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!

I use blue just for you! And not to be a jerk, but rather simple humor! I have been asked about my blue tape by a bunch of other hunters. And I just give the reply that Jamie invented--"It adds 100fps."

I love this place. God bless you all!

The Blue Tape Legions.... grin....

Mostly I take pictures as they are usually pretty quite up until their not.

Actually, seriously, I tape them when it snows or there is freezing rain. Rain dosn't worry me, but solids do.

Has anyone ran it through a chrono with and without?

I've used tape a few times, is nice to keep junk out.

Yes, I have shot for accuracy from a taped barrel. I saw no effect except missing tape.

Scotch 33+ electrical tape is commonly available. It is usable in colder temperatures than most.

Rain still gets in the weapon. I use it to keep from plugging the bore.

If you are using it in mixed rain and freezing temps be sure to take it off at night and wipe out your bore. Ice makes a pretty good bore obstruction according to some of the stories.

I am AMAZED at the folks that say they tape only when raining. People [bleep] baffle me.

I see no reason to tape the muzzle.

Yep if I am hunting my barrel is taped. Just a simple thing like taping your barrel can save you a pile of trouble if you slip and fall or something and your barrel ends up in the mud. Its just a no brainer to tape your barrel and the reason isn't for rain and water. Its for grit and shi%

What's baffling about hunting with an untaped bore? I agree it's a good idea in wet, freezing temps, but otherwise, none of my hunts or rifles have suffered any adverse affects of having an open bore.

I cover my barrels with finger tips cut off of surgical gloves and attached by a rubber band.

A buddy of mine loaned his favorite Elk Rifle to a brother in law. Brother in law stumbles and barrel sticks into the mud. Brother in Law not being the sharpest knife in the drawer decides to shoot the mud out....................







Do you think my buddy wished he had taped the muzzle for him?................................DJ

He probably wishes he hadn't loaned the gun to an idiot.

Although, he now has some nice modern art to display in his living room.

Yeah, that.

I never tape a barrel.. I just keep the muzzle down.. Easy..

I figger this thread will generate what, maybe 45 posts?

I check the zero on my rifles and tape the muzzles with black electrical tape. I put one piece across the muzzle and another around the side of the barrel to hold it in place. Rain, snow, or clear weather the muzzles are taped.

The whole thing gives me a chuckle.

And yes, I have taped a barrel, I had to think back as to why I would do such a thing.

Actually I used a rubber band and serran wrap. Back in the day when I would ML hunt in the rain I would "tape" the end of the barrel and the nipple to keep my powder dry. That was back when one used the "real" black powder.

The only time I can think of someone having a bore obstruction, we just cut a vine or twig, or broom sage and cleared it. It wasn't a big deal.

We are way too over OCD.

I sometimes tape, sometimes not. I tend to have a lot of other stuff to worry about than getting stuff down the barrel or injuring the crown. I'm damned careful about minding that end of the gun anyway. If I see that I forgot to tape, I don't fret about it.

I do protect the muzzles of my double guns when in a goose pit or duck blind because they stand upright most of the time and all kinds of crap can find it's way down the pipes. Cover of choice- condoms. (Gets a good laugh from my buddies too.)

In sniper school we had to shoot 100yds. with taped BBLS. Didn't effect accuracy. Used duct tape, and no, I didn't vote for that commie, toilet licking, SOB, democrap, ovomit!!!!

Obviously this is someone who requires close supervision.

Or a good spanking.

The wisdom of a guy who couldn't tell a push feed from a controlled feed action...

never taped one cause of rain or cold.....as i said they in general arent a worry of mine.....have had dirt get in a muzzle and the gun was in the pickup cause of muddy boots there was mud on the floor....standard practice out hunting when driving between walking spots is to wedge your gun between the seat and center console muzzle down.....couple real bumpy spots and one of the rifles happened to slip down and get shoved into some mud.....glad i noticed it and happened to have a cleaning kit in the truck.....

the tape helps keep stupid lil chit like that from happening and helps protect the crown....is it necessary? no but those that dont see the point likely dont hunt in places where footing can be iffy at best, dangerous at worst....rain isnt a concern other crap is.....

If you hit the end of the barrel hard enough to damage the crown, tape ain't gonna prevent it.

I guess it will keep stuff out of the bbl., but I'm still waiting on that bee...

protects it from the lil stuff that does the real damage to most crowns anyway.....

Pass the black electrical tape please....


The very first time you say "It ain't gonna happen to me" you'll be walking your arse back to camp with a tube full of chit..

Why would anyone NOT want to use it should be the real question.

No downside to taping, lots of downsides to not taping. That you don't at times suprises me none. As I've said before you ain't the brightest tool in the shed.

JohnMoses:

I've got a solution for you since you don't like tape and you are still waiting for that bee to go into your barrel...

Get a squeeze bottle of Sue Bee honey from the grocery and put a nice squirt of honey inside the end of your barrel. It'll keep the dirt and rain out of the rest of your barrel. And if you are patient you might be able to kill two or three bees at once. If the bees don't show, you might want to suck the honey out before you take your next shot. LOL

This could give new meaning to to term "a real sweet shooter".

(Disclaimer: Kids, don't try any of this at home, really).

Some folks bee stupider than others...............DJ

Dancing Bear has the answer. Exactly what I do.
Bear in Fairbanks

If you spiral the tape off the end of the barrel to a sharp point you will have a higher ballistic coefficient.

It will take experimentation to determine the best twist-rate for a particular weight bullet.

