When is it to hot to shoot?

[PacificNWhunter]

heading out in the morning to fire a few rounds. i'll try a few of the tips.

[Buckblaster]

If you will be hunting in hot temps, you should be testing your loads in comparible temps. You don't want to be the guy who only gets one shot off then has to beat his bolt open with a rock. However, you will have trouble getting accurate groups at the range in hot weather as noted before, the barrel just doesn't cool down enough unless of course you have a cooling device. I've been testing handloads in 85 degree weather for my Yakima area elk hunt in Sept.  I was looking for pressure signs due to hot weather with max loads. I found out what my max loads were but didn't get very good groups at that temp. I figured the barrel was getting too hot so I tried them again at 70 degrees and found that I had tight groups after all. Work them up in the heat and group them in the cool.

[PacificNWhunter]

Worked out pretty good...Took two times of going out to get her dialed. The first day I went from bore sighted to decent groups in about 75-80 degree weather. Went yesterday morning right when the range opened and shot a pretty tight group, and the range thermometer said 65 degrees.  First 2 were touching the third and forth were a little off. But the barrel never really cooled that well after the first two.

[Guy]

No problem shooting year-round. I've shot at zero degrees (brrrr) and at something like 108 degrees (just a couple of days ago).

Watch what you're doing. Don't let the ammo sit out in the sunshine. Take care of yourself and the rifle. Consider hauling along a .22 for practice while your big rifle is cooling a bit... Shoot from the shade. No real problem shooting in hot temps. Or cold.

Regards, Guy

[dbllunger]

never I use a damp rag in a iced cooler to cool barrels.  I only have SS barrels, but it will easily cool very quickly.