Practice in inclement weather

[Eric300]

My PTSD just kicked in reading this thread thinking of all the days we trained in 30 years in the rain, cold, sleet, snow, wind, extreme heat/humidity, nights, early morning hours.........I need a drink

 

[mrmike7189]

whoa

I did some bench resting one day when it was 107. There was a tin cover over the firing line.

Uh If it ever reached 107 degrees here in Massachusetts then hell will freeze over. It rarely ever gets warmer than 95 even in the summer months. I cannot imagine what 107 must feel like.

 

[AJ]

I did some bench resting one day when it was 107. There was a tin cover over the firing line.

Uh If it ever reached 107 degrees here in Massachusetts then hell will freeze over. It rarely ever gets warmer than 95 even in the summer months. I cannot imagine what 107 must feel like.

107 is hot, but it is the humidity that gets you!

 

[ken158]

Prior to retiring from LE, I was an instructor for our agency. Personnel would complain about the heat, cold, sun, rain, clouds, etc. I told them that if they could guarantee that all our officer-involved shootings would occur in sunshine and fair weather, then by all means that is how/when we would train. Usually I could hear the crickets. Occasionally some officer would infer that I had an unnaturally close relationship with my mother.

I still train in the heat, cold, sun, rain, and snow. You will find out that firearms and the persons that carry them, now older, don't always perform optimally without realistic sustainment training. Cold, slippery, frozen metal, gear, and hands all influence success or failure in a gunfight.

I was always told, "Train as you fight".

Jm2c.

JPJ

Yep - range training was scheduled twice a year and I could not control the weather. You got your date and time and are expected to be there as part of your work day. Fuss all you want but it is what it is…

 

[mtgianni]

I don't shoot much between December and March. If the wind isn't howling I am out on the ice fishing.

 

[AJ]

I don't shoot much between December and March. If the wind isn't howling I am out on the ice fishing.

Gotta have your priorities straight!

 

[Univibe]

Uh If it ever reached 107 degrees here in Massachusetts then hell will freeze over. It rarely ever gets warmer than 95 even in the summer months. I cannot imagine what 107 must feel like.

I've been in El Paso when it was 107. 4000 feet and 10% humidity. In the sun it's brutal, but in the shade there's a bit of breeze and sweat evaporates so fast, you stay dry.

Bench resting my modded 10/22 in Houston at 107. 50 feet, God knows what humidity. Still air. Sweat trickles down into the eyes, soaks the clothes. At least I wasn't working outdoors that day.

 

[fatcat3]

If it's a re-qualification range then I just do it with no complaints. On my own time, I don't have to practice to be uncomfortable, it just comes naturally.

 

[dave1918a2]

More than once I woke up in the AM too 2 - 3 ft of snow at 11000 feet. Wiped My gun off several times a day and sometimes held it under a coat. When I was running the IPSC shoots, the only time We canceled was when the tape wouldn't stick. Complainers got told that gunfights don't always wait for nice weather. I am a little more soft at this age so I stay home at 10 degrees and lower. Couldn't shoot muzzle loaders because the patch lube would freeze and if You used mouth lube the patch would stick to the barrel and shred when ramming it home. I'll let You youngsters have all the cold, rainy, snowy fun.

 

[Murdock]

When the weather has been too nice for too long I place both feet, boots and all, in a 10 gallon bucket of ice water for 10 minutes, after which I pour the water over my head making sure to get as much as I can down inside my clothing. Following this l will roll myself and my firearm in my wife's organic garden on top of the newest compost. Finally I don a set of welders goggles with one lens covered with a strip of electricians tape. I keep an old plaster cast around to put on my strong side arm with velcro and hit the range. I've been thinking about placing a coyote trap on one foot to add more training value but don't want to go overboard and look foolish.

 

[Rustyt1953]

When the weather has been too nice foot too long I place both feet, boots and all, in a 10 gallon bucket of ice water for 10 minutes, after which I pour the water over my head making sure to get as much as I can down inside my clothing. Following this l will roll myself and my firearm in my wife's organic garden on top of the newest compost. Finally I don a set of welders goggles with one lens covered with a strip of electricians tape. I keep an old plaster cast around to put on my strong side arm with velcro and hit the range. I've been thinking about placing a coyote trap on one foot to add more traing value but don't want to go overboard and look foolish.

 

[CA Escapee]

Years ago I was at a pistol match that was held on an unusually rainy day. As I recall it rained most of the day and the targets had to be covered with translucent trash bags. About the best you could do is aim for the COM without seeing any dashed lines.

The ground was gravel covered dirt with small streams running here and there during the downpours. Those "wet" stages were held up until things dried out a bit.

 

[xtrtsqrt11]

"If it ain't raining, it ain't training", is what we used to say all the time this time of year.
Sure was never a problem, if you wanted that "realism" of being out in the weather.
But wearing a ballistic vest, light rain jacket of sorts under the tactical vest, balaclava, helmet, etc. Didn't even need thermals most of the time since mid to high 30s was usually the coldest it ever got. Especially as we ran around...

Fun times, but loading Glock Mags, or even worse, H&K UMP mags with cold fingers does kinda suck... ...We went through A LOT of .40 ammo...

Now I really spoil myself. I go to my covered pistol bay, but open to the outside air, outside range I'm a member at. Look Ma. I ain't all wet!!