Shooting .22 PRS etc..in the rain

[Precision Quest]

I am debating going in a PRS event this weekend. However, it is showing rain all weekend long. Wondering who has shot in the rain and did the weather result in any damage to your gear or equipment?

I know in a centrefire water in the barrel wouldn't be as much of a concern as my thoughts would tha tthe gas would blow out of vaporize any water that ended up it barrel. However, not sure that would be the case with a .22, being there is such a small powder charge and a minimal gas cloud ahead of the bullet.

Pls advise.

 

[chevy_man]

Stay inside where it's dry.

If you're worried about it, you don't belong in it.

 

[Precision Quest]

Stay inside where it's dry.

If you're worried about it, you don't belong in it.

It isn't the olympics I am planning on going in. It's a local rimfire event and I want to determine if anyone has ever experienced any damge to their barrel / gun or gear from shooting in a rain event.

 

[6.5SH]

Cover stuff when not on the clock and clean and dry everything when you get home. The only way you will learn to shoot in bad conditions is to shoot in them when the chance presents itself.

 

[chevy_man]

It isn't the olympics I am planning on going in. It's a local rimfire event and I want to determine if anyone has ever experienced any damge to their barrel / gun or gear from shooting in a rain event.

Most likely.

I just close my scope covers and toss a glove over the barrel.

Keep your mags dry.

Make sure to dry things thoroughly afterwards.


They're guns, they don't dissolve in water. They do rust if not cared for. .22 is such low pressure I'm not sure you could damage anything.

 

[MK20]

If you have an air compressor that is what I use to clean my guns after shooting in the rain. Make sure to oil.

 

[USMC22]

your gear is a lot more rugged than you will likely push it. . . rain, specifically leaving things wet can cause issues. Clean it. Take care of your gear and it will take care of you. Dry stuff out before putting it away. Clean, lube the things that need it.

In the end the rain will have more effect on you as a shooter than your gear.

 

[ZCOklahoma]

I have shot rimfire matches in the rain and snow many times. Your gear will be fine. I try to keep my scope lenses as dry as possible for obvious reasons and you want to make sure that wipe things down after the match. I’ll take a wet rifle over wet feet any day. Wear some waterproof boots and a poncho if it’s too bad. This is my kid and I after a couple of wet/muddy matches. last year.

 

[atvanmoer]

This one still shoots. Just dry them off and oil. Dope is the same.

 

[021411]

Make sure you address all the fasteners when you get home. People forget about them. I’ve seen plenty of rusty bolt/screw heads in my time.

 

[Longshot231]

"On the way through the corridor we passed many American airborne troops. Some of them nonchalantly carrying out patrols in the woods bordering the road. I shall never forget one Eaglet who carried three pistols slung in his belt, and his Winchester carbine over his shoulder, the muzzle of which was covered by a certain rubber article which is never mentioned in drawing-rooms and which was serving a most useful purpose in preventing rain, which was falling rather heavily at the time, from entering the barrel."
-page 29 of "With British Snipers to the Reich" (c) 1948 by Captain C. Shore

My Father was a little to the south of where CPT Shore was. He told me that they used the condoms a lot to cover the muzzle of the rifles.

A word of caution is in order here. If you try this idea, make sure your wife or significant other knows why you are putting the condoms in your range bag, or else she may assume that you are NOT going out for a day of shooting.

For those of you who say my wife doesn't look in my range bag or wallet, then all I have to say is that you probably haven't been married very long.

 

[chevy_man]

You know you can get finger condoms for cheap and they're not mistaken as being for another use.


And yes, after 16 years with my wife she still doesn't look in my range bags. She doesn't even go in my shop if she can help it.

 

[RayDBonz]

Rain helps. You can see the wind.

 

[beetroot]

I've shot multiple 22lr matches where it was very very wet. I haven't experienced any rifle malfunctions due to the rain.

