Hello I'm new to muzzleloading ( about 2 years ) I have a triumph shooting 100 grains 777 250 grain shockwave. I have shot my muzzleloader alot in warm and mild weather. This was the last weekend in Iowa for deer and I went out temp was around 5 degrees had a doe come up around 50 yards held right on her and shot and missed her. My question is does the temp change how the gun would shoot ? Also had the gun sighted in at 100 yard about a inch high but I have shot it at around 60 yards and seemed close enough.
muzzleloader in cold weather
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jake1 said:
you had the gun sighted in ???? somebody else than you ????
close enough is not GOOD enough for HUNTING .....
nothing wrong with the TRIUMPH ,nothing wrong with 777 ,nothing wrong with 250gr. shockwave [although they're are better bullets for hunting]
in cold weather you would want a tight fitting bullet sabot combination .
i suggest you go back on the range [on sand bags] and practice ..
One thing I have noticed is a deffinate difference in loading pressure in cold weather conditions. The bore must contract a small ammount. I have checked and re-checked my zero from a mild fall day to an extremely cold winter day numerous times. The POI has never been so drastic that I would have missed the vitals. My experience has been more like 1/2"-1" max. That much varriation could be operator error.
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BARNES EXPANDERS MZ 250gr .
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Yes, It will make a huge difference. The colder the air, the denser it is. Denser air will slow your bullet down faster and cause your point of impact to be lower. I cant remember the temp difference, but when I sighted my guns in this last summer, then went out in the fall, the bullet drop was about 3 to 4 inches lower (and the temp was no where near 5 degrees, much warmer when I shot). Going from warm temps to 5 degrees F could cause you to miss IMO.
I sighted mine in over the summer,again in the fall and I didn't have any thing close to a 5-6in drop.
Maybe some bullet / powder / primers are different.I used T7 pellets,295gr Power Belt HP and Winchester primers.
Steve
Maybe some bullet / powder / primers are different.I used T7 pellets,295gr Power Belt HP and Winchester primers.
Steve
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the only "bullet drop " issue that i had from warm to cold was when i had a loose loading bullet sabot combo ..
that is why just before fall hunting when temp . drops i return to the range for a final adjustment [if needed]
i have also tried all of the .209 primers and have gained or lost nothing ..
that is why just before fall hunting when temp . drops i return to the range for a final adjustment [if needed]
i have also tried all of the .209 primers and have gained or lost nothing ..
gun
I look at another idea, did you clean the gun after it was shot? Was the gun sighted on a clean/dirty bore? Did you leave the gun loaded and bring it in and ut of a warm camp to the cold to hunt? That can cause condensation which would affect the shot. If someone loaded other than you, the pressure YOU put on reloading migt have been different then thiers. So many variables when someone else 'set's you up'.
I look at another idea, did you clean the gun after it was shot? Was the gun sighted on a clean/dirty bore? Did you leave the gun loaded and bring it in and ut of a warm camp to the cold to hunt? That can cause condensation which would affect the shot. If someone loaded other than you, the pressure YOU put on reloading migt have been different then thiers. So many variables when someone else 'set's you up'.
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Well I do shooting all year, hot in the 90's to cold in the below numbers. Cold temperatures will effect the POI. But lets say you are dead bull in the summer. At the distance you were talking there might be a couple inches difference. So while the temps can make a difference, I think the problem might lie somewhere else.
Primer changes, powder changes, bullet changes, cleaning procedure changes, swabbing changes, prep of the rifle, there could be a number of things. Maybe you just misses. Who knows. That is hunting for you. You also might have hit the animal but in a place where it showed little to no effect. High hits between the organs and the spine can do that. There is a layer there where if a deer is hit, they will often times run off with what appears to be little ill effect.
Lets consider this, a couple inches high at 100 yards means a little more at 50 yards. Now add the cold temp difference, and it could mean several inches high at that distance. I think I would hit the range and try to match the circumstances and see what the rifle tells me.
Primer changes, powder changes, bullet changes, cleaning procedure changes, swabbing changes, prep of the rifle, there could be a number of things. Maybe you just misses. Who knows. That is hunting for you. You also might have hit the animal but in a place where it showed little to no effect. High hits between the organs and the spine can do that. There is a layer there where if a deer is hit, they will often times run off with what appears to be little ill effect.
Lets consider this, a couple inches high at 100 yards means a little more at 50 yards. Now add the cold temp difference, and it could mean several inches high at that distance. I think I would hit the range and try to match the circumstances and see what the rifle tells me.
Hey, I like Cayuga answer, especially the part about showing little or no effect. In 2008 deer season, took three, two does and a buck. All went over 130 ydes and the buck went around 300. Hardly found any blood, reason was I was aiming to far back from the shoulder trying to not destroy the meat, This year, took 3 deer again moving my point of aim back towards the shoulder, none of the 3 made it out of the small field I was hunting in and a lot of blood. Using 75 grains 777 under a 460 gr. No Excuse.
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Like Bruce I like the shoulder shot and find that a big conical doesn't damage them very much. I'd rather loose a small portion of meat rather than the whole deer.
I have a rifle that changes drastically with the temperature. When it's warm (above 40), it shoots very well with 1.5 inch groups at 100 yards. When it's cold, accuracy flies out the window, can't hit the target at 25 yards. In my case, I think it's the sabots. They load really easy, hold all four petals when it's warm. Cold makes them stiff, hard to load, and the petals shear. The sabots I'm using are the blue 40/45 MMPs.
I have also had problems in the cold with 40/45 sabots, the tan ones. It seems that they get brittle in the cold and it is very easy to damage them when loading if you aren't carefull. The base of the fired sabots had fractures and some had small pieces of the cup portion missing. But even with these issues the point of impact didn't change enough to miss a deer.
