Caribou Gear

Tape on the end of the barrel

LopeHunter said:
Come out West and hike up an avalanche chute then with your lungs burning at altitude and your quad muscles twitching you can transition onto the alpine tundra slick as snot from a recent frost. If at that moment of reflection as you are tumbling down the incline you open up to learning new techniques, is best to apply the tape prior to your barrel being damp.

I think flatlander hunting where you return to a warm bed that night to flip on the tv and pull out your cleaning kit is not the norm out West where often you are returning to camp after dark to try and get some grub in your belly and a few hours sleep prior to the next morning. A thorough cleaning is a dream and means a bit less sleep and more things to pack on your back to base camp.
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If I am tumbling down and incline as you say I would worry less about stuff getting into my barrel at that point. I guess I should have said for how I hunt I don't see the need for tape.

Ok if I go out west I will think about putting tape on the end of my barrel, but I am pretty sure if I go out west I am going to be carrying a bow.
 
I don't think you have a clear concept of what's going on over here. There's no way you can keep your barrel "UP" all the time hunting here. If your a road hunter, or stand hunter you might not need the protection, but going off trail, (like most elk hunters do) in Nov. your going to fill the end of your rifle with snow, water, and debris.
 
shoots-straight said:
I don't think you have a clear concept of what's going on over here. There's no way you can keep your barrel "UP" all the time hunting here. If your a road hunter, or stand hunter you might not need the protection, but going off trail, (like most elk hunters do) in Nov. your going to fill the end of your rifle with snow, water, and debris.
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For the record I have elk hunted in the mountains and it snowed a day or two. While not mountains where I deer hunt in WI with a rifle it is not flat by any means. I have hunted in snow, rain and all the other garbage. My guess is I may or may not have gotten some debri in my barrel, it at this point hasn't once made my gun not go boom.

I guess if I was hunting out west and felt like a bunch of crap was going to get in my barrel I would think about it. I am guessing not everyone on here covers up there barrel when hunting.

If you feel the need great but like I said for how I have hunted before I haven't seen the need. A rifle barrel is pretty small. I have seen some bad stuff happen on shotguns but typically you are shooting enough that tape isn't going to work. I had a buddy fall and didn't realize he plugged his barrel. A rooster got up, he shot and blew the side of his barrel off, he got lucky.
 
Jeez. It's a matter of personal choice. I've hunted in Montana my whole life, and in Idaho and Nevada a few times. I've never taped my barrel. Probly should, just don't. Most of my friends do. Makes no difference to me one way or the other. mtmuley
 
All you need is enough tape to cover the bore, your bullet with go right thru it. If your on a horse hunt this is a must. Your scabert will become a catch all!
 
Defiantly tape. I also use one strip black electrical tape over end then wrap that piece with one more around the barrel to hold it in place. You will eventually have a plugged barrel if you don't. Plus if you run a brake it keeps all the dirt out.

Cheap insurance and no effect on accuracy. Been shooting game with a taped barrel for 20 years.
 
One more for taping the barrel. I have plugged up my barrel before. You can't fill a freezer that way.

This is one of those an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure things.
 
I bought one of those Solo Hunter thingies to cover the gun.

I think I like this option better than tape, but to each their own.
 
Three quick points.

I have bulged a barrel while out hunting. Years ago I took a shot at a deer and never hit it with a 7mm mag. sure enough an inch from the muzzle i had a bulge. Had a gunsmith trim it back two inches and the gun would shoot decent again. So it does happen.

I shoot 300meter and 1000yrd competitions across three states. I took my best bench rest rifle and tested the accuracy with a single and doubled up piece of tape with absolutely no effects. So with that I'm sold. probably the cheapest insurance a guy can buy. Even when we hunt deer on our own property I tape up all the barrels my family carries. No one is exempt from tripping in the woods in the dark.

When I'm out of town hunting and not at home, I carry a bore snake in my pack. They weigh next to nothing, and if for some reason the tape doesn't hold up or maybe you took a shot earlier in the day and now suspect debris in the barrel, a quick swipe with the bore snake will fix that. Instead of having to head back early because of confirmed debris in the barrel, your back in action.
 
Now you guys got me thinking about trying it. I'm a little nervous to because I was always taught not to obstruct the barrel.
 
I do it when I'm "west" and here in the tame ol' Hoosier state as well. Cheap, easy insurance.
 
ATbuckhunter said:
Now you guys got me thinking about trying it. I'm a little nervous to because I was always taught not to obstruct the barrel.
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You aren't obstructing the bore, only covering the outside. I use two pieces of electrical tape, one side to side over the muzzle, the other top to bottom over the muzzle. I then wrap another piece around the ends of those pieces (about two inches from the end of the barrel) to keep the ends secure.
 
I used to use a balloon years ago until I put my barrel in the ground, balloon ripped and I got dirt stuffed in the end. Black electrical tape for me now, I have shot at the range with it and accuracy is unchanged.
 
nlar said:
I used to use a balloon years ago until I put my barrel in the ground, balloon ripped and I got dirt stuffed in the end. Black electrical tape for me now, I have shot at the range with it and accuracy is unchanged.
Click to expand...

That's a good point. I was thinking about using a balloon until you mentioned this.
 
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