In heavy freezing-rain type conditions, which I will admit are rare but I have spent the day hunting in them... wouldn't a muzzle-taper have to worry about water getting in the bore from the breech end, being prevented from escaping by the tape, and freezing into a "plug"?

I guess for some people, in some conditions, falling and plugging a bore is a valid concern. Haven't felt the need myself but I won't argue that other's don't. But for RAIN, as the OP was asking, chit I hunt in the rain all day long, did it several times this last season.. the rifle gets soaked. I'm sure there was no end to the water that entered the breech of my gun and ran out the muzzle. No big deal.

In fact several deer I've shot, I clearly rememeber getting a facefull of droplets from the bolt/breech area when I fired the rifle!

Anyway. Won't argue that tape makes sense on some level but, on THAT level, so do service contracts on your phookin' new DVD player or AFLAC (insurance on your insurance) and generally speaking I don't play the game that way.

Why am I not surprised? You don't see lots of things that are obvious.

Had to go back to the trailer one year on opening morning because I took aq spill off a mule and mud ended up in the barrel. Another time I crawled 100 yards on my back, pushing myself headfirst through snow and sage and catus with my feet. I managed to keep the barrel clear of snow and debris until I sat upright to take a shot. Fortunately the bull was very patient, but I was lucky. Tape would have been an easy solution in both situations.

Also, I'm guessing you don['t get much freezing rain in Florida. Ice build up in our barrel will change you mind quickly.

We don't worry too much about ice build up. We'll leave that to you boys.

I suppose, I'm just more particular about where my muzzle is/goes. And yes, mine has seen the muddy pick up dog hunt days, in and out of a pick up with a rifle muzzle down in the floor. It's never been a problem and if it was, I'd just clean it out. No big deal. And yes, we do have lots of mud and clay here for some slippery footing and muddy boots. But I'm happy for you, that you have it all worked out.

Put a small blue party balloon over the muzzle. Red, yellow, orange, green, pink, etc will simply not work at all. Mostly I don't worry about it, but with a muzzle brake on my elk rifle, falling snow becomes an issue. Then I go to the blue balloon.

Red tape MUST be used in the Southern Hemisphere...

What's all that blue stuff on your sling?

Uh No. The breech end is pretty well sealed by the bolt and chambered round......................DJ

Blue's OK on the sling, but should never be used on the barrel

OK, got it.

Sealed against WATER!? All day in the rain? With gravity assisting it (I carry muzzle-down)?!

With all due respect... no WAY, hoser!

If you only knew a 1/10th of what you claim to know, you'd be a genius.

But you still don't get it. We have managed to kill hundreds of animals and not ruined our rifles. All this without the benefit of blue tape on sunny days...

If you feel the need to tape up the end of your rifle to keep from poking chit in it, be my guest. I don't have that problem.

Yep, saying the breech is sealed against moisture puts you in that group.

If it was, you wouldn't be able to chamber or eject a round Plato.

Lol. I think SH meant "brightest candle on the cake" or "sharpest tool on the shed" but mixed 'em up.

Has anyone mentioned that Modern Science has been showing that deer see blue well, and for that reason the close-quarters deer hunter might wanna go with a different color? Just innocently wondering.......

nothing in a deers environment that is blue is a threat to them.....they dont give a chit if somethings blue or not.....

JM fine if yah never ran into a problem but its only gonna take happening once for yah to wish yah did....

Ah, so, but since nothing is blue in the woods, it'll get you noticed, you see.... grin...

I'm just screwing around here. Not going down that road agin'.... lol....

I hunt taped, black electrical.

i tape the muzzle as soon after shooting or cleaning as practical. and it stays on 'till one or the other happens again.

Always used black electrical tape. Guess I'll have to switch to blue to fit in.

Heeeeeeey

Scotch 33+

hint.....flowers

You have to make sure the spiral twist of the tape matches the same twist of the BBL, else one screws up the gyroscopic motion of the projectile.

Nice to see I'm not the only one taping, guys make fun of me all the time 'round here for doing it.

FWIW, I use purple tape that my wife gets from work.

I learned to do that the hard way 3 years ago, shot, did not tape again, rain, blood, rusted crown...then cut off two inches to 22!

I prefer brown or green electrical tape depending...now if I had one of those high gloss Aborts I would not worry about taping as the trigger group would rust tight well before any barrel problems would occur..

RatherBHuntin;
I've found no difference in point of impact when using electrical tape on the muzzle.

Spurred on by a Campfire debate I experimented with blue and then green electric tape as well, which are now the standards that I use.

I've actually found that if it's even a bit sunny out, I can do a bore check for obstructions when using blue or green electrical tape, something I couldn't do when using black.

Hopefully that was some use to you. Good luck on your upcoming hunts.

Regards,
Dwayne

We aren't talking about scuba diving here. If you think that bolt lugs a properly fitted bolt face and 2+ inches of a brass gasket called a cartridge case don't do a better job of sealing rain water than an open hole at the other end you probably are stupid enough to have voted for Obama.

Hint, Hint, Try actually looking how different bolts seal up against the chamber. Bolt action rifle actions are designed to divert gas in case of a case rupture or primer piercing, you can't possibly think they don't help a bit to seal out running water do you?............................................DJ

Don't even bother explaining it to that dippshit.

+ 1 Calvin nails it again.

Well, first, there are plenty of guys who hunt without a round in the chamber, no? And to your point about how cartridges seal gas- cartridges expand and seal AFTER powder ignition. They obviously are not sealed to the chamber when just sitting in it unfired.

