Chilled out?

Don Brunt provides some tips on clothing, eye wear and cartridge storage to ensure you can still make the most of your shooting in sub-zero temperatures… brrr!

A cold fresh winter’s morning looks beautiful, but being out in temperatures that struggle to get above freezing can be a challenge in several ways, and it’s not just the person pulling the trigger that can be affected; equipment can also struggle to perform at its best.

Cartridges

Cartridges can be the weak link in this equation if things get really cold. Nearly all European shotgun loads are produced with single-based propellant powders based on nitrocellulose, as opposed to many of the North American equivalents such as Winchester, which use double base powders and also include nitro-glycerine. The latter can burn better in very low temperatures but both types of powders rely on having primers which are up to the job of igniting the powder.

Temperature is rarely the only problem, though, as moisture is often the catalyst for a misfire or a ‘weak’ burn. When you look down a barrel and see obvious unburnt powder flakes, it’s most likely down to the shells having been left in a damp environment. This doesn’t have to be something as obvious as leaving them in a wet pocket – even leaving them in a garage which should be dry will usually have a high enough moisture content in the air for it to have an effect over a medium to long term.