Is 113 Too Hot To Compete?

[AzShooter]

I found out it is for me.  Yesterday we shot one of our monthly Steel Challenge Matches.  I do enjoy it and thought I was prepared for the day with plenty of water, Gatorade and Chilly Towels for around my neck.  I even had a vest filled with ice.

 

Still I managed to get cramped up with three stages to go.  I dredged myself along and made it.  Last stage is Smoke & Hope which is too much fun to not miss.

 

I ended up shooting 40 seconds slower than my average.  

 

Finally made it back to the car, turned on the AC and waited 10 minutes to cool off.  Drank another bottle of water and headed home.  When I got into the garage and out of the car I nearly fell to the ground.  Fortunately I held on for a few seconds, made it to my chair and started drinking more electrolytes.

 

Next week's match is only supposed to be 103.  Let's see if I learned anything.

[rowdyb]

That is rough

[belus]

That match needs to start earlier.

 

We hit ~98 by the end of the match Sunday. A slight breeze kept it okay.

[MHicks]

It would have been worse if it was USPSA. Some of it depends on the range you're shooting at. Shade available? Where I am we are usually finished before the hottest part of the day but it's still hot. Also if you barely make it through the shooting then still have to tear down the stages and put everything away, that'll tire you out. Less teardown in steel challenge. At some point I'll just skip some matches.

[mule169]

Matches were full throughout the whole summer in AZ through Rio, PRG, and Ben Avery. Competing in hot dry 110-120 is preferably over 90-100 in 80%+ humidty IMO. 

[GunBugBit]

Around 112 degrees and above, a steel grip gets plenty hot as you walk around in the sun.  Makes sense to lay a cloth over the exposed part of the gun between shooting your stages.

[RangerTrace]

Anything over 100 just sucks and takes all the fun out of it for me.  And the matches are over around 2pm when it's really hot, just in time to tear down and put everything away.  A shooting buddy once said, "I'm just not that mad as those targets anymore".  

[Joe4d]

Yes, and so is hitting 100 reel feel by noon at Sundays steel challenge....
Still going though.

[konkapot]

I gonna commit a sin here and suggest that maybe smaller stages/squads might be the way to go. 

 

It does mean that EVERYONE won't get into the match. 

[45 Raven]

Yep, it's too hot.  I am an AZ native, live in Mesa and compete regularly at Rio Salado and Phoenix Rod & Gun Club pistol matches.

 

But the "regularly" part of my statement came to an end this year.  I made it until mid-June before it just quit being fun.  I have attended one evening match for the entire rest of the summer, and almost withdrew from that match between the second and third stages due to the heat.

 

I'll try again in September . . . . but it will still be HOT in September here in the Valley of the Sun!  So I might have to back off again until October.

 

I am a senior citizen and have lived in AZ almost my entire life.  This has been the hardest summer I can recall.  It's just silly to keep trodding out to the range when you really aren't enjoying it and it is actually posing potential risks to one's health.

[Joe4d]

Back when I shot USPSA WST was my favorite 40 major powder, and used to laugh at all the posts about it being reverse temp sensitive... Humm if it's butt cold I am n ot out chronoing, and if its blazing hot I aint shooting... So seems like a non issue to me. Beginning to rethink, out working on fence, made it till about noon, went back out, lasted 30 minutes before I said F this. Its only 93.
I can set up 5 targets at home and do a few drills in less time than it would take me to get to match and be done by 9am, Was only going for revolver trigger time before next IPM Icore.

 

 

 

Edited August 18, 2023 by Joe4d