Do your best to keep water out of your mags/action/breech and you'll be fine.

The worst part about rain is keeping your scope lenses clear, your gear dry and managing your dope. Don't count on being able to use your phone in the rain, and make sure your dope is rain proof. A piece of painters tape on the back of your hand isn't going to work in the rain.

 

[Longshot231]

I have a couple of the Gun Slicker rifle covers. They are light weight and take up very little room in my bag. They do what they say they will do and keep your rifle dry.

Gun Slicker | Waterproof Rifle Cover | Alpine Products

Alpine Waterproof Rifle Cover is a lightweight packable cover that weighs less than 6oz. Built with ultralight waterproof fabric. Made in The USA

alpineproducts.com

 

[Precision Quest]

Thanks for the info. Some good stuff in here.

 

[camocorvette]

You are totally fine to shoot in shit weather. I recommend to put a sunshade on to keep the rain off the glass. Bring canned air to blow off the glass before your stage.

 

[woogie_man]

Just shoot. Hell the chances are others will pussy out and not show. Go have fun

 

[Dead Eye Dick]

You think shooting in the rain is tough, ought to try a slalom waterski tournament in the rain. Crossing the wake at 40+ mph with nothing to protect you from those mini hand grenades that Louisiana calls rain drops. It truly hurts

Now as far as shooting in the rain, obviously, not one of you gentleman was with me that morning on Peason Ridge when the sky fell out. Nearly dropped a live mortar round, trying to get it in the tube during a fire mission. Probably had not activated, but if we had shot it, well, there would be one less post in this thread tonight.

Some say it does, some say it probably does not matter. As the OP said, this is not the olympics. As other’s have said, many will not show up, because they don’t want their tootsies wet, or they were with me on Peason Ridge and know what reall rain really is. A fellow can’t beleive how cold and miserable it is in the wind, soaking wet and yes, I have endured Rocky Mountain Winter Weather, without having my proper cold weather gear issued. Peason Ridge was worse. (Ft Carson, 1972) Up in the mountings and snow. 18 below wiht nothing but a field jacket.

So, I say, GO! You’ll never know what you missed if you dont. Get a decent set of boots and rain gear and have sufficient dry clothes to change into. Go over all your equipment when you are done, dry and oil. Shoot some steel and have something to tell you grandchildren when they are bouncing on your knee 50 years from now.

Nothing worse than an old timer, reliving the past.

 

[BoltRunner]

Don't chance it alot of modern stocks and chassis have glue in them that will dissolve in the rain and accuracy will get worse the wetter they get. Also bullets aren't waterproof and they can soak up moisture and you'll pick up a couple grains of bullet weight which will affect POI. Most powders don't like the rain but some do it just depends, you might pick up 500fps or lose 500fps by shooting in the rain. Probably the biggest reason I wouldn't advise shooting a match in the rain is you'll get wet, if you get wet you might get cold, and that's just uncomfortable. Better to set on the couch and watch snipershide notifications...

 

[Dead Eye Dick]

Don't chance it alot of modern stocks and chassis have glue in them that will dissolve in the rain and accuracy will get worse the wetter they get. Also bullets aren't waterproof and they can soak up moisture and you'll pick up a couple grains of bullet weight which will affect POI. Most powders don't like the rain but some do it just depends, you might pick up 500fps or lose 500fps by shooting in the rain. Probably the biggest reason I wouldn't advise shooting a match in the rain is you'll get wet, if you get wet you might get cold, and that's just uncomfortable. Better to set on the couch and watch snipershide notifications...

You forgot, melting. Some of us are just too sweet to be out in the rain…..(or was it too sour?)

 

[King_beardsly]

Last regular season match I did they had a shoot off in torrential rain and it didn’t really effect anything but visibility. The majority of the time it was any where from a mist to steady rain for the rest of the match, with the worst part being the chill from the wind after being wet.

