Shooting in the snow, low light, slippery footing, movement,

View · by **mikereilly** on Mon Dec 10, 2012 8:17 am

Yesterday while I told my students not to risk driving in the insane road conditions I found myself at our training facility putting several hundreds rounds down range. Several fun challanges. I let my glasses stay fogged and wet. I moved with slippery ground under foot. Draw from under heavy clothing, with gloves on. Then tried a few runs stripped down to a t-shirt to give the cold a chance to effect my shooting. very interesting what stays and what goes once you change the surrondings

View · by **TTS** on Mon Dec 10, 2012 9:51 am

Mike,

I completely agree, shooting in the cold with gloves or half frozen hands will show weakness in technique quickly. My biggest problem isn't weapons manipulation, it is that my trigger control goes to crap relative to the thickness of gloves I am wearing. Oddly, I shoot a revolver better than a semi-auto in thick gloves. I think the long constant trigger is easier to “feel” through gloves.

I have also found that carrying a small revolver BUG in an outer pocket is usually quicker to access when I am wearing a big jacket and snow pants.

Good on ya’ for practicing in less than ideal conditions.

View · by **Heffay** on Mon Dec 10, 2012 10:50 am

mikereilly wrote:Yesterday while I told my students not to risk driving in the insane road conditions I found myself at our training facility putting several hundreds rounds down range. Several fun challanges. I let my glasses stay fogged and wet. I moved with slippery ground under foot. Draw from under heavy clothing, with gloves on. Then tried a few runs stripped down to a t-shirt to give the cold a chance to effect my shooting. very interesting what stays and what goes once you change the surrondings

You should also enhance your training by going for a nice long run to build up endurance and cardiovascular health.

View · by **solidgun** on Mon Dec 10, 2012 10:59 am

I like training in the cold as that adds additional layers to the stress level. In the past I have found that in order to move to cover in icy conditions (not snow), I found it to be best to go into a kneeling position and move from that point. I also wear different gloves on each hands, so that my "dominant" hand wears slimmer and tighter gloves to maintain dexterity if I have a glove on at all on that hand.

View · by **matthew.allen** on Mon Dec 10, 2012 11:19 am

Often, when I am done running a PTC qualification outdoors in the cold, I take my gloves off. As soon as I lose my dexterity and fine motor control, I shoot 50-100 rounds and work on basic manipulation skills. It sucks on really cold days, but it gives a new perspective on what works, and what doesn't. It also reinforces that I CAN operate a semi auto under less than ideal conditions.

View · by **45Badger** on Mon Dec 10, 2012 11:31 am

I find that getting on my butt helps the stable platform issue. Want a better solution? Move to Florida!

View · by **Heffay** on Mon Dec 10, 2012 11:33 am

45Badger wrote:I find that getting on my butt helps the stable platform issue. Want a better solution? Move to Florida!

Or Arizona. Although it was a bit chilly this morning as I walked out to throw away the garbage in my flip flops and t-shirt.

View · by **matthew.allen** on Mon Dec 10, 2012 11:45 am

45Badger wrote:Want a better solution? Move to Florida!

I like this idea a lot, and so does my back after clearing snow yesterday.

View · by **plblark** on Mon Dec 10, 2012 11:48 am

Heffay wrote:
45Badger wrote:I find that getting on my butt helps the stable platform issue. Want a better solution? Move to Florida!

Or Arizona. Although it was a bit chilly this morning as I walked out to throw away the garbage in my flip flops and t-shirt.

I knew there wasa reason you were so universally liked and admired ;-P~~~

View · by **Heffay** on Mon Dec 10, 2012 11:55 am

plblark wrote:
Heffay wrote:
45Badger wrote:I find that getting on my butt helps the stable platform issue. Want a better solution? Move to Florida!

Or Arizona. Although it was a bit chilly this morning as I walked out to throw away the garbage in my flip flops and t-shirt.

I knew there wasa reason you were so universally liked and admired ;-P~~~

I consider that one of my finer trolls. Using the universal Minnesota bitching topic of weather, and totally turning it up to 11!

