Lowest range temperature you have entered a match?

[M. De Land]

I think around zero is as cold as I've shot muzzle loaders in a match. I need to take my gloves off to seat a patched ball and it's murder on your fingers touching the barrel steel and lubed patches. I use winter grade windshield wash for patch lube year around.

 

[Cruzatte]

Compared to Saskatchewan, it doesn't get that cold in Kansas, but I will tell you the wind can be murderous. I've shot in the teens and twenties, with a howling prairie wind. My lube was a home brew using various things combined with bees wax. I could only load and fire twice before I had to go inside the club's scoring shack to warm up by the wood stove.

 

[BullRunBear]

The coldest shoot was a little above zero, fortunately without much wind. One of the few times I've worn mittens while shooting. There were a dozen of us, mostly beginners, shivering, trying to keep our feet from freezing in the snow. It wasn't a long shooting session but my buddy and I still refer to it. This was well over thirty years ago when I was a lot younger and dumber. These days I don't mind shooting my flintlocks when cool, even cold. But if exhaling leaves ice in my beard I stay home, read about MLs and the history of their time, tie flies, and think of spring.

Jeff

 

[tenngun]

Trampsin’ around the high lonesome on them days too cold for brass monkeys looks great. We can put on all of our heavy gear and get frost on our beards and look like Bill Tyler going through Yellowstone.
We know Kenton hunted in Kentucky sittingwith a ground fire. However I bet real life frontiersmen and Indians too had enough sense to stay by the fire.

 

[Juice Jaws]

Compared to Saskatchewan, it doesn't get that cold in Kansas, but I will tell you the wind can be murderous. I've shot in the teens and twenties, with a howling prairie wind. My lube was a home brew using various things combined with bees wax. I could only load and fire twice before I had to go inside the club's scoring shack to warm up by the wood stove.

You are very right about the wind. 20* with no wind is a big difference with 20* and a cold wind chill.

 

[Dibbuk]

Minus 20 on a beautiful bright clear day in Colorado. Wear gloves and a Balaclava, and do NOT use spit patch, or try to blow out the bore.

 

[Logcutter]

We did do some shoots but mostly we were standing around the HUGE bonfire trying to keep from looking like Hatchet Jack.

I hear he's doing better and shooting postal matches. Still grumpy about some guy snatching his rifle though.

I have hunted many times in below 0 temps because our flintlock deer season start's Dec. 26 and runs almost through the first two weeks of Jan. But shooting a match? Nope, you wouldn't find me out there if it was below 15 degrees.

 

[sprucefly]

-17 F was the coldest I've shot a match in. This year it was -1F but warmed up to the 20F. I always kept my loading block tucked inside my coat when its that cold.

 

[nhmoose]

10 degree trap shoot