Breaking Targets in Extreme Temperatures: Go Shooting Shotgun Coaching Videos Series 4 #1

[@jcrsa]

With the help of a chronograph I tested some competition shotshells. Almost all of them showed a sharp drop in speed after being exposed to the cold for a few hours. Example, internationally well-know 24gr shotshell at ambient temperature 21°C - average speed 410 m/s. Same shotshell after 3 hours exposed to -15ºC - average speed 345 m/s.

[@LexsLavrov1]

And at lower temperature air gets denser thus energy loss in flight will be greater.

[@GoShooting]

no doubt you are correct

[@robbreeze7599]

Excellent advice Russ. Going to the pub that is. 👍🍺

[@GoShooting]

sounded good to me

[@jaymurdoch4893]

Thanks for this demonstration of breakability. We do shoot in sub zero winter conditions regularly, and can vouch that keeping the ammo warm does help cold weather performance, and it seems that increasing shot size (shooting #7.5 instead of #8’s - for example) seems to help as well. Warm ammo = better combustion and expansion of gasses? Larger shot size = more momentum against colder and denser air? The debate continues…..

[@GoShooting]

Its a long winded debate. Glad you enjoyed the video

[@michal.abramowicz]

greetings from Poland!

[@6079__Smith__W]

Thanks for doing this test. I had no idea such measurement device existed. There's one more test I'd love to see.. affect of humidity on clay targets. Here in the UK it can get very humid at times, and I feel that makes the targets harder to break.. clearly the material used to make the targets has an effect

[@GoShooting]

Great suggestion!

[@timeverett7828]

I totally agree with you! Here in Canada... During the summer months it gets ridiculously humid in Ontario. Sometimes we find targets that have been hit with holes in them but the target is still intact in circumference. Laying out on the grassy field. (ISSF regulation targets) So I think humidity does make the substance of the target (which is called pitch) Harder in humid hot conditions.

[@ralphsmith242]

Higher outside air temperatures noticeably reduce drag in an aeroplane. Surely the pellets will lose airspeed slower in high-temperature air. Add in that the powder will burn more ferociously if it is hot, and you can see why targets seem to break more easily in high outside air temperatures. The pellets are launched at a faster speed and they lose airspeed at a slower rate. So they hit harder. Why does there have to be a change in breakability?

[@FourT6and22]

I know this comment is from 2 years ago, but anybody who shoots long-range will know the answer to this one. Yes, temperature, pressure, humidity, etc. all affect ballistics and powder burn. BUT... not really to any major degree with birdshot out of a shotgun at 30-60 yards lol. With a rifle bullet traveling supersonic at longer ranges, like 1,000 yards? Sure. And even then, it takes a LARGE swing in Density Altitude (DA) to matter. Temperature might effect powder burn more than the pellets, though. Maybe enough to change muzzle velocity by a wide enough margin. But will that matter when it comes to breaking clays? I dunno.

[@brandonsmith8017]

Thanks

[@timeverett7828]

This past Winter was shooting skeet in the minus teens ﾟC Targets broke the same but boy did the cartridge velocities really slow down...

[@GoShooting]

I am sure you are all over the answer Tim. Cold weather certainly appears that it can have a adverse effect on velocity which can of course restrict the breaking power of your shot-shell.

[@timeverett7828]

@@GoShooting Thanks very much for your response!! I really appreciate everything that you do at Go Shooting... One day would hope to shoot at 1 of your ranges even though you are half the world away From Canada.

[@weissrw1]

I paused at 1:28 to cross my fingers. I so want you to give me an excuse for misses. Can't have too many of them!

[@weissrw1]

Oh, nuts!!! At least if a friend tries to make an excuse of it, I can call BS.

[@rafaelnakamura9935]

good morning sir Russel. can you tell me what you thing about number 8 cartridges for universal trap ? thank you sir for you knowleadge.

[@GoShooting]

It depends on how hard the composition of the targets are

[@HALWG51]

Interesting. We shoot in some extremely cold weather and I have always felt the clays were harder to break. Seemed like more chunks, rather than turning to dust. Maybe that's just a placebo effect, but I think it seems the case.

[@alanwise7868]

This was very interesting and thank you for supplying non-world standard measurements for us Americans. If it's not put in terms of bald eagles or glazed doughnuts, we just don't get it. I've personally theorized that targets are a little more flexible in the heat, since they're actually made of pitch and not clay. Tend to find more unbroken targets with shot holes in the summer. Still doesn't explain why I can't break 'em at the indoor trap range by me...

[@GoShooting]

Glad it was of some help

[@dgoodman1484]

I always swing easier and faster in shorts and a t-shirt than in a 1inch thick caribou parka and bunny boots. Heck I usually require a shot or two of liquid group tighter just to be able to get the blood moving in cold temperatures! 😉

[@matthewsmith5394]

We need this break tester at the state shoot in California. Those birds were not breaking at all. They say it was cause they were bio target. My friend went out after the shoot and he found some birds that had 7 holes in it that weren’t broke

[@GoShooting]

Curious as to what brand of target they were?

[@matthewsmith5394]

@@GoShooting they were white flyers

[@timeverett7828]

Most likely champion bio targets. Those things are very HARD

[@adhamabouwafia5089]

Well 32 degrees for your American friends not the North American ones… we use Celsius in Canada 😀😀 And of course you can break targets better in warm weather… not coz they’re brittle but because you spend more time at the range… 😉😉

[@GoShooting]

lol good point

[@rolandkee335]

Oops… I just added the same comment that Adham did.

[@CharacterVoices]

I live in Orlando. Indeed hot enough to fry an egg in the summer. Won’t you join me please for a nice cool ale 🍺 As always, thanks for the hard work.

[@GoShooting]

Deal!

[@manofkentcatapultsgunsando5069]

Leave nothing to chance ,,,,,I'm a notorious cheat , 32 grams of English no6 loaded into a hull that says 28 grams 7.5 ,,,,,,half choke in both barrels, forget the weather🤪🤪

[@GoShooting]

I heard in GB its only classed as cheating if you get caught :)

[@manofkentcatapultsgunsando5069]

@@GoShooting Quite correct sir 🇬🇧🍺🍺