 

[obx22]

I am debating going in a PRS event this weekend. However, it is showing rain all weekend long. Wondering who has shot in the rain and did the weather result in any damage to your gear or equipment?

I know in a centrefire water in the barrel wouldn't be as much of a concern as my thoughts would tha tthe gas would blow out of vaporize any water that ended up it barrel. However, not sure that would be the case with a .22, being there is such a small powder charge and a minimal gas cloud ahead of the bullet.

Pls advise.

Interesting as I started a thread concerning stainless rimfire actions for the barricade matches. I wasn’t aware that so many of the more expensive actions are indeed stainless with one form or another of black coating. That coupled with a stainless barrel carried muzzle down should be fine. That means during the match you should be fine as long as your scope holds up. Now after the match could get a bit iffy. Shoving a wet gun in a foam case for a multiple hours drive home could be a recipe for disaster. Not only might the rifle rust, but unless the foam is allowed to completely dry out, it could just get things wet all over again. I fog my case’s interior with a protectant, but there is still the wet rifle to be concerned with. Having a tank of compressed air to blast off the worst of the wet, and then wrapping in a towel until you can address a full cleaning at home, might be best.

 

[beetroot]

Interesting as I started a thread concerning stainless rimfire actions for the barricade matches. I wasn’t aware that so many of the more expensive actions are indeed stainless with one form or another of black coating. That coupled with a stainless barrel carried muzzle down should be fine. That means during the match you should be fine as long as your scope holds up. Now after the match could get a bit iffy. Shoving a wet gun in a foam case for a multiple hours drive home could be a recipe for disaster. Not only might the rifle rust, but unless the foam is allowed to completely dry out, it could just get things wet all over again. I fog my case’s interior with a protectant, but there is still the wet rifle to be concerned with. Having a tank of compressed air to blast off the worst of the wet, and then wrapping in a towel until you can address a full cleaning at home, might be best.

I've shot matches with blued rifles is stupidly bad weather (as is the worst rain I've ever been caught in and here was a group of 40 guys continuing to shoot a match), literally have water pooling in the barrel channel of my rifles.

So long as you don't leave your rifle in a case for a few days to fester away it'll be fine. The chances of you damaging your rifle from getting wet are vitrually zero, other than getting a lot of water in the bore/chamber.

It's the practicality of shooting in the rain that is difficult, not the actual rain itself.

 

[Milo 2.5]

Last regular season match I did they had a shoot off in torrential rain and it didn’t really effect anything but visibility. The majority of the time it was any where from a mist to steady rain for the rest of the match, with the worst part being the chill from the wind after being wet.

I find this interesting, I like to shoot in the rain providing I am in a controlled environment. mainly cover over my head, even in heavy fog, providing you can see the intended target, watching the bullet create its path is amazing., centerfire.
With subsonic 22LR, I am going to have to see this, as in a torrential downpour with big drops of rain, my mind says it will mess with your point of impact if a bullet hits a drop of rain.

 

[Aftermath]

I find this interesting, I like to shoot in the rain providing I am in a controlled environment. mainly cover over my head, even in heavy fog, providing you can see the intended target, watching the bullet create its path is amazing., centerfire.
With subsonic 22LR, I am going to have to see this, as in a torrential downpour with big drops of rain, my mind says it will mess with your point of impact if a bullet hits a drop of rain.

I don't like to shoot in rain or in high wind but I go do it just because once in a while or because it turned shitty while I'm out looking to shoot deer or elk. Happens more while after the wapiti.
I've not seen any real POI changes shooting in even torrential rain.
I'm talking 22LR.
With CF, I have generally seen that my impacts are a little high. There were a few times where my groups were a little off, some fliers.
Doing some research, I discovered that high humidity and/or heavy rain actually means the air is LESS dense. Counterintuitive. Those water molecules are occupying some of the space. Less density, less drag.
More research and found someone had tested with a drip system so that the fake rain would definitely hit the bullet in flight. It didn't do much to the POA/POI interface.
I now figure that those fliers were more because I was being affected by the rain more than the bullet.
If some rain or high humidity is going to ruin my shooting gear, I'll get different gear.
Just clean and lube it well (your shooting gear) once the day is done and don't worry much. If you spy some rust later, just rub it out (of your shooting gear).
Take a nice hot shower, put on some dry clothes (or just stay nekkid), have an adult beverage and tell everyone what a manly man you were/are for having shot in inclement weather.
Be careful about that if you decide to remain nekkid.

