Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Wet weather/fouled barrel?

I've found it to be true that my rifles shoot much better with fouled barrels than when they are clean. Generally, it takes 5-10 shots to settle them down after a thourough cleaning. The trouble is, where I hunt (Minnesota) fog, rain, sleet, and snow are very common. My rifles are all chrome-moly, and I am concerned about rusting/pitting the bore if I hunt with a fouled barrel. I do not have the luxury of fouling the barrel before I begin hunting in the morning. Am I being paranoid? Is a bore going to quickly rust in damp conditions if it doesn't have a protective film of oil on it? Will the carbon fouling hold moisture and lead to pitting? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

Foul your barrel as per usual put a piece of electical tape over the muzzle and go hunt and don't worry. I've been in the field for 6 weeks ( no shower <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />) where it rained about 35 out of 42 days, didn't have time to clean nuttin' or I would have cleaned myself up a bit. The bore of my .338 still looks good, now the outside of it is a different story, but rifles and pickups that look rough but function well have always been near and dear to my heart <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Electrical tape is great stuff and cheap, I wrap a little extra midway around my barrel so when I shoot I have fresh to put on the muzzle, also protects it from getting plugged if you take a spill (BTDT, would have had a plugged muzzle if not for the tape). Odds are you won't get rain like we got in SW AK and I surely hope you don't get it for 35 days. Good luck, the tape thing works. 1ak