Environmental Changes

[ericwh]

I'm currently developing loads/practicing/collecting dope for an upcoming WY antelope hunt. I live in PA - elevation ~1000', temperatures in the 90s this time of year, and often high humidity. Conditions for the hunt will be drastically different - elevation ~7000', temperatures could be almost anything, probably low humidity.

How do you guys prepare for these types of shifts? It seems like some of them will work against each other - temperature and pressure for example. Does it just sort of cancel out? Honestly I've never really thought about it before and shot an elk in the same area at around 250 yards or so. Was I just lucky or am I overthinking this?

 

[wind gypsy]

I'm no expert but am in a similar situation right now. I like to do load development in fall/winter/spring when temps are cooler if I can but sometimes it doesn't work that way.

In your case to minimize impact of atmospherics I'd do load development with a hodgdon extreme powder and settle on a powder charge near the top of a node when hot. Tune your ballistic curve to actual measured drops in the heat such that once atmospherics change in WY you are more likely your ballistic calculator will adjust appropriately.

validate data when you get out west if possible - I usually don't have time for that but its nice when you do.

 

[OXN939]

I'm currently developing loads/practicing/collecting dope for an upcoming WY antelope hunt. I live in PA - elevation ~1000', temperatures in the 90s this time of year, and often high humidity. Conditions for the hunt will be drastically different - elevation ~7000', temperatures could be almost anything, probably low humidity.

How do you guys prepare for these types of shifts? It seems like some of them will work against each other - temperature and pressure for example. Does it just sort of cancel out? Honestly I've never really thought about it before and shot an elk in the same area at around 250 yards or so. Was I just lucky or am I overthinking this?

What kind of distances are you planning to shoot? For "cold" bore shots inside of 400, I have observed little change in POI due to the environmental differences between range days on the eastern seaboard and colder hunting climates of the West. Certainly a valid concern- I nixed several range days this past week because temps were so far off the bell curve- but later this week when it's back to 80 or so, I'll be working on loads for AK/WY.

 

[ericwh]

What kind of distances are you planning to shoot? For "cold" bore shots inside of 400, I have observed little change in POI due to the environmental differences between range days on the eastern seaboard and colder hunting climates of the West. Certainly a valid concern- I nixed several range days this past week because temps were so far off the bell curve- but later this week when it's back to 80 or so, I'll be working on loads for AK/WY.

I'd say 300 or less. Club range goes out to 400 but I'm not comfortable that far. I'm shooting about 1-2 MOA from 100-300 depending on range and wind.

 

[OXN939]

I'd say 300 or less. Club range goes out to 400 but I'm not comfortable that far. I'm shooting about 1-2 MOA from 100-300 depending on range and wind.

With those metrics, the change to your POI between environments will be several places down on the list of factors that might affect it. You'd probably have greater variation between a dirty and clean bore.

Certainly not a bad idea to take steps to mitigate it- don't leave your rifle in direct sunlight on a hot day, and take an especially conservative cooling interval between shots- but as long as you do that, I wouldn't be concerned.

 

[ghostmoney]

I'm currently developing loads/practicing/collecting dope for an upcoming WY antelope hunt. I live in PA - elevation ~1000', temperatures in the 90s this time of year, and often high humidity. Conditions for the hunt will be drastically different - elevation ~7000', temperatures could be almost anything, probably low humidity.

How do you guys prepare for these types of shifts? It seems like some of them will work against each other - temperature and pressure for example. Does it just sort of cancel out? Honestly I've never really thought about it before and shot an elk in the same area at around 250 yards or so. Was I just lucky or am I overthinking this?

For the distance you are looking at shooting you are overthinking it. My 260 at 300 yards if I zero my rifle at 1000' and then shoot at 7,000' is only a .4" impact change. If I drop my fps down 80fps from 80 degree velocity to account for velocity loss due to cold temps (unrealistic but proves my point) that only changes impact .8" so you are only looking at a 1.2" difference from your zero.

 

[Clarence]

I am in same boat also. I went with a single base powder to help minimize effects, and had a max yardage of 500. Good idea always to verify when you get out though. You should be pretty close as long as you didn't zero last week and are headed out in 0° in November like previous posters have said. Good luck and keep practicing!

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[Chainsaww]

Good info guys, thanks.
(Getting post count up)

 

[Oldffemt]

Good info guys, thanks.
(Getting post count up)

If you’re spending the $$ to hunt out west make a point to verify your zero when you get to your destination. I’ve loaned rifles to several buddies after they missed a shot because they didn’t verify zero after traveling.

 

[Sleeperls]

Same boat so trying a different powder andluckily there is a range right by where im going to hunt.

Ill get the gun shooting well here, and then make adj as needed at elevation and temp.

 

[hayesplow]

You prepare for it like going to hunt in a place with such current weather condition.

 

[carter33]

Certain ballistic apps will take into account environmental data when/where you zero and make the corrections for you based on the current environment data where you are shooting. I believe applied ballistics does this. Though even with that it would be a good idea to shoot and verify after traveling.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

For your stated shooting range, you should he just fine. You could run your data through a shooting app as mentioned above to get close and then field verify when you arrive. The most common thing I've seen with people coming from back east to hunt is their rig is shooting too high.