 

[6.5SH]

One thing not seen mentioned yet that does tie into all of this, is what you can treat your gear with. Renaissance Wax, is very long lasting even against salt water. Is what I use on exterior surfaces, even wood.

 

[cuz]

Stay inside where it's dry.

If you're worried about it, you don't belong in it.

Spoken like a true USPSA Shooter...

 

[Charlts]

In the UK it's pretty common to shoot in the rain and as we don't have many matches we just get on with it. My key considerations are;

Keep ammo out of the worst of it - Use a separate bag.
Use a camera lens cleaner to blow water off scope lenses.
When it's home take the rifle out of the bag and leave it to dry - Strip and clean the next day.

This picture was a July match in Wales!

 

[chevy_man]

Spoken like a true USPSA Shooter...

What's that?

 

[Precision Quest]

I never mentioned this in the orginal post, I shoot a Kidd semi auto .22. Anyway other than some potential rust there shouldn't be any equipment damage I ought to be concerned about.

So...it looks like my Olympic dreams are going to have to wait as I hummed an hawed up until the 11th hour and passed on the event as the weather kept on getting worse and it was cold. Rain the day and night before and rain and freezing rain all day long and ~ 34F during the event. Was disappointed but won't pass next time.

 

[King_beardsly]

I never mentioned this in the orginal post, I shoot a Kidd semi auto .22. Anyway other than some potential rust there shouldn't be any equipment damage I ought to be concerned about.

So...it looks like my Olympic dreams are going to have to wait as I hummed an hawed up until the 11th hour and passed on the event as the weather kept on getting worse and it was cold. Rain the day and night before and rain and freezing rain all day long and ~ 34F during the event. Was disappointed but won't pass next time.

I’d probably also pass on that, 34F and wet isn’t exactly the best time. I’ve shot in similar weather from a covered bench earlier this year and after about an hour I was frozen to the point that I couldn’t feel my fingers with gloves on.

 

[308pirate]

I know in a centrefire water in the barrel wouldn't be as much of a concern as my thoughts would tha tthe gas would blow out of vaporize any water that ended up it barrel.

You do realize that the bullet is moving in front of the gas, so it won't be the expanding gasses blowing the water out.....right?

Instead you'll have a solid object (bullet) trying to compress an incompressible fluid (water).

What could possibly go wrong?

Solutions have already been posted in this thread.

 

[lash]

For a bit, I thought that you were one of the 20% that didn’t show for my Saturday PRS22 match. It had been raining all week and rained for all but the last hour of the match. Those that showed were wet but we had a great time.

Making it more interesting is that we shoot in a literal swamp here in Central Florida and the road into the range could only be access with Quads that drove the 200 yards or so of water that was about 2’ deep in places. 6-10” over the floorboards.

Shooting was interesting because almost all the targets were set in places that were now in water or heavy mud. Setup and take down sucked balls, but that’s what muck boots are for.

Other than that, the rain helps with wind calls and doesn’t affect the subsonic .22 rounds at all other than what the high humidity causes.

Don’t be a Nancy. Come out and shoot. Unless of course your name really is Nancy. Then come out and shoot anyway. We have cookies!

