# How bad is cold effect on springer accuracy?



## spentwings

Or is it? Web search turned up nothing.
Sighted in a new scope today and it was 15 degrees.
The session lasted about 45 min and my groups were only fair at 10 yds. So... I suppose the lube thickens a bit..but is that or any other factor a detriment to accuracy. I'm more inclined to believe it was my numb fingers. :lol:


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## Ambush Hunter

As you know, temperature does affect ballistics, just like elevation, humidity, heat signature, wind, and other elements like rain, fog, etc. How "bad" does the cold weather affect YOUR rifle is hard to tell. The difference may not be huge but it's there to miss small target completely past 50 yards. 
Of course, characteristics of oil, greese, lube, etc. change with temperature which will change the performance of the spring, seals, guide, and piston.


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## blowgunner62

I have been noticing only mediocre accuracy w/ my springer as well. It's been between 20 and 35 degrees here and my best group at 50 yards today was about 3 inches. Is it the cold?


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## Ambush Hunter

That's way too cold for a springer...I'd put it in the safe barrel up and wait till temperature goes up. Otherwise you take a chance of damaging your seals and possibly a spring. Also keep in mind that your physical mechanics are not the same in cold weather as they are in summer; your arms' muscles behave differently and that too affect consistency in your shooting, ultimately, it affects accuracy...

If it was THAT cold where I leave, I'll just hunt with my rimmie and reach for an airgun once the winter is over.

just my 2 cents...


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## OkiHabu

*Newbie here:* New to the group but old as hell...

Cold weather would seem to affect many things but the seals would be probably the only component of the rifle that would be affected, in the temperatures previously mentioned that is. Now the other variables, many of them, are human. I am thinking of what I would be like if I were shivering and numb from my hat down ...... not a pretty sight.

Just my own thoughts.......


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## spentwings

Welcome OkiHabu to the airgun forum.


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## blowgunner62

Yeah, but I couldn't bear to not shoot my airguns all winter long. What's the lowest temp. that it gets to down in Texas? 40 degrees?

It's supposed to be between 4 and 35 for the rest of the week. We don't consider it to be very cold here until in gets below 20 degrees or so (without wind). Wind chill plays a big factor here on the plains. I suppose that it would be about the same or colder in the Dakotas where a lot of you guys are from.


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## spentwings

You Iowans don't know what cold is.
The air can get so cold and dense up here that on some days an airgun's velocity can drop 150 FPS. :snow:


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## blowgunner62

The lowest that it gets here is around negative 20 F°. Where is Wahpeton, anyway?


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## spentwings

Southeastern ND.
-20* is nasty and windchill is an _expletive_...-30* and colder here isn't that rare...wish it was.


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## bandmiller2

Open the window a little and stay inside to shoot air rifle,set up targets outside or knock off unsavory varments.You and the airgun stay comfy warm.Frank C.


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