# Wondering?



## alleyyooper (Jul 6, 2007)

I do all my reloading in the winter. It is hot and dry inb my reloading room next to the furnace room with the wood burner. I've been wondering what effect hot and humid summer weather has on those reloads as opposed to the dry cold of winter.

 Al


----------



## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I would guess humidity is the bigger problem. Military rounds 50 years old still work, but I think they are lacquer sealed. I sometimes lacquer seal mine with this product: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/954332 ... -oz-liquid


----------



## People (Jan 17, 2005)

Reloading in the winter should not really cause you any issues as long as your loads where worked up for the heat of the summer. Used USGI ammo cans are cheap enough if you are concerned about ammo degradation.

You really should be fine. I did this test. I took one loaded round marked it test then tied dental floss to it and hung it in my bathroom almost level. It hung there for a month while two of us used the room as normal. At the end of the month I pulled the bullet and dumped the powder onto my scale. The powder looked fine. The overall condition of the round was looking pretty rough. I would have thought the condensation would have seeped into the powder charge but in this one case it did not. Normally my ammo is in a ammo can until it is out hunting or going to be shot.

Most of my hunting ammo does get the primers sealed with nail polish before they get loaded. I thought about using something for the mouth also but I never really get my ammo wet.

Chuck Norris doesn't look both ways before he crosses the street... he just roundhouses any cars that get too close.


----------



## noylj (Nov 10, 2010)

The same amount of powder might be slightly heavier due to moisture absorption/adsorption.

The issue is not when you reload, but the conditions when you fire the ammunition.
Powders have various thermal effects when it is very cold or very hot.
Some powders actually produce higher pressure under cold conditions.
However, none of this is affected by the season of reloading.


----------



## specialpatrolgroup (Jan 16, 2009)

I have read about military snipers or machine gunners setting their ammo out in the hot sun to increase velocity, its referred to "cooking" ammo. I had some ammo that I loaded but later sold the only gun in that caliber (22-250), so I was pulling bullets to reclaim the powder (varget) since its been pretty much nonexistent recently. I took one of the rounds and dipped it underwater a couple times before I pulled the bullet and weighed the charge, it was within tolerance for the recipe I used for that round.


----------



## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

specialpatrolgroup said:


> I have read about military snipers or machine gunners setting their ammo out in the hot sun to increase velocity, its referred to "cooking" ammo. I had some ammo that I loaded but later sold the only gun in that caliber (22-250), so I was pulling bullets to reclaim the powder (varget) since its been pretty much nonexistent recently. I took one of the rounds and dipped it underwater a couple times before I pulled the bullet and weighed the charge, it was within tolerance for the recipe I used for that round.


A sniper that would do this probably isn't a very good one. Snipers have to count on their ammo having consistent velocity. Changes in velocity can mean a change in impact point. All their balistic calculations don't mean squat if their ammo isn't shooting at or near the velocity their calculations are based on.


----------



## People (Jan 17, 2005)

I saw the same thing on TV with those Canadian snipers who were given US ammo. The US ammo was hotter than their standard issue ammo so each new shot was truly a new shot. The distance they were shooting was farther than they trained to. Also farther than standard Ca ammo would allow shots. While the US ammo was hotter it was not fast enough. Letting it sit in the sun gave them a small boost in MV making those extended long range shots easier. Cranking in all your elevation and still holding off is not the best way to start a shot. Granted shooting a mile and a half and getting hits is not too shabby with or with out hold off.

Many BR shooters of the 50BMG will have little ovens to preheat their ammo for use in competitions. The reason for this is your ammo is a standard temp and swings of powder temp are much smaller as chamber temp rises from your first shot to your last shot.

The phrase 'balls to the wall' was originally conceived to describe Chuck Norris entering any building smaller than an aircraft hangar.


----------



## Csquared (Sep 5, 2006)

I'm not sure it's possible for nitro-based powders to "absorb" moisture in the context discussed here. Black powder and virtually all other substitutes, absolutely, but just as water beads and separates from other solvent-based products I believe modern smokeless powder is fairly moisture resistant. But since water is involed in it's production I doubt absorption (under ideal conditions) is totally non-existent. Would be interesting to see study data along those lines, though. Maybe someone with more time can post some research.


----------

