keeping rain out of barrel

[Good Keen Man]

over the weekend I was hunting in the rain and as a caution had stuck a piece of masking tape over the end of the barrel to keep water and other muck out of the barrel. My first shot was a clean miss but my second shot was a heart shot.

Does the masking tape stuff up the accuracy or not?

[Cookiemann]

I don't know if its true, but I have heard that guys like the Rangers and the Seals use a condom held on with a rubber band.  Sounds strange, I know, but it would work and there would be no "tape residue" and it would not harm the finish on the barrel.  Come to think of it, I guess I saw that on a movie.  LOL  IT WOULD WORK!

[BnSC]

We've always used scotch tape over the end of the barrel w/ no problems in accuracy.. also seen guys use a small balloon in lieu of a condom..

[Haywire Haywood]

Or those "finger condoms" as we call them, found in our first aid kit where I used to work.  Small balloons should work great.  

Personally, I'm a wussie and don't hunt in the rain.

Ian

[Lone Star]

I've tested accuracy with tape over the muzzle:  non-elastic tape is no problem as new gas blows it off prior to the bullet getting there.  Masking tape had no accuracy issues - but it leaves a sticy residue.  I haven't used condoms or balloons but I suspect they may just fill with gas and not break by the time the bullet arrives.   This leaves the potential for a miss, but I haven't tested this so I do not know for certain.  It is so easy to test at the range I wonder why the question keeps coming up.  

I very much doubt that the miss was caused by the masking tape.  I've been known to miss the first shot too on occasion.   :wink:

[quickdtoo]

After shooting at a spike bull elk in the 1970s with a barrel apparently plugged with snow that I didn't know about, I've been sealing the bore with duct tape. I've used it on every rifle I've ever hunted with in snow or even rain when hunting with a muzzleloader. The muzzleloaders get shot daily in bad weather, and they never miss the mark. I've shot a lot elk and deer with the tape on the muzzle and have never used more than one shot for any of those animals. If it affects bullet POI, it sure isn't enough to notice or worry about. As as been mentioned, the finger cots work too, particularly on muzzleloaders, but I've never seen them in a dark color appropriate for displaying on the end of a muzzle!! :oops:

Tim

btw, the snow plugged barrel blew the front sight off, leaving a walnut in that location, the rifle became a carbine! The only thing I can figure out is some snow got in their from an overhanging branch and froze.

[Cottonwood]

Find a dollar store and pic up a bag of balloons, the kind you use for a water balloon fight.

Some sporting goods stores have these in all black color as well  

[t3shooter]

yup, balloon snug over the end of the barrel is the way to go.  Cheap, effective, harmless.