taping the muzzle?

[Guy Miner]

Anyone else tape the muzzle of their rifle, to keep out rain, snow and whatever? I do it pretty regularly in bad weather. Will often keep some more tape rolled up farther down the barrel, so I can re-tape after a shot. Mostly I just use plain ol' black electrical tape. It seems to work pretty well in wet conditions.

 

[Scott Spencer]

I do it sometimes but mostly when I hunt out west. When hunting here at my home club I usually have the luxury if sitting in a shooting house or my ground blind

 

[Elkman]

I use tape or a ballon or other kind of rubber thingy (finger tabs). I probably worry about it more during the incessent rain on the coast but will also tape it or cover the muzzle in a wet snow storm.

 

[Elkman]

When hunting here at my home club I usually have the luxury if sitting in a shooting house or my ground blind

We call that resting !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DrMike]

I have taped my muzzle, but I don't do so regularly.

 

[big rifle man]

having watched a video of a hunter take a shot at an Elk with ice in the barrel of his rifle and watch the barrel come out of the receiver and make it about a third of the way to the Elk I find covering the muzzle during inclement weather a very good idea. Sierra did quite a study on taping the muzzle and found that a balloon over the muzzle does not disrupt the flight of the bullet. Tape does have a small effect on the bullet flight. Anything will work better than experiencing what happened in that video.

 

[onesonek]

Yes, or sometimes those rubber caps when I can find them the right size to fit the muzzle.

 

[russ808]

I use the tips if those thin rubber gloves.
Call them barrel condoms
Russ

 

[muleman]

My grandfather taught me that trick 35 years ago. He used condoms on his garand in WWII. I've always used electrical tape. Hunting in Oregon it's always a good idea!
Scott

 

[Too Tall]

I put tape on when the season requires it. A little more insurance doesn't hurt.

 

[gerry]

I usually tape the muzzle with electrical tape considering we hunt in a rough and brushy area. I remember climbing up a tree once while hunting moose and seeing a lot of debris in my 35 Whelen's barrel enough that I had to do something about it. When I was a young hunter I remeber slipping on a steep hill and driving the barrel of my 30-06 into the mud filling it up pretty good, needless to say I was done hunting that day until we got back to camp. A taped muzzle would have saved me a lot of grief in those circumstances.

 

[6mm Remington]

I use a piece of black electricians tape over the barrel when it's wet, rainy, snowy, or the weather is sour. I don't wrap it around the barrel as some have mentioned, and that is where it "might be possible" for it to effect the barrel harmonics and change where the bullet lands slightly. Of course with the chamber empty I pull out about an inch and at the end of that inch I put that over the muzzle and fold the one side down over the barrel and do the same on the side I am holding the tape in about an inch. I then pull and break the tape and make sure it's pushed down tight against the barrel and on top. My son Jeff and I were out this morning and there was 8 inches of nice new fluffy snow on the ground and it was about 9 degrees below zero with no wind. Perfect day to hunt elk. We both had tape over our barrels just in case.

We hit a small saddle that has a nice little meadow on top and there were four cows and calves feeding and had no idea we were there. He put a great shot from kneeling on the lead cow and dropped her in her tracks with his 300 WSM. Shot right through the tape and it worked perfectly. At 0730 we had elk on the ground. I don't think I can talk him out of that Model 70 300 WSM now either. He used a 180 gr. AccuBond I had loaded for the shot which was about 90-100 yards.

We used the game cart to take half at a time back to the truck and it worked great. I would share pictures, but I can't seem to get them to load on photobucket. Is my file full or any of you have any suggestions?

Sorry to change subjects, but a little tape over the barrel is a great insurance policy!

 

[FOTIS]

After 21 years in Security Forces in the USAF I carry muzzle down with my safari sling.

 

[Guy Miner]

Even more important to tape the muzzle... Snow, mud, ice, weeds...

I carry muzzle down quite a bit too. Mud Marine.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I just use electrician's tape as others here do. Been using it for 50 years.

 

[FOTIS]

Great system

 

[Anonymous]

I've crammed my barrel into the mud, dropped it, been rained on, froze out and found debris too many times. A little Scotch 33 goes a long way.

 

[jim deerhide]

yup, electrical tape.

 

[longrangehunter]

I use a balloon w/electrical tape to hold it on. I tested it at the range and found it had little to no effect on POA.

 

[WYcoyote]

yup, electrical tape.

+1