How does cold weather (winter) effect black powder??

[NDduckhunter]

If you get a muzzleloader tag in ND, you can bet it’s going to be below zero on your hunt. I hunted this morning in -10f. In my experience it has little effect on the powder itself but if you bring a cold barrel inside it will condensate and may dampen your powder. I usually unload my rifle and put a new load in before every hunt due to this. I took my glove off to cock my rifle in -20f ish degree weather once and my thumb froze to the hammer, lol, wasn’t expecting that.

[Daryl]

When hunting the late season, special weapon's hunt for moose, I always leaned my rifle against a spruce tree with the muzzle covered with electrician's tape.
The bows kept snow off the rifle and it never got wet. I am talking about 32F down to -56F. Those colder temps are hard on springs, but the powder is unaffected.

[Jeff Murray]

I've also used a blanket case when hunting in the snow.  It keeps moisture off the lock and maybe? keeps it a little warmer.

[Pukka Bundook]

At -20C,  you wont really need gloves whem loading ig ypur circulation is OK.
Its pretty dry at that temp, and l often work for  a good while without gloves, with no bother.
Im with SvottC, and wear a loading block around my neck inside my shirt.
I just use deer tallow, buf it usually slides down the bore alright.
Flat patches sometimes need holding in the mouth before loading.
Remember minus 20C is only half cold!
We have had a fair bit of this already, and am still wearing my flat cap.
It feels warmer than minus 5 does very often, as the air is drier.
Best,
R.

[recurve]

your powder might be ok it's your lube that might change things I need to keep my tallow patches in a warm pocket to keep them from freezing solid to the point I can't separate the patches or load them they are more like a poker chip hard ( might freeze to the ball)

[Seth Isaacson]

At -20C,  you wont really need gloves whem loading ig ypur circulation is OK.
Its pretty dry at that temp, and l often work for  a good while without gloves, with no bother.
Im with SvottC, and wear a loading block around my neck inside my shirt.
I just use deer tallow, buf it usually slides down the bore alright.
Flat patches sometimes need holding in the mouth before loading.
Remember minus 20C is only half cold!
We have had a fair bit of this already, and am still wearing my flat cap.
It feels warmer than minus 5 does very often, as the air is drier.
Best,
R.

-20 C is -4 F.  Plenty cold to keep me from wanting to fumble with patches and round balls in the snow.

You saying that is only half-cold reminds me of a time I was driving back to my apartment my first semester in graduate school during a full on blizzard. It was well below zero, especially with the wind chill. Through the blinding snow, I spotted one of my professors walking back to her house already a couple miles from campus and offered to give her a ride. She just smiled and said, "Thank you, but this weather just reminds her of home." She is Canadian.

[Daryl]

LOL - love the cold stories. Used to revel in it when the very air itself sparkled. That happens at -40 around here.
Don't like it much, any more.
-14C so that's only 6.8F. Some were gloves, some don't. New Years day, 2008(I think)

[smylee grouch]

your powder might be ok it's your lube that might change things I need to keep my tallow patches in a warm pocket to keep them from freezing solid to the point I can't separate the patches or load them they are more like a poker chip hard ( might freeze to the ball)

    I used Deer Tallow for years and at times in quite cold weather. I don't know if I ever had a patch stick to the ball. I'm thinking at the shot the burning powder would melt any sticky lube on  the way down the bore.

[Daryl]

Absolutely spot-on.  Mink oil would turn liquid in the fingers just handling the patches when loading patch and ball.

[HighUintas]

That is exciting, Rolf. I do hope you eat that cat if you get one. I've heard many times it is very tasty. Utah recently passed a law allowing them to be hunted similarly to coyotes. Open season, no tag required, but you must report harvest. I'm not sure if the legality on using dogs.

I will be out a few days this winter hoping to run across one. But, likely with my bolt action because I think the chances of me stalking to within 75 yards of a big cat are .... Near zero. I'll do some snowshoe hare hunting with my flinter.