lived in Dallas for 6 years and have never worn gloves, except to keep my fingernails clean while working in the garden.
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Re: cold weather shooting
Here's a pair of gloves that MAY make shooting easier. The index and middle finger have the fingertip exposed.
http://www.duluthtrading.com/store/prod ... =mens-home
http://www.duluthtrading.com/store/prod ... =mens-home
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Re: cold weather shooting
But those are the parts that get cold.Dirvin wrote:Here's a pair of gloves that MAY make shooting easier. The index and middle finger have the fingertip exposed.
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Re: cold weather shooting
Y'all think it hurts more to get shot when its cold? Like hitting your thumb with a hammer? 
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