Shooting in the rain

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dakota.potts

New member
I live in Florida. Here in the Sunshine state, it rains. A lot. Probably 5 out of the past 7 days it's rained and it will be like this for at least a month.

This led me to question what all the competition shooters and others do when they have to shoot. Besides a gun being a big metal electricity conductor, I can't imagine it's safe to shoot in poor visibility with a lot of mud and a high chance of falls.

What about big competition shoots where people come from around the world? Could they be postponed because of an afternoon of heavy rain.

Not that I would want to, but is it safe to shoot from a covered area while it's raining? It feels unsafe to me but I'm not sure if this is just an emotional reaction or is actually unsafe
 
Hello fellow floridian. I have never felt unsafe doing any outdoor sport in the rain outside of being in the ocean. There is the slim chance of getting hit by lightning but i have survived so far. As for competive shooting gouse as long as you know your range and have safe practices you should be fine even if you do fall. It really puts you and your gun to the test when the weather fights back. I like it better when it get more dificult.
 
Take a carbine course after a tornado passed by. Still raining, it was. Fun to watch a guy who was in fits as his pick up was swept into the storm culvert.

I also know a national competitor who was trapped on a range shed roof by a flash flood for a day. Supposedly shot a squirrel to eat.

I can also point to cars and trucks stuck in the mud. Don't try this with a Miata - not mine.

So I guess I run with a stupid crowd. However, if there is a deluge before - we cancel.

I'll skip my experience with lightning.
 
I live in N central FL and I try to avoid shooting in the rain - I like my O/U too much, and I hate tearing it down to prevent rust.

Having said that, I HAVE shot during blowing snow, but you do not get near as soaked as you do from a FL PM thunderstorm dumping 2" an hour. Unless there is thunder and lightning, most shoots go on and folks clean and oil their guns when done
 
I have shot in the rain here in SW FL many times but if there's shelter nearby I do get out of the rain till it passes,its just to much of a hassle down here with rust. If its a rain storm with lightning i'm RUNNING for shelter,with the amount of lightning we have down here you have to be crazy not to get out of it in my opinion.
 
I remember we were considering calling a USPSA club match for rain. One guy says, "I don't remember them calling the war for rain." Thinking about it, we never stopped fishing or hunting in the rain, and the military uses firearms in the rain. So why not shoot in the rain?
 
I never shoot my black powder in the rain.
Usually I like to come in out of the rain, or seek some shelter, under a tree sort of.
But riding my motorcycle, it's rain, snow, or sunshine.
dc
 
How you can perform on a sunny and calm afternoon makes for pleasant memories, but what counts is what you can do when condtions turn ugly. I don't advise playing around with lightning.
 
It never rains here. But I've got buddies who "would love to go to the range with you" but it's too hot, too cold, too windy, too cloudy (I never got that one) etc. And every one of them "qualified expert in Air Force boot camp back in 69".

Of course I always raz them about "I guess that's expert in clear weather with no wind at 76 degrees".


Sgt Lumpy
 
I recently shot in a Small Bore Prone State Championship. And it rained but we were shooting undercover. When it was dead still the bullets were unaffected by the rain .

If there are lightning strikes in the area, and you have to define “how close”, it would be prudent to pack up and go inside. I have been in locations where work activities ceased when lightning strikes got within a couple of miles.

As for shooting in the mud, that gets old quick.
 
I hate shooting in the rain because:

1. My gun gets wet - Waaaaa, and my pretty grips get wet.

2. And my gun cases and range bag get wet - Big Waaaaaaa

3. However, if I'm shooting my Glock and only my Glock, I consider this all part of the Glock workout - not to worry.

Rain is what WD-40 was made for. Keep a small can in your range bag, that way if your guns get wet, wipe them down and then spray them down real good with WD-40, bore included, when you are finished.
 
I hate when my guns get wet. I have to wipe them down, make sure they dry, wipe them down, check them in 2 days,..

I know people in Oregon they do everything in the rain, they say if they never did stuff in the rain they would never do anything at all.
 
Best line from one of the Lonesome Dove movies says it best.
While riding through a cold rain, one of the characters complains how nasty the weather is.
The other says, "It's just weather."

At one event it rained so hard, our holsters were overflowing.
We continued to the bitter end.
It's just water.
And mud up to our ankles.

At another event, it was snowing so hard, we could hardly see the targets from just a few yards away.
We continued to the bitter end.
It's just weather.

At another one, a heat wave came out of nowhere.
It was well over 100, no cloud cover, and no shade.
It was just weather, no one quit.
We panted a lot, though.

Real shooters never quit.
 
While not always thrilled with shooting in the rain, I have done it before, and plan on doing it again. Its a good idea (to me at least) to practice in different so that you can focus on shooting even while uncomfortable due to the weather.

Not saying I would take my nicely blued browning shotguns out for skeet in the rain, though I have taken, and will again take, the 1911 I carry, hi-power, and AR I regularly practice with. They all get somewhat wet in normal use at times so I don't see a big deal at all. Just part of a workout for regular firearms. The moisture I don't feel is a huge problem, because I clean the firearms when I return home, so they get oiled and wiped down in addition to the cleaning while I have everything already out. Beyond that, I cant help what the weather is on the day I have to qualify id. Hot, cold, wet, dry, no matter.

I do try to watch for lightning close by, and also flash flood warnings, since a couple of the ranges I shoot at I have to drive through a small creek right before the range.
 
I have had to qualify with my weapons in all kinds of weather. There is nothing neater than being able to watch a 12ga slug as it cuts through rain drops.
 
I just shot a Multigun competition in the rain. Most of the competitors there were first responders so they would not be able to reschedule very well.

What did we do? Threw on some cleats, slowed down on the running a little, and shot a little faster to make up for it.
 
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