 

[Changed]

There are a lot of guys who refuse to do rain.... and I think it is hysterical. Have excellent rain gear and waterproof boots. Spray your support bags with Silicone waterproofing. The bags will eventually get wet, and the sand will clump into a brick. Plastic pellets are better in rain. If you don't have a rain cover for your rifle, buy one. If it rains long enough, everything gets wet. FYI, the free shower caps at hotels work great as a scope or bino cover.

Have a plan, prepare, and laugh at all of the quitters who drag up after one stage.

 

[lash]

There are a lot of guys who refuse to do rain.... and I think it is hysterical. Have excellent rain gear and waterproof boots. Spray your support bags with Silicone waterproofing. The bags will eventually get wet, and the sand will clump into a brick. Plastic pellets are better in rain. If you don't have a rain cover for your rifle, buy one. If it rains long enough, everything gets wet. FYI, the free shower caps at hotels work great as a scope or bino cover.

Have a plan, prepare, and laugh at all of the quitters who drag up after one stage.

That’s true about the bags in rain. A few of us were finding how the Scmediums with heavy fill became even heavier bricks once they got really wet, lol.

 

[308pirate]

There are a lot of guys who refuse to do rain.... and I think it is hysterical. Have excellent rain gear and waterproof boots. Spray your support bags with Silicone waterproofing. The bags will eventually get wet, and the sand will clump into a brick. Plastic pellets are better in rain. If you don't have a rain cover for your rifle, buy one. If it rains long enough, everything gets wet. FYI, the free shower caps at hotels work great as a scope or bino cover.

Have a plan, prepare, and laugh at all of the quitters who drag up after one stage.

Most people do shooting sports for fun. Being miserable from the wet and cold, as well as having a giant mess of cleanup afterwards, is few people's idea of fun.

I'm a quitter. I don't go out to shoot when it's raining or when the chance of rain is high. I'll be at home drinking rum.

 

[Precision Quest]

You do realize that the bullet is moving in front of the gas, so it won't be the expanding gasses blowing the water out.....right?

Instead you'll have a solid object (bullet) trying to compress an incompressible fluid (water).

What could possibly go wrong?

Solutions have already been posted in this thread.

Not so. By memory the gas is moving around 4X faster then the bullet at exit. Watch a slow motion of a fired rifle, the gas exists before the bullet always. In a .22, not sure how reduced that will be but the heat from the propellant obviosuly won't be the same as a rifle.

This shows it in slow motion in a rifle... go to time 2:44 and see with your pown eyes. ​

Bullets vs Propeller in Slow Motion - The Slow Mo Guys​

-----
This is a short barreled pistol and its obvious.

 

[308pirate]

Not so. By memory the gas is moving around 4X faster then the bullet at exit. I thought most everyone knew this? Watch a slow motion of a fired rifle, the gas exists before the bullet always.

If all the gas exits the bore before the bullet, what pushes the bullet out of the bore?

The gas you see exiting before the bullet is a tiny fraction of the total gas volume that leaks past between the bullet and bore.

 

[Precision Quest]

If all the gas exits the bore before the bullet, what pushes the bullet out of the bore?

Some of you guys are terminally stupid.

The gas you see exiting before the bullet is a tiny fraction of the total gas volume that leaks past between the bullet and bore.

I never said ALL the gas existed before the bullet, obviously that is not the case. My original post questioned if the gas IN FRONT of the .22 bullet would be enough to vaporize or clear the water from the barrel.

Open your mind...

 

[Longshot231]

 

[ma smith]

Eye of the beholder stuff. IMHO, shooting BLUED rifles in the rain sucks. Primarily because when you get home you really need to take the whole rifle apart and dry/oil it and put it back together. This means means you also have to re-zero the rifle next range trip.

Also, long travel hours can risk if you put wet rifles in wet cases, flash-rust. An SS action/barrel with cerakote etc is a nice luxury for times like this. But be wary even with custom rifles and high quality accessories, alot still have BLUED or Black Oxide hardware that will rust if packed away wet.

