Poll: How many are fair weather shooters?

[Navy joe]

Well? I went to a match last month that had sixty+ shooters, just a monthly club match, nothing special. Weather was sunny and about 70, just beautiful weather for April in the mid-atlantic. Yesterday I go to the same match, same club and there's only 20 shooters! Weather was rainy in the low 50's. :confused: Is everyone wimps? I figure that unless there is lightning or a confirmed tornado, you should keep on shooting.

On the bright side the crappy weather kept away the safety hazards and the ones that are constantly finding something to whine about, everyone really wanted to shoot and the match was concluded at 2pm rather than about 6.

[ClydeVA]

LOL - I spent all day yesterday on the Range helping run an IDPA match Approx 40 shooters. Cool and Rainy. :) But after all day of pushing shooters just was not in the mood to bust caps.

:D :D

[ryucasta]

I dislike having to compete in the rain, due to the fact that it's not much fun having to clean magazines between the COF’s that are filled with mud. But aside from that no problem especially here in Southern California since it only rains in the winter months.

[Navy joe]

Love it! Mud that is. Yeah some of my mags got clean filled w/ mud, but it sure would suck to be in a real situation in less than ideal weather having never shot in it before only to realize that mud gets in everthing at the worst time. Clyde, ever been to Sir Walter Gun Club down north of Raleigh? They really put on some nice matches, it was well worth the drive even though I totally messed up the first couple of stages. This was IPSC, guess you IDPA boys had no problem, mandatory raincoat with pockets and all. ;)

[ryucasta]

Well when I’m competing in CDP division for IDPA cleaning a single stack mag is a no-brainer since I just pass a brush though it and go. But when I compete in IPSC’s Limited and Open Divisions it’s a bear having to disassemble and make sure the magazine stays perfectly clean and free of any residue even during reassembly. This being due to the fact that double stack 1911 magazines are a lot more finicky when they have even a little bit of mud/dirt in them than the single stack magazines would be under the same conditions.

BTW, would you actually have or spend the time removing the mud and then cleaning your double stack magazines under “Real” conditions I think not.
;)

[KP95DAO]

Talk to those of us who were shooting on Friday evening during the 2001 IDPA Nationals. That was a hell of a front that went through. While we didn't shoot during the worst part of it, everyone was soaked after the day was over. But, that's the breaks. And then there was the Texas State match in McKinney in 2000. There were a number of folks who just called it quits and went home. I can't blame them. It was not only raining, it was cold. Most of them were older folks who have to take more care with their health than those of us under 50.

To me that's the main thing. If the weather is going to present a health hazard; cold and wet, lighting, violent storms, etc, I will not be there.

[ACP230]

I have sighted quite a few deer rifles in while it was snowing, and have shot outdoors when it was in the 40s. I don't usually shoot in the rain. It is hard on me and on the guns.

[ClydeVA]

Oh yea - made that trip a few times. :) but have not been there in a year or so. I remember shooting a match at Sir Walter and putting on gloves to get the steel plates out of the mud and water. - I now carry a disposible rain ponchos in my Gun Bag.
:D

[Cornbread2]

Last year at the Bluegrass State Games it rained very hard during the smallbore competition.

We were shooting under a roof.

When time came to zero for the start of the 100 yard prone it stoped raining just long enough to check my zero.

I had it zeroed for the ten ring on my practice target and as soon as I started to shoot for score it started to rain very hard. It was raining so hard that you hardly see the targets.

The thing that amazed me was the heavy rain did not effect my zero. My rounds still landed in the ten ring.

Before that day I would have bet the farm that a heavy rain would play hell with a .22 bullet at 100 yards. I would have thought that the rain would cause the rounds to shoot low and I assumed that accuracy would not be so good.

The guy that won the 100 yard prone shot a 198 out of a possible 200 in the heavy rain.

If I remember correctly I shot a 190.

[Ewok_Guy]

I never shoot in rain, my guns dont like it. As long as the guns stay dry, I don't mind shooting in 10 degree weather with six inches of snow on the ground. :)

[mattjoe]

Our USPSA matches are only on Sunday out here, and if things start raining while we are there, to bad, we shoot through it. Otherwise, you gotta wait 7 more days to shoot a match again, and I hate waiting.
I don't like shooting in the rain at plastic bag covered targets, but the option is not shooting at all. And that's not really an option.

[WESHOOT2]

Us shooters here in Vermont compete all year long. Outside. In the rain, and wind, and snow.

We tough.
So are our guns.

Uh, we don't fool with lightning.......

[BillOH]

Gore-Tex and Glocks. :) We like it when it rains. We are prepared and nobody else is. :)
We mostly shoot IDPA but went to an IPSC match the other day. My wife said she wasn't going to drop her mags in the mud. She did tac reloads and wore her Gore-Tex coat because it was raining. She finished 9th out of 37 shooters. :)
Bill Nesbitt

[WESHOOT2]

Environment is not up to us...........

[Billy Sparks]

It depends. Last Saturday I was going to go to Foothills for the monthly match but do to the rain I didn't go. Two main reasons, because there is no way to get out of the rain I didn't feel like getting wet and staying that way all day. Second we had the grand kid with us and I knew she wouldn't stand for being out in the rain all day. If I have to drive very far to shoot I generally will not shoot in the rain. Really don't want to drive very far dripping wet.

[Kermit]

One of my 1st lessons was in the snow w/ numb fingers. Not any more! If I'm shooting for fun, I wanna be comfy :) But then again, I've got heated leather seats in my car...I guess I've become a bit of a wuss.

[Neil Casper]

I have shot some larger matches in very inclement weather, but normally anything worse then a light drizzle will keep me and my arthritis at home, in the Lazy Boy, with Duffy on my lap, and a good book in my hand.

Last Spring I shot in the TDI Invitational where it started out raining all night right up until the briefing when it turned to snow. Then about half-way through he day the sun came out and we were in our shirt sleeves and windbreakers.

The state match can also be a wet affair.