neetsfoot oil as patch lube?

[Daryl]

Supposed to be +3C tomorrow- perfect day for shooting the trail. I guess that's about 38F. If the sun shines, it will feel like spring.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

There aren't many young guys chirping in here.  I know I cannot tolerate cold like I used to.  Years ago, we shot our trail all winter, no matter the temperature.  At .25 C which is about the same in Foreignheat, mainsprings started breaking.  We resorted to placing a rubber band over the hammer and rear sight, but that was only good for a couple of shots.  Now, if it is colder than -10 C, we don't shoot our trail.  As we age, speaking here about myself of course, our circulation diminishes and the hands get cold.  Handling metal barrels and balls sucks the heat out of your hands, and add a liquid lube to that, like an alcohol based oily lube, and you have a disaster in the making.  So, It's got to be decent weather for one to enjoy winter shooting.  We'll shoot tomorrow...should be around -10 C. My Pennsylvania fowler/smootie has been pouting...I'll be using neatsfoot oil with .018" cotton patches and .603" pure lead balls in the 20 bore.

[OldMtnMan]

I'm with you. I drive my Jeep all year with no top and doors, but I can dress for it. I gave up hunting and fly fishing in cold weather. It's just not as fun anymore compared to the suffering.

Lots of warmer weather to have fun in.

[Mike from OK]

Worked in a poultry processing plant right out of high school. The place had a large freezer that was kept as close to -30癋 as possible. In the back corner was a smaller blast or flash freezer kept at -50. I spent plenty of time working in those freezers...

As far as lubes go, all my lubes work just fine even when the outside temp is below zero.

Why?

Because they're in the warm house with me.

I don't go out in that insanity anymore... Unless I have to. Which only happens with work or checking traps.

I'm just in my early 40's, and sadly, I can tell that I can't handle the cold as well as I did just 10 years ago.

Mike

[OldMtnMan]

The worst part of cold weather is skinning and quartering out the game. All I can wear are the latex gloves and that's not enough to keep my hands warm. After a while, I can't even hold the knife.

[Pukka Bundook]

Pete,

Worst for me is the knife sticking to your hands with the blood and such.  Never have worn gloves when field dressing. 

[OldMtnMan]

The right gloves give me a better grip when bloody. They seem to prevent the little nicks I always get bare handed too.

A woman gives me a bunch of them every year. She works in a kitchen and that's what they use. They're really tough and hard to tear, but still supple.