 

[lash]

Meh, most hardware for rings and actions can be replaced at the local hardware store if they rust a bit. Most of them are just standard or metric cap screws.

 

[beetroot]

Eye of the beholder stuff. IMHO, shooting BLUED rifles in the rain sucks. Primarily because when you get home you really need to take the whole rifle apart and dry/oil it and put it back together. This means means you also have to re-zero the rifle next range trip.

Also, long travel hours can risk if you put wet rifles in wet cases, flash-rust. An SS action/barrel with cerakote etc is a nice luxury for times like this. But be wary even with custom rifles and high quality accessories, alot still have BLUED or Black Oxide hardware that will rust if packed away wet.

If my rifle gets soaked I'll go put a bit of oil in/on the screw heads of all the ring screws to help displace the water and stop them rusting.

 

[lash]

If my rifle gets soaked I'll go put a bit of oil in/on the screw heads of all the ring screws to help displace the water and stop them rusting.

WD40 actually works well for this, considering that the WD in the name stands for “water displacement”.

 

[Aftermath]

WD40 actually works well for this, considering that the WD in the name stands for “water displacement”.

^^^THIS. Don't be stingey with the stuff, either. Hose it all down real good, spray it EVERYWHERE and let it drip for a while. Hose it down real good again and let it drip the other way for a while. Use a cheap ass paint brush and hose that thing down and "paint" everything. I use THIS STUFF.

 

[lyman]

personally, unless it is hurricane winds and blowing sideways, I say fukit and shoot it,

just break you gear down and clean well, so it drys out,

I have shot plenty of Service Rifle / High Power matches in the rain, with Garands and AR's


reminds me of an old joke,

a High Power shooter, Small Bore shooter and Bullseye shooter are walking down the line at Perry and come across a big mud puddle,

the Smallbore guy gets pissed, storms off to the Range Control to file a protest over rang conditions

the Bullseye guy steps over the mud puddle and proceeds to his shooting point

the High Power guy drops down and gets in position,

 

[MajorD]

Eye of the beholder stuff. IMHO, shooting BLUED rifles in the rain sucks. Primarily because when you get home you really need to take the whole rifle apart and dry/oil it and put it back together. This means means you also have to re-zero the rifle next range trip.

Also, long travel hours can risk if you put wet rifles in wet cases, flash-rust. An SS action/barrel with cerakote etc is a nice luxury for times like this. But be wary even with custom rifles and high quality accessories, alot still have BLUED or Black Oxide hardware that will rust if packed away wet.

I am a pretty dedicated blue steel and wood fan, and don’t baby my rifles nor do they need any special attention if they get wet.
wipe down what you can get at, and sit it near a heat source at home to dry off. They are not china cups.

 

[ma smith]

...nor do they need any special attention if they get wet...

This is great advice if your definition of getting "wet" exclude actually getting wet.

Ingress Protection (IP) ratings

The IEC has developed the ingress protection (IP) ratings, which grade the resistance of an enclosure against the intrusion of dust or liquids

www.iec.ch

 

[lash]

This is great advice if your definition of getting "wet" exclude actually getting wet.

Ingress Protection (IP) ratings

The IEC has developed the ingress protection (IP) ratings, which grade the resistance of an enclosure against the intrusion of dust or liquids

www.iec.ch

No, he said it right. You left out the part where he said wipe down what you can wipe down and leave it in a dry place.

Unless of course your definition of a firearm is the same as the definition of a safe queen. Then you would be correct.

I shot that match I mentioned above last Saturday in all day rain, using my stick CZ457. It has blued carbon steel everything and a walnut stock. I took it home in the case. Removed it from the case and wiped down the parts that were accessible. Then I left it to dry out under a ceiling fan.

Cleaned it the next day and now it’s ready to go. So pretty much like @MajorD said.

Oh, and that’s not the first time, nor the second or third. Somehow it’s not a solid block of rust. Who knew?