Next, if you think that stuff makes a water tight seal, I don't even know what to say here because, it doesn't! I'm not trying to be a jerk here but what you are saying simply isn't true. When I take cartridges out of my rifle- from the CHAMBER I mean- after hunting in the rain, they are soaked. The brass is wet, the bullet is wet, everything is wet.

I'll grant that a chambered cartridge and closed bolt are somewhat water RESISTANT but they absolutely, postively are not waterproof.

Maybe we hunt in different rain. Here it's often just this all-day drizzle that gradually soaks everything. Not a thunderstorm that blows through in an hour or whatever.

This is easy to test. Maybe tomorrow I'll test it. Or tonight even.

I wonder how folks chambers rust up after several days in the rain without being properly cleaned? I've seen it on taped and untaped muzzles.

You too, eh? I had a carpenter ant crawl into my muzzle one time--of course dad wouldn't let me shoot the sucker out. It bothered me the rest of the day that the damn ant was in MY gun........


Casey

Yeah, go ahead and test it. Blow down the barrel with the bolt closed and see how much air can escape when you put your finger over the back of the shroud to prevent air from passing through the bolt.. (assuming a 700)

Laffin',

He's trying to get jeff to suck on a rifle barrel.

You should have seen what I had typed up, but I decided he might actually try it with a round in the chamber..(grin)

I had to respond so he didn't go in there and do it.

LMAO.

Lol.

Be that at is may, it doesn't change the fact that I've pulled many a WET cartridge from rifle chambers... and the water didn't come in the muzzle end...

Maybe it's a non-issue, [bleep], I don't know. I was just asking if you muzzle-tapers had seen it happen, since I've seen water get at least far enough to wet the cartridge from base to tip...

Prove it Jeff. Prove water can get into a taped barrel with a closed, uncocked bolt.

Due to the climate here, I've always just bought stainless rifles with some sort of synthetic stock. Haven't had any real functional rust issues, though my Kimber does like to splotch up some.

My rifle just goes over by the woodstove when I come home wet. I cannot imagine trying to keep a blued/walnut rifle in good trim in these conditions. I am certain guys do it, but life is too damn short...

Cartridge in the chamber, or not?

Wait a sec, uncocked bolt? Nope.

It doesn't matter. Hot or cold.


BTW, what's your annual average rainfall in your area?

Just did your silly little air test.

There was air blowing like CRAZY out of the bolt lug area. Could feel it on my hand. As well as the gas safety vent hole (or whatever that's called).

This is stupid, your test is stupid. That is so far from being any kind of tight seal it's ridiculous.

I'll "prove" it if you insist. Tissue in the barrel or something like that. But then what? Not like you'll concede the point, and then I have to patch tissue out of my barrel.

Just stick a lil dab of blue permatex down there the nite before ... all is good

You did that with a cocked rifle? Dude.. Uncock it and try again..

I did it with both, and the cocked/uncocked thing is stupid, too. I hunt with a cocked rifle, so do most people.

Rem M7 with lapped lugs, BTW.

This is funny..


Jeff, you must have some pretty [bleep] rifles.

Dude... did you even try this little test of yours?

Just did it on another rifle. Rem700, stock. Air POURS out from around the lug area. Not to mention the gas vent hole, if you don't plug it (hint)...

That is, categorically, not a tight seal whatsoever.

Lol, is that your way of conceding?

What's your annual average rainfall? 50 inches?

And no, I don't have [bleep] rifles.

BTW, ALL of my SS Rifles seal the air nicely, including my titanium actions. But like I said, I don't have any [bleep] rifles..

Now what is that average annual rainfall that magically has made you the spokesmen for hunting in wet climates?

He probably tried it without an empty case in the chamber............DJ

Kimber does it too. Air air air.

Again are you doing it with an empty case in the chamber?..............DJ

Jeff, are you covering the back of the shroud with your thumb? Air will enter your bolt via the FP hole and exit out the back. Keep trying..

I make no claims on Kimber.

Focus Jeff.. Annual Rainfall?

My kimber offers no air resistance unless you put an empty case in the chamber, then you can't blow any air through it. Jeff must not be putting a case in the chamber.............dj

He'll get it figured out one of these decades..

Damn.. Got quiet. Sure hope Jeff didn't try it with a live round..

Lol. Well, I tried it on a M7, 2 M700's, and my Kimber and they were all gushers. Kind of stopped there because obviously, all I have are [bleep] rifles.

Airtight closed breech. Snork. You are killin' me here.

The Kimber gushed more air out of the lug/chamber mouth area but the M7 and 700's put out a bunch, too.

Air can gush out, water can certainly get in, if only obviously <g>.

Calvin: try again with damp fingers, you'll feel the air like crazy. And dude... the gas vent hole in the side of the reciever there... where does that go to... straight to...? Hint...?

Calvin said it didn't matter for his point if there was a case chambered. He and his buddies mostly hunt "cold" anyway... so it's not relevant here. He's saying no water can enter even without a case in the chamber.

Personally, I'd expect that the case will make a big difference; how could it not? It'll slow water down for sure. But for the love of God, guys... watertight? Really? REALLY!?

OK. I think I did that. Let me know if you disagree.

Method: dry tissue rolled into a little doobie-thing and pushed into the muzzle about 2". Bolt closed, chamber empty. Unpressurized water poured into bolt lug/chamber mouth area from above. Also made sure to hit the gas vent hole a bit. Towel in my left hand around outside of barrel to preclude water running down underside and somehow wicking back into tissue recessed into muzzle.

Note that position of firing pin (cocked/uncocked) is not relevant to what happens with water coming in from the loading port/breech area.

