9 Tips for Shooting in Bad Weather

Whether you’re at the range training or in the woods hunting, the weather isn’t something you think about until it turns bad on you. Precipitation and extreme temperatures can make you uncomfortable, but they’re problematic for your firearm, too. Follow these tips for protecting your gun and your chance at making a good shot when the weather is working against you.

1. Cover the barrel. Moisture is the enemy—a recurring theme that will be reflected in several of these tips. First, when you’re hunting, your rifle barrel spends a lot of time pointed safely up in the air while you sit in a stand or still-hunt. Rain dripping down your barrel can lead to rust and a host of other problems, and snow collecting in the barrel—or getting shoved in the barrel if you carry muzzle-down and happen to dip your muzzle into a snowbank as you walk—can even lead to a dangerous barrel obstruction. Keep precipitation out of your barrel by putting a small piece of electrical tape right over the muzzle. It won’t affect your shot, so you don’t need to remove it before you pull the trigger, and it’ll keep the inside of your barrel dry.
2. Mind your scope. Rain and snow, and even condensation/fog, can quickly obscure the lenses on your scope. Don’t blow it off for a shot—you’ll just create more fog with your warm breath—but consider scope covers to keep the lenses clear until you’re ready to take aim at an animal. If you don’t think you’ll have time to remember to pop up your scope covers, you can try see-through covers so at least you’ll have some visibility, or just pay attention and wipe your lenses periodically. This can feel like a losing battle in a constant rain.
3. Watch your red-dot sight. Similarly, at the range, if you’re using a red-dot sight with an open emitter, as many of us have on our concealed-carry handguns, the emitter can fill with rain or snow while you’re standing around between shots with the gun holstered. Consider tucking a jacket over the holstered gun (this isn’t a problem with concealed carry, after all) and keeping a dry rag in your range bag, if you have a covered place to stash it.
4. Change your lubricant. In cold weather, many gun oils and lubricants start to freeze up and get gummy. This can lock up a firearm completely, particularly as it starts getting dirty and all that grime begins to combine with the oil and turn into a sticky goo. Dry lubes, lubricants specifically designed for sub-zero temps, or no lubrication at all will prevent this problem.
5. Be aware that your bullet impact will change. The effect of this isn’t big enough to matter at average hunting distances and certainly not at handgun ranges, but if you’re a long-range rifle shooter, you should know that bullet point-of-impact is affected by very cold and very hot weather. In short, bullets will impact higher than expected in the heat (heat rises) and lower than expected in the cold. If you’re using a ballistics calculation app, it’ll probably take temperature and barometric pressure into account automatically.
6. Know that wood and metal expand and contract. The effect on your gun’s parts typically doesn’t add up to enough to worry about as far as function is concerned, but if you shoot a wooden-stocked rifle, you should be particularly careful with it in wet weather, cleaning it carefully after each hunt and storing it muzzle-down so any excess moisture doesn’t drain down to the stock.
7. Remember, temperature affects you, too. In hot weather, dehydration can affect your vision, your heart rate, your ability to concentrate, your energy levels and more—in ways that are definitely not good for your shooting. In cold weather, we become clumsier and can struggle with hand dexterity. On top of that, in freezing temps we’re likely to be bundled up in layers of clothing that can even affect how our gun fits us.
8. Re-warm your gun slowly on a cold day. Moving from cold outdoor temps into a warm house creates condensation on your firearms, which can lead to rust and all kinds of issues. If you’re just coming inside for a lunch break and a quick nap, wipe the gun down quickly and leave it in the truck or on the front porch if it’s safe to do so. If you’re done for the day, put it in a soft case so it can warm up gradually.
9. Always clean your firearm carefully after a day outside in bad weather. On a clear day, a simple wipe-down with a slightly oily rag might be enough. But if you’ve been out in rain or snow, your gun needs to be cleaned thoroughly to make sure you’ve gotten all the moisture out of the nooks and crannies. When you’re done, re-lubricate everything sparingly.

Rust sets up alarmingly quickly, so I recommend you tackle this chore as soon as the gun has adjusted to indoor temperatures (if it’s cold outside). Stainless steel barrels and synthetic stocks are more forgiving than blued barrels and beautiful walnut, but even so, I recommend you don’t put the cleaning job off until the next morning, no matter how tired you are. Remember: Moisture is the enemy of firearms!