Winter shoot

I went shooting yesterday. Light snow with snow covered roads and 23 degrees. I shot my 300 Blackout. Would eject but not feed a new round. My lower was modified for 5.56 with a heavy spring and buffer. I guess I won't work with the Blackout upper. I will use the unmodified lower next time. Loads are medium.

I shot my new Enfield No 4, MK2. I shot it with three different loads. Didn't feel like using the snow shoes so I shot at the base of the target frame at 100 years. All rounds puffed up snow in the right spot so I am very close with the sights. Tested three loads using AA5744, IMR4065, and Varget. All functioned without a hitch with Hornady Softpoints at 150 Grains.

I also brought my Hungarian M44. The rifle was new when I bought the thing and the action isn't as smooth as my M39. It has a lot of recoil and a heavy muzzle blast. The sear sticks up a little making bolt removal hard.

Was pretty cold, but the wind was light which makes it easier. By this time next month the same place will be muddy and wet and all the snow gone. Saw a Wood Chuck.

Had company this weekend between snow storms; I gave him a proper coat so he wouldn't freeze his little Florida tail and then we set out frozen jugs of ice at 25 yards to shoot with a variety of guns. I started him on the Mosin Nagant M38 since it had been awhile since he shot anything.

Not a lot of action on the jugs at first, he was hooting high right but a little coaching and soon big chunks of ice were flying out of the back of the jugs, Best result you can get with hardball ammo.

Then I moved him up to the K31 carbine with similar results. It was funny because of the bolt configuration he thought it was a semi-auto.

Then a switch to more modern rifles. I demonstrated with the 7MM Rem Mag and suitably impressed him when a little 130 grain bullet sent ice flying 6' in every direction and tore the jug into several pieces. Then I turned him loose with the 7 and my 300 Wby Mag. I think the recoil and the extra noise bothered him a little bit even with the muffs on. He was still hitting but low left nicks on the jugs.

He did better with the old Stevens 520. Then I gave him the 10 gauge and 3 shells, He shot one, made an impressive hit but handed the 2 shells left over to me. Seems he had all the fun he could stand for one day. Being half my size may have had something to do with that but he is looking forward to the next trip and more guns. He is thinking Mini-14, 32 Win Spcl 30-30, 25-20.

There is just something about shooting in the winter that makes it different from shirt sleeve weather shooting.