Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles What do you tape your barrels with on rainy days?

I've never taped my muzzle, but am hunting in MO this sat with rain in the forcast. I'll be hunting regardless of the weather since I'm only going to be there 3 days. How should I or how should I not tape my barrel to keep the rain out yet not affect accuracy. I've never shot at the range with a taped barrel so my confidence that it won't throw the bullet impact off, is a little weak. Thanks for any feedback and pics to demonstrate. What kind of tape do you recommend? RBH

Scotch 33+ for cold weather.

Use two pieces in a cross. Wrap more around your barrel for easy replacement.

I see no difference in accuracy.

I use scotch brand electrical tape. It stays more flexible in colder weather than some others I've tried. I wrap a little extra a couple inches back from the bore as spares.

I ALLWAYS keep my muzzle taped when hunting. It doesn't affect accuracy a bit. I had a sling break when hunting and the muzzle went straight down into the mud. If I'd had it taped I could of kept hunting. Instead I had to head back and find a cleaning rod to get the mud out, never again - I always keep them taped rain or shine................................DJ

3M blue painters tape. It's 24hr campfire approved. End of story.

If anyone else recommends anything else - they probably voted for Obama.

Have you shot through it at the range for testing purposes? Just wondering?? Thanks for the feedback. What is Scotch 33+ and where would I find it??? Walmart, Lowes???

+1

Pressure from the blast will blow a hole through the tape before the round gets there. Keeps da wada out.

Taken Friday night last:

Standard electrical tape all the time. A barrel can easily get plugged or cluttered with loose debris while crawling across the prairie or going up and down hills.

I have shot through it at the range and had no change of impact. I've also shot a couple dozen head of game with taped muzzles, no problems.

You can get the scotch 33+ elec tape at some walmarts, probably Lowe's and lots of other places.

I work in bodyshops. Painters tape dries up and gets stiff after a while. Scotch electrical tape stays flexible far longer. But if you like blue or green tape it probably lasts plenty long enough if you take it off after hunting season.

And please call me every name in the book if you must but Please don't accuse me of voting for Obama .....................DJ

Never use it unless it's raining combined with well below freezing temps, which isn't too often here.

I know guys here who carry it on their rifles, which gives me a chuckle. It's usually the same ones that hunt with a 20X scope.

Plus, I made a long standing promise to myself that if another bee ever flew up my barrel, he was going for a ride.

It's been 40 years this November since it last happened and my father refused to let me shoot him out. I don't want to miss the next opportunity.

Blue electrical tape. I have used it for a few years (black tape before that). I have observed no change in point of impact--either at the range or in the field. In response to John Moses' comments, rain falls almost continuously for days at a time here during hunting season. Some days it doesn't rain a drop--but the mud is always there. Very few days when the ground is dry. Rather than add and remove tape, I just tape up for the season and call it good. Here's a few pics:

Yesterday:


October 30th:


2009's antelope:


2009's Mule deer:


2008 deer:



My 35 Whelen:
[img]http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn21/WadeSamuelson/IMG_1870.jpg[/img]

Same rifle, wearing it's original stock:
[img]http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn21/WadeSamuelson/IMG_0918.jpg[/img]

Anyway, I was skeptical about how tape might affect accuracy, but as mentioned, both on the range and in the field, I haven't noticed any changes in POI when using tape.

trip ram your barrel into the ground and then proceed to the nearest cleaning rod which is in your truck if your lucky but more likely back at home to get the dirt out......tape serves a real purpose, keeps chit out of the barrel be it water or dirt, im more worried bout the dirt than rain......

on my rifle i keep extra wrapped around the stock right next to the recoil pad cause it also gets used for attaching tags to the legs of does or antlers of bucks and i tend to forget the roll somewhere so the lots extra on the gun is handy.....

I use blue tape. Proper application is crucial.

Lol.

RatherB, rain won't hurt anything. I hunt in the rain all the time "untaped". It's getting in through the breech anyway...

Most of my animals are killed with a taped barrel. As soon as the animal is down, I'm putting new tape on. It's not so much the rain, but the fact that I don't want debris in my barrel and to protect my crown.

That makes sense, but it wasn't his question.

As you know, hunt in the rain all day in the rain, and your rifle and bore and any ammo in the rifle is wet. Regardless of tape or no tape. The OP seemed to ME to be thinking the tape would somehow help with rain. It will not. In fact in a heavy rain for any real length of time I'd be a little worried about tape holding water IN the barrel.

Lol.

I agree with Jeff O in that tape is not "essential," but...given the minimal effort and cost involved, why not tape? Why not make the effort to keep out unwanted water, mud, and other debris?

My buddy had a sling come apart this year while deer hunting and his rifle went cart-wheeling on the path in front of him. We were three miles from a cleaning rod. Strangely enough, he didn't plug his barrel with crud, but he just lucked out. I think tape is a good idea.

Jeff,

We were typing at the same time. My post above is in response to your first post, not the most recent one.

True, tape doesn't keep all the rain out.

yeah definitely not essential....hunters have gone many years with out it......but its cheap insurance that could save a hunt, or atleast that days hike.....

Wouldn't argue any of that.

Just don't use blue!