Result: Within seconds, and after less than a measured 1/4 cup (most of which ran into the sink via overflowing), water started dripping from the muzzle. That's AFTER it saturated the tissue. Picked some tissue out with a toothpick, had to push out the remaining tissue goo with a rod because it was so liquid.

Conclusion: water not only can and will enter through the breech, it does so very easily.

Did you learn something today, my slightly caustic brother to the north?

Furthermore: I would hypothesize that both muzzle tape and a cartridge in the chamber will slow but not by any means stop, the entry of water by this vector. Further testing is advised should Calvin et al be stupid enough to desire more punishment. Lol.

OK good test but I would think if you just submerge your rifle in the bathtub with a loaded cartridge and the barrel taped you should be able to find out for sure by drying the outside off removing the tape and inspecting the bore!! Someone needs to try this!!! But you must have a cartridge in the chamber..

Me, I would use a dummy loaded cartridge as the hole in the bathtub and subsequent police investigation would make the newspapers...

are you guys really blowing rifle barrels now? I am out...too much...

Jeff,

He is pulling your chain. He's gonna have you dumping acra-glass down your barrel in a little while.

While I agree that a chambered round helps prevent water from getting in, condensation from high humidity is enough to rust a chamber if it is constantly exposed to that type of weather.

Water resistent-yes, waterproof-no.

Jeff your test is complete BS without a case in the chamber........................DJ

Ya'll are trying to kill the poor boy.

Ya'll are trying to kill the poor boy.

I was wrong.. 118 and counting... LMAO..

You must have some really [bleep] rifles.. Try again.

BTW Jeff.. What's the annual rainfall in your parts? I must have missed it in your posts.

So how many people are blowing rifle barrels now? And that pix Jeff just posted was disgusting.

When it's raining here the deer aren't moving so we drink beer and watch football.

Was going to recommend fluorescent orange tape so deer will think it's a toy gun but that probably violates some regulation and you'd get the Federal Toy Police on your ass.

The Federal toy police do not [bleep] around.

They took ingwe's cap pistols last week...

I think Jeff needs to post a pic of how he is blowing on the barrel so Calvin can see if he is doing something different that would cause the rifle to fail the test. Maybe hold a thread by the shroud to demonstrate how air is coming thru.

JM

Blowing down barrels is getting a bit silly. Jeff is going to find out his "test" results are different when he does them with a case (empty please) in the chamber.

Really I think his arguement about a frozen plug in the barrel is pretty far fetched anyway. If it's raining it's not cold enough to freeze something inside the barrel. The only way it could possibly happen is if it rained hard and then turned colder but in that case your trigger and other internal parts of your gun are likely going to freeze before anything inside the barrel that somehow leaked past the case.


In any event I still think that muzzle taping is more important to prevent mud and/or other debris from entering the barrel than water. I've never had a problem with rain in an untaped barrel, but as mentioned before have seen issues with mud.....................................DJ

I've seen issues with mud, snow, debris from still hunting in dense bush, etc.

I couldn't stand it anymore, so I went and blew down the barrel of my T3 on an empty chamber and then again with an empty shell in the chamber. The first time a ton of air passed through. With an empty shell in the chamber it was completely air tight.

Lol. No way I'm posting that pic.

I proved to my satisfaction that water flat POURS through a closed bolt and into the barrel. Anyone can do what I did in about 2 minutes and see for themselves. This idea that an EMPTY breech is waterproof is ludicrous and I took the time to prove it. Now I have a wet rifle drying out by the woodstove for my troubles <grin>.

Tape on the muzzle would do squat to stop water at the breech, though a round in the chamber would slow things down considerably (I'd bet) but, as I already said, I've pulled many soaked rounds from my chambers at the end of a rainy day in the woods.... which dovetails exactly with what I already proved so I'm done proving this. It done been proved.

Calvin and his airtight breeches (snork, giggle) notwithstanding.

Jeff,

You sure the water that soaked your cartridges didn't enter from the muzzle?

What's that annual rainfall there Jeffy? I bet I get more rain in Oct, Nov, Dec than you get all year..

BTW, you aren't doing it right.. Keep trying.

shush now.. Don't let Dumbass Jeff O in on the "secret" of taping barrels.

Agree mostly, and well said.

Even with a round in the chamber I bet I could get water dripping from the muzzle in under 2 minutes though. Try it!

Did you read the little test with a T3 I just posted?

Yep. I hunt muzzle-down (IE, not slung) and don't use my muzzle as a prybar or chisel to get through the woods <g>.

I gotta go patch my roof, speaking of leaky chit, so I'm out of here... someone else, run the damn water test I did, plus one with a round chambered, would ya?

If everyone is skeered to wet their rifles, I'll run it later tonight, how's that....

I know this discussion has been about rifles but....................

Jeff, do own a shotgun?

Could you do the blow test on it - if you do?

And a rimfire also.

This is real world valuable info you just can't find anywhere else but here on the fire.

Thanx in advance. Keep us updated. Pics too please.

Ya, and was just in my room changing so I yarded the Kimber out of the safe and yes, it's much more airtight with a once-fired, not-resized case in the chamber. This is as I expected and predicted earlier. I'm mainly contesting Calvin's absurd statement that empty breeches are airtight.

Calvin: the answer is, "enough rain".

DJ: I have hunted one day where conditions were conducive to an ice plug. It was one of those crazy high-mountain weather days that went from warm, to rain and wet sloppy snow, to cold dry snow, and cold enough to make hard ice out of all the earlier rain water. I was seriously wondering if my rifle (Rem700) would fire as I was walking out. Considering all the ice in and on it. Could barely get it open back at the Jeep! So- I am pretty certain that a taped muzzle, empty-chamber, muzzle-down hunter would have had an ice plug that day.

