Gary Reeder
A lot of folks don't realize that ammo is not
Monday, June 05, 2023, 12:37

something that lasts forever. The weather and dampness does effect it. When our shop was in Florida years ago it was not unusual to see a box of ammo sitting on the dash in the sun. We see that around here too but not as much.
A few years back we had a fellow bitching about bad powder or bad primers as the loads he loaded up here at 7000 feet elevation and temps in the low to mid 50s were not accurate when he went down to Phoenix at the big Ben Avery range. I asked what the temp was when he went down there. He said probably 115 or maybe a bit more (that is normal for Phoenix). I tried to tell him the outside temps have a lot to do with accuracy. We were talking about this and of course he was an expert on reloading (if you doubted it he would tell you) and had been reloading for 50 years. While we were talking I glanced out and there was a box of ammo on the dash of his Jeep. I mentioned that to him and of course he knows better as he is an expert. He finally left after letting me know that I had just had the pleasure of talking to an expert. (and an expert on just about everything).

Anyway a few years back we had our first HHC that was in July in south Texas. We called it the Hot & Nasty and it was that. It had rained the day before the hunt and besides the temps in the upper 90s the humidity was probably higher. We were mainly hunting hogs and before we went out I went behind the bunkhouse and ran a few rounds thru my guns. I had just developed the 256 GNR and it was dead on at 50 yards here in Flagstaff but way off down there. My 429 GNR prototype revolver was there to do some testing and it was off too. It was just a reminder that shooting up here in clear skies, mid 70s temps with no humidity at all was totally different shooting in upper 90s with 100% humidity.
Even sighting our guns in at the HHC in Tennessee the temps and humidity or lack of will make a big difference.