Speaking of, has it gotten that warm yet? ;-)

View · by **yuppiejr** on Mon Dec 10, 2012 11:56 am

.. I thought I had a tactical advantage with my snow blower, however having a nice guy complex I was compelled to take care of the less well equipped neighbors driveways as well each time I ventured out and not sure how much energy, back strain or time I saved over just shoveling my own like everyone else...

I like shooting outside in the winter whenever possible, it's a good way to not only shake out yourself but your gear as well (found an overly light hammer spring in an AR would not reliably ignite the primer in some ball ammo when it was operated below 0 F)... lubricants act differently, parts in the rifle that fit fine at room temperature may not operate or feel the same below freezing, optics + snow and slush don't always play nice, polymer can become brittle (Magpul = GTG, some of the Tapco + Master Molder mags not so much)... etc. Huffing through 2 feet of snow and then trying to line up a shot on a rabbit with the trusty 10/22 can be interesting as well.

View · by **yukonjasper** on Mon Dec 10, 2012 12:08 pm

i'm in the process of modifying my snow blower and my favorite shovel to be tactically superior. 50 Cal on a Ball turret mounted to the mid-frame of the snow blower with a 360 swivel so I can use the blower as cover should I be attacked. The shovel is a bit trickier but I'm thinking stainless hose clamps to hold my J-frame tight to the handle of my shovel. This should accomplish 2 things:
1) to increase the accessibility during snow removal and
2) the ability to stabilize the weapon using my off hand on the shovel handle during the skirmish.

I also use sub sonic rounds (not easy to find for the 50 Cal but well worth the time when you do find them) so as not to start an avalanche of cascading snow from the roof of the house and garage - death from above......................

Carry on.

View · by **TTS** on Mon Dec 10, 2012 1:37 pm

Heffay wrote:
mikereilly wrote:Yesterday while I told my students not to risk driving in the insane road conditions I found myself at our training facility putting several hundreds rounds down range. Several fun challanges. I let my glasses stay fogged and wet. I moved with slippery ground under foot. Draw from under heavy clothing, with gloves on. Then tried a few runs stripped down to a t-shirt to give the cold a chance to effect my shooting. very interesting what stays and what goes once you change the surrondings

You should also enhance your training by going for a nice long run to build up endurance and cardiovascular health.

I don't know if you have ever met Mike, but cardio doesn't look like one of his weak points

View · by **Heffay** on Mon Dec 10, 2012 2:25 pm

TTS wrote:
Heffay wrote:
mikereilly wrote:Yesterday while I told my students not to risk driving in the insane road conditions I found myself at our training facility putting several hundreds rounds down range. Several fun challanges. I let my glasses stay fogged and wet. I moved with slippery ground under foot. Draw from under heavy clothing, with gloves on. Then tried a few runs stripped down to a t-shirt to give the cold a chance to effect my shooting. very interesting what stays and what goes once you change the surrondings

You should also enhance your training by going for a nice long run to build up endurance and cardiovascular health.

I don't know if you have ever met Mike, but cardio doesn't look like one of his weak points

That has been pointed out to me. ;-)

View · by **FJ540** on Mon Dec 10, 2012 3:31 pm

yukonjasper wrote:i'm in the process of modifying my snow blower and my favorite shovel to be tactically superior. 50 Cal on a Ball turret mounted to the mid-frame of the snow blower with a 360 swivel so I can use the blower as cover should I be attacked. The shovel is a bit trickier but I'm thinking stainless hose clamps to hold my J-frame tight to the handle of my shovel. This should accomplish 2 things:
1) to increase the accessibility during snow removal and
2) the ability to stabilize the weapon using my off hand on the shovel handle during the skirmish.

I also use sub sonic rounds (not easy to find for the 50 Cal but well worth the time when you do find them) so as not to start an avalanche of cascading snow from the roof of the house and garage - death from above......................

Carry on.

You never know when one of the shoveling neighbors will get a case of the crazies and try to take the snowthrower from you... :lol:

I really should work on the AR mount for my atv (I plow with it). Right now my only game plan is retreating to the garage. :mrgreen: