Shooting in the Rain

[Rick Richard]

Just seen on Guns&Ammo tv that they did a little test on it and they captured (on camera) a .308 bullet impacting a water droplet. Said it would throw the bullet off 2 feet at 100 yards. I guess I've never had a bullet hit a drop of water.

I shoot around them and never had a problem. Lol.

 

[Bart B]

The up ward tilt of the barrel launches the bullet up ward as it begins it journey,,, as it starts off a fraction to the right of the target,,, the bullet slowly spins it's self to the left when it reaches the bulls eye...

The faster the twist the more right the luanch path is

Was the barrel a left twist one?

Spin drift direction is constant all the way to the target. It's about 7 inches at 1000 yards for 30-06 bullets. To the right with right hand twists. Zeroed at 1000, they start out angled a bit left then drift right all the way to the target

 

[Litehiker]

"Keep yer powder dry!" - and yer bore and yer ammo.
->I tape the end of my barrel with medical tape. Many tests have shown this has no effect on accuracy.
-> I have a neoprene flap that Velcros around my action opening to keep water & wet snow from getting on my ammo. It is stretchy, sealing the action opening. (A DIY easy project.)

WATER IN THE RIFLE BORE AND ON THE BULLETS HAS BAD EFFECTS ON ACCURACY.
This is proven in many tests, military and civilian. GOOGLE it.

Shooting through rain? I dunno but I suspect it would have to be very heavy to affect accuracy.

Eric B.

 

[WildRose]

I'm still holding with both their study and my own experience. The larger the bullet and the more gas behind it the less effect I've seen.

Ultra light/small super fast rounds like the Swift, .204 Ruger, and 17 Remington can show significant effects up to and including bullets blowing up before they ever get to the target.

 

[Orange Dust]

I'm still holding with both their study and my own experience. The larger the bullet and the more gas behind it the less effect I've seen.

Ultra light/small super fast rounds like the Swift, .204 Ruger, and 17 Remington can show significant effects up to and including bullets blowing up before they ever get to the target.

Agree completely. Matches my experience too.

 

[Savage 12BVSS]

Like everyone I have shot matches and hunted in the rain but as said it was not a downpour and I saw no real effect. A long shot or a downpour would definitely effect the POI in my opinion.
so I don't take the chance.

Says it all, cover the muzzle and if its not pouring go hunting. Shot my biggest buck in a steady rain, deer move good in rain, especially if its going to rain all day. Watch the cows, if they know its going to rain all day they go out in the field, if its just temporary they will wait. Right after a storm can also be a good time.

Far as rain effecting accuracy, I've shot in the rain on several occasions with 2700-2800fps 130-140gr bullet hunting rifles and saw no measurable effect, same sub 1/2 moa groups I'm used to. Must take downpours to noticeably effect, I was shooting at 100yds however not long range.

 

[RidgeReaper208]

Size small water balloons, easy to install...even easier to remove! They do not leave any sticky residue or require long finger nails or a knife to remove. Keeping debris and moisture out of the barrel is the difference between a successful hunt a failed hunt.

 

[Svashtar]

Probably not applicable to the rifle shooting you guys are talking about, and nothing to do with ballistic performance in the rain, but my experience with the mechanics of operating a firearm in the rain: 1977, was out in the hills shooting .22's with my buddy. It started to rain hard, but we kept on shooting at targets we had against the hillside. I was shooting a Ruger Mark I target pistol, which I had in a 2 hand grip. After the next round I felt a sharp pain in the bottom edge of my left hand, under the magazine.

Water had hit the surface of the brass of a round in the fraction of a second it was open to the air while chambering, and coated it as it entered the bore. The extra pressure blew off the cartridge rim, and drove a piece of brass back and down the mag well around the edge of the magazine and into my hand, leaving just a tube of brass in the bore.

Just FYI; doubt that anything would happen with a modern bolt action and non rimfire ammo, but this tells me that in the right conditions water on the surface of the cartridge can increase pressures.