So you've proved nothing. You haven't done the tests with an empty case in the chamber, two people have and the results are opposite of what you report. You probably have tried it with a case in the chamber but won't admit it because it shows that you are wrong.

Anyway plenty of people hunt without taping their muzzles, simple fact is not everyone is smart enough to. That you HAVE proven...........................DJ

Lol. Pick on Calvin. The "blow test" was his stupid idea.

Note that everyone who's tried it on an empty chamber reports exactly what I do. A gusher. Buncha [bleep] rifles out there.......... lol....

What's gotten into you? Sheesh. Now I'm a liar?!

I've proved to my satisfaction that water penetrates to, and wets, a chambered round in the field. Cause it does and has. I've seen it.

I disproved Calvins absurd assertion. That was my main goal.

I'm of the belief that a chambered round adds enormous water resistance, compared to an empty chamber, and probably enough resistance to render the point moot under most conditions. Happy? But I'll tell you right now, it's not water PROOF.

Baby pics?

Who gives a rats azz weather or not a chamber is water proof? Jist don't use BLUE TAPE

I assume this means that you probably did the "blow test" with a empty case in the chamber and saw that it did make things pretty much airtight.

If you go back and reread the posts, nobody ever said 100% waterproof the point was that as long as you aren't Scuba diving with your rifle the chamber is pretty well sealed from the back by the bolt and case - my point all along. And btw I used a fl sized, primed, ready to load powder and bullet case when I did my test, NOT a larger unsized round.

Sealing the muzzle with tape can make a difference, there are almost no negatives to doing so, the advantages far outweigh any disadvantages............................dj

You didn't disprove anything, other than you have [bleep] rifles.. Keep trying Jeff.

What's your annual rainfall Jeff? Come on now.. Don't be shy. Afraid you can't hang with the boys when it comes to rain?

The only thing JO has disproved is that even retards can type.

Calvin you are cracking me up. You managed to get Jeff doing blow jobs on his rifles. I'm crying.....

Still wish it were with a hot load.

I can see JO doing a blow job on his rifle all the time mumbling 'show me your load'

He needs to keep trying. He's not doing it right..(grin)

Bet he could deep throat a 'Long Tom'

I could just picture Jeff's wife walking in on him while he got a bbl in his mouth..

Baby pics? Nope.

But you were right the second time.

"I can see JO doing a blow job on his rifle all the time mumbling 'show me your load'"

some how them there chambers in them there remington 7400's rust real bad in the rain whilst them boys is a sittin there with a 30-06 shell clean up in the chamber.

Thinking 'Jesus please let him pull the trigger this time'

TFF.

TFF What a flashback.

Jeff,
It would help clear things up if you posted a pic of how you are blowing in the barrel.

I would do it, but my rifles are down in Tensas and Mississippi for the start of the season, so I can't.

JM

I don't care who it is, no one needs to be blowing a rifle barrel...a mistake and it would be faster than AIDS.

Got another crisp $20 bill says the barrel is Jet black.

I agree, he needs to blow in it, not on it.

See, that could be part of the problem, hence pics.

This test is in the name of science, unless his head starts bobbing up and down....

You guys are killing me!

Ok, I've had my fun for the week. Back to hunting.

Serious question here.

I have seen well kept rifles that were in wet, cold conditions get brought into warm hunting camps and develop considerable surface rust in the bbl and chamber overnight.

Several were shot the next day and we had to hammer the bolt open, then beat the round out with a thin cleaning rod.

I think the quick formation of that much rust may have been aided by some solvents being left in the chamber after cleaning, as neither gent used a chamber mop after cleaning their bbl's.

This was the only common denominator we found between the two guns, neither used a chamber mop after cleaning.

Anybody else seen this?

I don't bring them in if I ain't gonna wipe them down.

If I do, I've always ran some patches thru.

People started checking them after the 2nd one did it.

What gets me is some guns would come in wet and the chambers would be fine the next a.m., others would rust like the titanic by morning?

Just wondering if it was the steel, solvent remnants or what causing some to rust and others to be fine.

I'm late to this party, because I thought I've read it all here before.

I was wrong.

Lol... no way hoser <g>.

It was Calvin's stupid idea, and he's a "blower", and DJ and Jordan did the blow test too. All them post pics first, then I'll consider it. Lol.

Agree pretty much. With the disclaimer that rounds come out of my M7 wet from base to tip after an all-day drizzle.

More to the point, my point anyway, is how easy water gets in with an empty chamber. Do you agree?

I bet ol' Swampy has been blowing on his rifles all day. LOL.

This whole thing is silly... and I say that without even having toggled my ignores for a couple pages <grin>. Can only imagine what silliness they might be up to...

What will be interesting to see is if the sourdough empty-chamber muzzle taping crew admit they learned something here.... 'specially Calvin... guessing that's a big negatory... lol...

I run duct tape.

Haha! Learn something from YOU Jeff? Give me a break. Keep sticking those barrels in your mouth Jeff.

Hey.. What's that annual rainfall that you guys get? I'm still waiting for that one. I bet we'll get more rain tomorrow than you've ever hunting in... total!

If the cartridge sealed the chamber water tight it would be damn hard to chamber that cartridge.

I may do the experiment with a cartridge and water and so on tonight. Or not. Not sure what it proves anyway; I already know water gets into the chamber at a minimum...

Airtight empty chamber... that still cracks me the eff UP! Lol... Calvin, you could pressurize yours, put a valve on it somewhere, and use it to air up flat tires out in the bush!

