As we head into November and people begin to see the temperature drop across the country and what was green lawns now become covered with snow, it is important to keep shooting and honing our marksmanship skills even though Mother Nature is starting to show her temper. Yes, there are an abundance of indoor shooting ranges across the United States that we can all head towards when the weather begins to get inclement, but it might be worth your while to actually stay outside and shoot as long as you can. No one is asking anybody to enter into a game of suffering where you learn how long you can shoot before your fingers go numb, but you can receive a lot of valuable data about yourself, your gear, ammunition, and guns if you get a little uncomfortable.
At what point does your form begin to break? Does your firearm start to act up in cold weather? If you can identify these things when it does not matter, like a training session, you can adapt, alter, and be prepared for times when it will matter. Not all equipment, firearms, and ammunition function at elite levels when it gets cold outside. So, for that reason you may want to trade in a few warm, indoor range days for some uncomfortable cold ones. I am mainly talking to the concealed carry crowd here, but there is one group of firearm owners who are very in tune with shooting and their gear when it gets cold outside and they are hunters.
Hunters routinely will go out in some of the nastiest weather possible in pursuit of game and venison. For that reason, they are well aware of what equipment does and does not work for them. Similarly, the EDC crowd should become more knowledgeable about tools of their trade. Once winter arrives, we do not stop living our lives. We still go to work, frequent gas stations, go to the movies, and spend time in public with our families. These are all moments in which you might be carrying to protect yourself or your loved ones. It is important to know how to draw from a heavy garment like a winter coat. Can your EDC pistol clear your holster in a timely manner? Will your chosen gun still cycle (eject a casing and feed the next round) if it is silly cold outside? These are all questions you should know the answers to long before you ever need to defend yourself.
So, our challenge to you in these upcoming weeks is to get outside (even if it is really cruddy weather) and shoot for a bit! How does your equipment do? Can you draw your sidearm well? Do you need gloves? Can you still draw your pistol and shoot with gloves? Being better informed about yourself, your gear, and what you are capable of makes you a more confident and better prepared individual! As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below. We love it when you participate in our articles and keep the conversation going!
