Beat the Heat with Cool Tactics

Oh. My. Gosh. How in the world is one supposed to get in any practice when you’re sweating so bad you can’t see through the flood! The truth of the matter is that no matter what, practice does make perfect. It’s important we take advantage of the off season to work on shooting for the next season.

In Virginia, the hunt season kicks off the beginning of September with my absolute favorite game, doves. And, for the next 8mths we are able to get out and chase all manner of beast and bird. Realistically, the only months that we have to concentrate on practicing for the next hunt season is May through August. That means hot, humid and ugh. But, if we want to get better at what held us back in the preceding season, then we just have to suck it up and work through it.

There are some great ways to beat the heat so that we can get out there and not drop dead from heatstroke. One of my favorite tricks is peppermint oil. Just a tiny little vial from the health food store or in the natural aisle of the grocery store will last you a couple summers. Peppermint oil drops on the back of the neck help give that instant cool, refreshing feeling for hours. As an added bonus, it also keeps away flies, gnats, fleas, ticks, etc. Not that great on mosquitoes but just keep a spritz bottle of OFF in your range bag for those nasty little critters.

Hydration is paramount in the summer months. Since the shooting sports are a visual game, you want to mitigate any eye jump. Not taking in enough fluids and overdoing the caffeine will have your poor eyeballs bouncing around in your head, never able to clearly focus on the clay. Not all fluids are created equally though and it’s important that you stick with those with either no or low amounts of sugars and additives. Water is always great but since you lose salt through sweat you have to replace it or face the dreaded leg cramps later that night. Adding a pinch of high-quality sea salt to your water does the trick to keep you on track. Coconut water is also another excellent hydrator with loads of electrolytes and minerals.

My assistant, Rilie loves using a thin, big hat to keep the sun off. Remember that you need as much light going into your eyes as possible at the time you are setting up in the shooter’s box. Remove the hat once you are in the box as long as the sun isn’t trying to fry your eyeballs.

Another great idea are those chilling cloths that go into the freezer and then when you put them across the back of your neck you stay cool for a few hours. Just Google it and you’ll be inundated with purchase possibilities. Besides a cool cloth for the back of the neck, it’s a good idea to have a small towel to wipe your hands. The summer heat knows no mercy and it seems hot enough some days that my fingernails sweat.

Speaking of sweat, if you eat meat, you have an extra helping of acid on board. When you sweat, that sweat transfers to anything you touch. Like a gun barrel or receiver. While it a great idea to shoot in gloves, it’s not comfortable for everyone. When you finish shooting for the day, use a silicone rag to wipe down the metal on your gun. The humidity and dust that are rampant in the summer are tough on your gun. Add your acrid, metal eating sweat to it and it’s a recipe for disaster for the life of the gun.

Finally, shoot in the shade. If you can. The fantastic attribute of sporting clays is we love trees. Not only do they help us to mark a flight path or pinpoint a perfect hold point to start our swing, but they are most helpful in keeping us cool in the shade. At some courses, this will be easier just because they have more trees. On the trap and skeet field, since trees are pretty scarce, shoot in the morning before the sun gets too high and powerful.

While it isn’t ideal to have to fight the heat to get in some practice, it is about our only option living in sweet ol’ Virginny. Hopefully, the above ideas will help you muster the clay crushing desire and get out and enjoy. Dove season is literally just around the corner. Take a friend or family member with to practice. They can help keep it interesting and keep your mind engaged on clays and camaraderie and not so much on the dreadful temps.

(Originally published : 
Woods & Waters Magazine, July 2022)