Won't work with my [bleep] leaky rifles though. Oh well. Lol.

BTT because it works.

pack a little clay in the tip ...






Edited to add .... Don't really do this ... As I'm sure someone may try.

+1

I have been reading this forum for years, rarely post, but this made me pee my pants just a little....

Good Lord man, you're one of the first 100 members.

i just pull one of my condoms over the end of the barrel.


sure, it comes down past the recoil pad, but it works so?

I use mine for gun cases...

I feel sorry for all that don't get to use them for what they were made for.....

I don't have to worry bout condoms,tape or anything else...My hunting of 50 sum odd years tells me to stay inside high and dry Those Bambi's are thinkin the same thing most of the time !!!

When it's raining, it's blacktail killin' time...

I like carrying my rifle with the muzzle up.

I'm thinkin' those little umbrellas that you get in a poofy cocktail just might work out pretty good.

Yeah, that's the ticket.

This thread gave me a good chuckle.

Gawd - if I did that here in coastal BC I could only hunt from July 15 through Aug 15. Re: the muzzle tape. I'm an old throwback; I go with a naked muzzle. I know the advantages of tape, just can't stand the sight of a hunk of tape on the end of a pretty gun. I've tried regular black electrician's tape, but lookin' at it just bugs me.

Steelhead sized rubbers, or is that too flippant and glib ?

I just read through this, and can't really believe it.

Calvin? You are the king!!

"Blow on this duck call boy!"

Oh yeah...tape on my muzzles, all the time. When I shoot it goes back on.

Doesn't even seem to make much difference what colour the tape is, it just works.

I'm surprised no one has posted these.


http://www.natchezshooterssupply.co...0Barrel%20Cots%20Gun-Barrel%20Protectors

Cabelas has them too but link would not work.

Alan

John put some honey on the tip of the bullet. You might get a fly...

Jeff O
Remember your first blow job?

What did that taste like?



Calvin,classic!

Lol... I dunno JeffPP, how did it taste?

Jeebus, you guys are like children sometimes... lol...

Dude you got OWNED...
If you two were in prison,you'd be Calvin's bitch right now.

Lol, I missed it. Stopped toggling my ignores once it was clear that Calvin having been embarrassed by the facts, the "debate" was transitioning into the usual BS.

All this "gay" stuff seems to horn you guys up. Gives you something to get excited about. Glad you enjoyed it.

By the way... I own an air compressor... hint....

Lol.

Jeff, you really think any of that was about water in an action? At ANY point in the conversation?

Yea, the facts were that you were proven wrong and you kept refusing to admit you tried your "tests" with a round in the chamber because doing so proved you were wrong..................................DJ

Calvin talked you into giving your rifles a blow job and he is the embarrassed one? Right.....

I don't think it took any convincing

FWIW, I find it easier to us a balloon - preferably a purple one. Tape is for rednecks. lol

HEY!!

Rain snow,or sunny,I always tape the muzzle with Scotch 88.One strip across the muzzle,and it stays in place until the gun is fired.Cheap tapes will not stick well in cold weather.

Not sure if it's worth adding anything to this thread seeing where the page that opened has gone. However, I tape - with plain old cheap black tape, whatever's on hand. I've picked and blown snow out of too many barrels not to. I've also melted out solid plugs of ice on occasion. That ain't no treat considering what a heat sink a standard contour barrel can be. As for rain getting in, had that happen on taped barrels too. It's something to consider and be aware of if the barrel matters to you. I don't carry muzzle-down when there's liquid moisture flying around. Then again, I'm not one to carry with a plugged breach either, so fired, neck-sized, fl-sized, etc don't matter. Barrel obstructions do. Ringed barrels aren't much fun. Tape doesn't solve everything, but it eliminates a lot of trouble. Now I need to figure out a better way of cleaning the snow away from the port before the bolt is opened and allows a shower of chamber wedging crumbs from entering. (And that's one of the reasons I don't size my cases to near snug fit.)

In all honesty, I was very surprised at how EASILY water poured into the barrel of my rifle when I did that test the other day.

It made me seriously question the wisdom of carrying empty, taped, muzzle-down, and in freezing rain conditions. To end up with a barrel FULL of water, or ice, would be a pretty easy thing to accomplish.

Now, that's a lot of variables there that all have to come together simultaneously, I get that, but... just worth mentioning. Those actually are conditions I've hunting in once or twice though I carry "hot" and untaped, so it wasn't a concern.

I never did try a water test with a round in the chamber. I suspect that DJ is right- it'll seal it "good enough" to keep the vast majority of water out.

Only the Remingtons.

otherwise its like cheating on your wife......

Blowing barrels, taking guns into the bathtub, putting condoms on barrels, and to top it off - arguing about who gets the most rain ...


... this is one classy thread.
Think there's a Field & Stream article in here somehwere?

I'll leave that to you girls.

When it rains I go home. You can't track a deer in the swamp when it's raining. It rarely gets below freezing here. Sounds like being a Yankee sucks.

i saw several hundred head of speed goats, bout a hundred mule deer, handful of whitetail and a few elk in 2 days of hunting on public land.....[bleep] sucks to live up here let me tell you.....

I'll be out in my shirt sleeves in Nov, Dec, Jan,Feb. Thanksgiving outside under the oaks, what about you?

I'm looking out my family room windows watching deer right now. So far I have counted 6, in just these few minutes.

You should have rolled down the window and shot one.