This would probably be much more likely in an autoloader with looser tolerances (and maybe impossible in a bolt action, don't know), but still...

 

[Richard Roy]

I've seen and participated in many discussions on the subject of shooting in the rain before.

We always get a lot of "expert" commentary declaring that the shock wave pushes the rain out of the way and bullet never contacts it so rain doesn't affect it. That had been the standard thinking for at least several decades

On the flip side, many of us with a good bit of experience shooting in the rain have seen measurable effects on bullets including some super high speed small bullets breaking up in the rain.

Just saw a bit on the Guns and Ammo show on ODTV on the subject.

They had one of the eggheads from NM Tech on discussing it and showed super high speed video taken of a .308 bullet in flight not only striking the rain drops but showed that even after contact there was a continued affect disrupting the shock wave.

Their experiments also showed up to a 2' deviation in POI at 100 yds shooting in the rain.

Good info and something to consider when hunting in the rain.

Supersonic vs subsonic

 

[Bravo 4]

Size small water balloons, easy to install...even easier to remove! They do not leave any sticky residue or require long finger nails or a knife to remove. Keeping debris and moisture out of the barrel is the difference between a successful hunt a failed hunt.

Yep, just keep in mind the balloons tear easy but tape would be more robust. Positives and minuses to both.

 

[Richard Roy]

I've seen and participated in many discussions on the subject of shooting in the rain before.

We always get a lot of "expert" commentary declaring that the shock wave pushes the rain out of the way and bullet never contacts it so rain doesn't affect it. That had been the standard thinking for at least several decades

On the flip side, many of us with a good bit of experience shooting in the rain have seen measurable effects on bullets including some super high speed small bullets breaking up in the rain.

Just saw a bit on the Guns and Ammo show on ODTV on the subject.

They had one of the eggheads from NM Tech on discussing it and showed super high speed video taken of a .308 bullet in flight not only striking the rain drops but showed that even after contact there was a continued affect disrupting the shock wave.

Their experiments also showed up to a 2' deviation in POI at 100 yds shooting in the rain.

Good info and something to consider when hunting in the rain.

Supersonic vs subsonic

It has to do with supersonic speed versus subsonic. Supersonic speed will deflect the rain, that is what ballistic expert teach us. To really see the effect of rain check the 308 bullet at 800 meter when it nears the end of its efficacy and starts nearing subsonic speed

 

[TAWS]

Back in the 1990's when hunting the Mesa CO. area I stopped in a sporting goods store called Gene Taylors, in Grand Junction, don't know if they are still there are not, but they sold a gadget called Barrel Condoms --- black and about an inch long and they worked very well in the rain, drizzle and snow. Just do not leave them on and wipe the barrel out with a dry patch to remove the moisture at the end of the day. Leaving them on will cause rust at the end of the barrel inside and out.

 

[25WSM]

At Williamsport PA during our matches in the rain I have found no difference in bullet drop or accuracy. In fact I like shooting in light rain better because it kills the mirage. During matches if we can see the targets well enough we shoot. I've never heard one person complain about having to shoot in the rain or group size shooting in the rain. Mind you we shoot 1000 yards so the rain can only be so much or you can't see the targets. And most guys are shooting 105 and up weight bullets. Nobody is using 22-250 with 50 grain bullets so I have zero experience with light fast bullets in the rain. But I can tell you I see some pretty impressive groups shot in the rain. And the first time I shot in the rain there I ask the guys that have shot there for years what do I have to do. They all said the same thing. Don't change anything they will get there just fine. And they do.
Shep

 

[Randy Tidwell]

I have shot both BR, Varmit Silo, and High Power Silo in the rain, no noticable effect.

Really cool to stand directly behind a shooter when they are shooting the 500 meter Ram, you can actually see a hole open up in the rain.

G&A is all wet in their test, no pun intended. I have never been impressed we G&A