Winter shooting from a shelter, need ideas.

P

pdhntr

Guest
I built a 100, 200 and 600 yard range on my land this summer. During the summer I shoot from a deck built on the back of my shed.

But the winters are long here in northern Wisconsin and I want to build a small, elevated, heated shelter on the deck to shoot from this winter.

I have shot from windows before in the winter, and the "heat shimmer" can make accurate shooting at anything greater than 50 yards impossible.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to eliminate the heat shimmer, or at least some ideas to try?

Just to get this started, I was thinking of putting a small fan outside, mounted on the wall, that would blow air across the open window, hoping to "shear" the warm air at the opening.

Other ideas?

Thanks.

Jim
 
Unfortunately I've found you need to pull the cold IN.....

What I've done is to build my benches in such a way that I can stick a space heater down by my feeties to keep my lower side warm. A little outward facing fan at another location pulls the arctic blast into the room, clearing the air.

If you can set up a fan and get the shear thing to work I wanna' know about it! It sounds like a great idea.

al
 
Another problem shooting indoors is having anyone in the building with you. They have to set as perfectly still as you do. Most any movement on their part, and you can see it in the scope.
 
alinwa said:
Unfortunately I've found you need to pull the cold IN.....

What I've done is to build my benches in such a way that I can stick a space heater down by my feeties to keep my lower side warm. A little outward facing fan at another location pulls the arctic blast into the room, clearing the air.

If you can set up a fan and get the shear thing to work I wanna' know about it! It sounds like a great idea.

al
Click to expand...

My reasoning on this is simple, but very likely flawed somewhere.....:confused:

Anyhow, it is something to try, I will report back.

Jim
 
B.Johnson said:
Another problem shooting indoors is having anyone in the building with you. They have to set as perfectly still as you do. Most any movement on their part, and you can see it in the scope.
Click to expand...

Shouldn't be a problem B. I am pretty solitary. Must be something about me.

There is a weasel that has taken up residence at the shed, but I doubt he will hang around long once I start shooting.

Jim
 
FBecigneul said:
My best remedy, and probably the best you'll hear here, is quite simple and inexpensive.

You must tell these people you want to do some serious bird watching and this would include the taking of pictures with enormous lensed cameras. Tell them you can't take pictures through the window due to window distortion and when you open the window it only gets worse due to the mirage created by the escaping warm air hitting the cool (cold) ambient outdoor temperature. With any luck this will cost you close to nothing to accomplish. So who do you call to accomplish this feat? That one phone call should be to Ask This Old House. Richard Trethewey and Tom Silva will be knocking on your door and the Ask This Old House trailer complete with cameras will be on your driveway. Now aren't you glad you asked here?
Click to expand...

FB, you're a frickin' genius.

And when they see the birds of prey feeding on the carcasses out in the field, they won't even question my motives.

We are all in the presence of greatness here.

(Bowing) Thank you Sir.

Jim
 
I stick my gun out the 16"X16" hole in my heated building, then turn on the 8" fan that sucks air out the other end of the 10X25 building. I roll up an old group target and tape it to my scope to make sure it is outside the building. Makes no difference in how many people are in the building, unless i don't have enough room to shoot.:cool: I've been doing this for several years here in sunny Iowa and the biggest problem is lots of snow on the ground, sunshine on my range creating mirage, and how far the bullet moves the cooler it gets outside.

Later
Dave
 
Stan Ware's 'Shootin' Shack and Sweet Corn Stand'.

Warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Permanent flag stands, anemometer, heater, air conditioner, sliding front panel, cement bench, coffee pot, corner table for presses and loading.

west.jpg


front.jpg


weatherstation.jpg


Looking downrange to the 200 yd. targets
100to200.jpg


Looking back from 100 yds.
southfrom100.jpg


Sliding front panel
window1.jpg
 
PD-
Howdy !

Howzabout you add some lenghts of open-ended 55gl drums, elevated immediately outside you shed/window. The barrels could be lined with simple foam slabs to deaden muzzle blast.
An assortment of slots around the periferee of the drums would help let heated air out; and not build-up inside the " tunnel ". Use enough slits to prevent heat-induced mirage from inside the drums.
The drums would sit on a simple cradle or rack. Heck... even the new-wave plastic drums would work.

I should think 2-3 open-ended drums placed end-to-end oughta' do it ?

If memory serves, Jeff Cooper used somethng along this line; out @ his spread.

Might have to change the style of widnow used in your shed.

With regards,
.357Mag
 
scary!!!

357mag I tried this. Not in the winter but in the summer. Problem is, home ranges are different than monitored shooting ranges. I sometimes just get in the groove and shoot/load for hours on end. Alla' sudden I look up and it's dark. Or someone came over, or some Jehovah's Witness is turning around in your shooting range (this one actually happened to me, dude drove his mini-van right across the range in front of my gun) or some kids come out of the field.........

Here's my point. Maybe the setup would work for control of heat waves, I dunno, but what it DOES do is destroy your peripheral vision. You can't see the flags, you can't watch the trees, the grass, the 'wishes' nor the birdies, AND YOU CAN'T MONITOR YOUR SURROUNDINGS! I just couldn't live with the blind spot. All's I could think of is "what if some kid runs out into the range???"

For this reason I dismantled my setup and made up some plywood deflectors (mine was for noise control) so I could SEE again :)

I'm not dis'ing the idea, maybe it would work for some situations but for me it was just too scary.

al
 
Dave might have a simple system that will work. If I have an adjustable opening higher than the window, I may not need much of a fan, and the home made extension for the scope will probably work out just great.

Thanks to all for the ideas.

Jim
 
A short length of fence from each front corner of the range house. I don't like that blind spot either
 
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