There is a difference between hunting and shooting.

only things i shoot from the window are varmints.....my wife collected a good buck after a mile long sneak, i chose not to shoot a dink of a goat though i could have dropped an 8"er on the road and wasnt up to walking the hills after a mulie.....

It sounds like you had a great trip/outing. Congratulations.

it was....first week of the season i had clearance from teh surgeon to head out and hunt since going under the knife in Sept.....was just happy to be out in the hills again.....will get serious next year, just not gonna push it this year and wind up having to go under the knife again....

It is always great to get back in the woods. Good to hear you are doing well.

The zone where I do most all of my hunting, hasn't opened yet. We have split zones and seasons here.

I live almost on the line between zone c and d, where I live is in C, I hunt in D. So the ones out back would be "legal" as c is in season. I have yet to shoot one out the back. Last year I had 4 nice bucks out in the back at one time 3-8's and 1 wanna be eight. It was tempting.

Use a .358. Very likely no tracking, and if there is, .358 rolls out the red carpet for you.

Hate to give him credit Jeff, but it's just possible he was talking about tracking a deer and THEN shooting it when you catch up to it. Foreign concept these days it seems, still hunting...

Every professional guide I've seen in Alaska has tape on his muzzle. While some may not use tape, I've never seen one who does not.

Black tape is over the muzzle and just behind the barrel band sling swivel (not attached to the sling in this photo -- yes, Martha, I have 2 forward sling swivels).

Tape.....duh....(grin)

Blue tape.....because anything else is second best:

Oy, what have I done.... grin....

You blew it!................DJ

I'm LMAO.

No offense Jeff O, but you dug a deep deep hole on this subject.

Like several others, I use the same tape on rainy days that I use on snowy days, sunny days, dusty days, etc. I thought your question was going to be how to get tape to stick when the barrel is wet.

My current muzzle tape is Scotch 88 (or 808 ?) and it is an extra sticky black electrical tape. My progressiveness has not yet attained blue tape. I did a banana peel slip into muddy water over my head while stalking a moose a couple of years ago, and though it was not raining the tape on the muzzle paid for itself that day.

One other personal preference: I use minimal tape to minimize any influence it might have, though I have never detected any influence on bullet flight. An old wolfer first got me to using tape 25 years ago. He cut round spots of tape exactly to fit the crown of his rifle and stuck a half dozen or more on his butt pad or stock. My current ones are a spot with a small tail of tape on each side.

I use plain old electrical tape, I just make sure the muzzle is completely covered, then I tape over the ends of the tape in the opposite direction so it can't come loose from the barrel, I haven't had any problems yet, been doin' it that way for years. The gas blows the tape off the muzzle before the bullet exits the barrel so nothing to worry about there, and I've noticed no change in POA shooting from a taped muzzle whatsoever.

Great idea! Are those available in various calibers?

Has anyone tried electrical tape with a muzzleloader?


Thanks,


ddj

225 and counting... I wuz WAY off..

Yes, works the same..................DJ

I use 3M Electrical Tape...mainly because the backthrust grants a 50fps advantage.

Dumbschitt...............

wrap it with half a roll of duct tape and i bet yah gain 100fps.....

Yes.

I posted this in the muzzleloader forum.

Bottom line: In my testing with a hunting rifle and factory hunting ammo, I could detect no difference in accuracy or velocity either with or without tape.

Details:

Before I went on a hunt in October I conducted several tests with tape on and off the muzzle since the outfitter recommended I tape my muzzle. I conducted the tests with the rifle and ammo I intended to take on the hunt; these tests included velocity tests with a chronograph, and accuracy tests at 100 and 200 yards. The rifle I tested with was a Dakota 76 using Federal ammo with the 300g Barnes TSX bullet; note that I was testing with my hunting "rig," not a 1000 yard benchrest competition rifle. This rifle / ammo combo normally places 5-shots in just under 1" groups at 100 yards.

So with this rifle and ammo, I could detect no difference whatsoever in velocity or accuracy, shooting with or without black 3M electrical tape on the muzzle.

I tend to agree with people who say that the column of air in front of the bullet, when compressed and pushed through the bore upon firing, probably blows the tape off the muzzle before the bullet can touch the tape, regardless of how tightly the shooter wrapped the tape on the muzzle.

As a result I will probably put tape on my muzzle every time I go hunting, regardless of the weather.

While I may conduct the same test on a different rifle if I were to go long range prairie dog hunting, at this point I would not expect to see different results than I outlined above since I believe that it is the air column that blows off the tape, not the bullet.

Easy.I don't hunt in the rain.Hunting is suppose to be fun and having cold water run down my neck isn't. From my experience, animals don't like it either and tend to hole up until it stops.
I do tape the barrel though. Electricians tap. Keeps all the debris out and late season snow that may fall out of trees,etc.
And if you happen to stumble and the muzzle goes in the dirt, chances are the tape will keep it from going down the barrel.

I use band-aids from the first aid kit in my truck. You get 2 pieces from each one.

+1 on 3m Blue. It adds 200fps to the muzzle velocity, shrinks groups to MOA or better, and makes the hunter invisible to the game.


From 2010:





Seriously, while I used to use electrician's tape, I found that it didn't adhere well in cold weather. I use a patch just large enough to cover the muzzle and fold the corners down.

Nothing , I just keep the muzle pointed down as much as possible !

I never hesitate to hunt in the rain. But I've never bothered with any kind of tape.

+1 and I have never seen or noticed it other than on the net...

Jayco

It isn't just a guard against rain. I tape my muzzle whether it's wet or dry. And wrap a back up piece around the barrel a couple of inches below the muzzle. A mis-step, for instance, can end up with dirt in the barrel that can end your hunting day. A pennies worth of tape is cheap insurance.

Lol. This again.

I hunt in the rain all the time and have never taped. It ain't hardly necessary. Do keep in mind, if you carry empty chamber and muzzle-down the tape can actually trap water in the barrel.

For those who DO use their rifle as a prybar or chisel <grin> I can see the utility in taping to keep debris out. Dumbphuck that I am on this subject, I still manage to hunt hard in the rain and bluster without getting debris in my barrels but that's probably just dumb luck.

i've seen a few barrels that were shortened because of shooting them with snow or mud in the muzzle.

i use electrical tape on all rifles year 'round. always.

I got some of those little black "rubbers" for barrels and tried them. They are too fragile to be of any use; they tear easily, they won't stand up to any abuse/friction/rubbing at all and if the barrel isn't big enough the rubber falls off...
Story of my life...

Came out of an arroyo,crawling,for a crack at a hog pronghorn one time,after a rainy/snowy day....pushed the 270 ahead of me and in classic, putzy fashion, managed to slip a bit and jammed the muzzle in the mud.....no tape of course so I slid back down outa sight.....

A pal and I managed to whittles a sagebrush branch down to size and scoop the crud out of the end of the barrel.We made sure it was clean....

I bellied back out, got a solid prone rest over a clump of sage,and killed the buck at about 275 yards....ever since then I always roll a couple of turns of electric tape around the barrel.Don't always use it but it stays all season.

I've been taping since before (Al Gore invented) the internet. A friend who didn't, couldn't chamber a round due to snow dust which ended up against the bolt face and and his 300 consequently couldn't do what 300s are good at when the opportunity to kill a nice bull moose arrived. A few years later, I was in too much of a hurry to locate some tape. I also didn't leave the rifle outside to cool off well before taking off. The warm barrel trapped snow which melted just inside the muzzle and froze. I don't know how I would have gotten the solid plug of ice out of there if we hadn't had a warm muffler against which to lay the barrel in the cold wind. A lighter sure wouldn't have done any good. I was also glad it was a 670 Winchester, not some finely blued rifle I was carrying at the time.

This thread ain't never not funny!
<grin>

I use maxi-pads. They absorb well, and nobody ever laughs their butt off or gives me a ration of sh1t about it.

I run only Blue tape, avaiable at www.dontbestupid.com and find that my muzzle velocity gains are great. I gained over 250 FPS with my 30-06 so now I can shoot a 180 grn bullet at 3500 FPS with only the slighest pressure signs.

Do you prefer the ones with wings or no wings?

I'm not sure you can kill anything in the rain if you use a color other than blue.

It would be a shame for this thread to get lost....another Jeff_O classic....

Tape.

Trojan Magnum..... Pop taught me never to leave home without one....

Why tape your barrel?

To keep "stuff" out of the bore?

JEff

Silence is golden but duct tape is silver.

I just saw that on a bumper sticker today.

I cut the fingers off of surgical gloves to cover end of the barrel.

Bump you open muzzle across the carpet(home or truck) and get a light and look at the grains of sand stuck inside the barrel muzzle. If it's a rifle, i tape it.

Smelly or clean is the question-?

Gee, I hunt in rain all the time here...

never tape the barrel.. never have a problem..

just keep the barrel pointed down and don't stick it in the dirt...

I kind of rack this up to the same type of overkill as gunsmiths have told me for years... more people wear out a barrel constantly cleaning it than shooting it...

I have multiple rifles that I have replaced barrels on, that are chrome moly, but have never been blued.. yet I hunt with them in the rainy season...

to keep them from rusting? I just spray paint clear spray paint over them on the exposed and unexposed parts...everyone else always think they are stainless..

works just as well as putting wax on them or anything else...

just cover the metal surface and keep the interior of the barrel lightly oiled..

It ain't complicated, but some would like to make it so.

I ain't needed a seatbelt in 20 years, but that don't mean I should stop wearing one.

Tell me the downside to having a piece of tape across the muzzle.

Oregon is a good home for many, I do hope you boys get Sponknuts also, he seems to be a fine fit.

But you could if you learned how to drive..

The expense of tape?

Finger condom works great.

Amazon Buy page

Well, since Jeff wouldn't give his, I checked and the annual avg rainfall for my 'burg is 54". And it appears to run 5-6" less where I usually hunt.

I normally use a gun condom but when the local pharmacy is out of them I use blue electrical tape. 6" piece wrapped around the barrel approx 5 " from the end , this actually reduces barrel whip. I then wrap 3" long pieces 2" from the end and a single piece across the muzzle end.

I do not normally worry about rain. The only thing I have ever used is a foam ear plug in the end of the barrel.

someone should do a photo esay on how to correctly tape a ......

Bump for a barrel blowing classic.

Electrical tape. Blue 33.

Funny stuff. I run a tapcon down the muzzle coated with permatex rtv. Seals out all the water and I remove it at the end of the season. Too bad I haven't found anything to shoot at in the last 30 years, so I don't know if it hurts accuracy.

On my mini 14 I just take about 10 wraps of duct tape and leave the roll attached to the end of the barrel to improve harmonics. I can't tell if it helps because everyone knows you can't hit the broad side of a barn with a mini while standing inside the barn. I use camo duct tape for that tactical look.

Truthfully I did take a spill once and plugged the barrel of a 6mm with mud (no rod with me). Had to use 6mm twigs and river water to wash it out. I was wishing for some tape that day.

I use black electrical tape but I put extra pieces on the scope tube vs. the barrel.

Flave could use those on his stiff mini.