Barrel Tape Question

rayporter

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Joined
Jul 3, 2014
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Location
arkansas or ohio
i tape rifles and shotguns when slug hunting.

and have carried weedeater line in a zip loc with some oiled patches and a piece of cloth soaked in oil to wipe down my rifle at night. i have seen a few guys that ignored wiping their rifle and got alot of rust.
 

jaredg

Lil-Rokslider
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Nov 19, 2017
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136
Location
N. Utah
I always have a suppressor attached. Instead of tape, I use an unlubricated condom (cue giggles) on the end of my can. The SiCo Omegas have a break at the end of their can. The rubber does a nice job of keeping stuff out of the break and can.
 

Shooter28

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Sep 20, 2020
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NJ
Tape wouldn’t stick to my barrel very well. I ended up cutting a finger off a rubber glove and rolling it on. Stayed on much better.
 

WCB

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Jun 12, 2019
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3,626
Tape wouldn’t stick to my barrel very well. I ended up cutting a finger off a rubber glove and rolling it on. Stayed on much better.
Were you just putting a piece of tape straight across the muzzle? If so try that than make two or 3 or 4 wraps around the barrel locking it on. Then you also have extra tape so if you do shoot you can take a wrap or two and re apply.
 

Flyrodr

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Oct 27, 2021
Messages
78
A friend used to use strapping tape about a half century ago. . . but then that was to hold the forend on his single barrel shotgun.

To those counting votes, maybe put this in the "Not Helpful" category.
 
Joined
Nov 20, 2021
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1,539
Electrical tape. One piece over the end extending down each side an inch or so. 2 or 3 wraps around the barrel to secure. Hunting deer and elk in the same season means you fill one tag, then you get to try to fill the other. Like was said above, the extra wraps around the barrel becomes the new tape to do it again.

Also, my brother has used a surgical glove finger over the end, as someone else mentioned.

I like the weed eater line idea, good score on a new item to have in the field next year.

As far as the condom over a suppressor... if it works, can't argue with success.
 
Joined
Nov 14, 2020
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I use the finger off of a disposal rubber glove and secure it with a rubber band. A rubber for my bang stick.😁
 

ZAK13

Lil-Rokslider
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Jan 23, 2022
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I use electrical tape, usually any color other than black. Actually a few years back a few friends and myself were hunting deer,( there was a few lever actions including mine), and it began to sleet and then snow, we hunted all day and when we got back to camp, mine was only one whose action didn't freeze up, I was also the only one with a taped muzzle. Make what you will of it, but that's what happened. As for tape on the barrel affecting accuracy, I haven't seen it. Maybe past 500 yards it might, but under the 500 yard mark, I just haven't seen it.
 

manitou1

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Mar 29, 2017
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Wyoming
I'd like to see that study. I've always been of the understanding that tape doesn't affect accuracy at all.
It has been a few years ago and was conducted and printed by viable sources, I just don't remember who compiled/composed it. Then again, I can hide my own Easter egss some days! 🥴😳
I too have read that it does not affect accuracy, but in this study, they actually shot at mid-range to long range and it actually affected accuracy significantly enough to convince me to quit using tape.
I went out and purchased a gun cover that is elasticised and protects the scope and rifle, and it pops off quickly. Stuffs into a small pocket in itself and is small enough to fit in a small coffee cup. I just keep it in an external pack pocket and deploy it as needed.
 

Freeride

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Feb 22, 2022
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I have never tested to see if affected accuracy, but my thoughts are...

If it's a long range shot where I need the most accuracy I have time to pull off the tape before I shoot.

If it's a quick shot and I don't have time to take off the tape it's probably close and being a little less accurate won't matter at short distances.
 
Joined
Aug 23, 2014
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oregon coast
i taped my barrel for a long time, don't anymore... certainly doesn't keep water out, and would keep debris out, but i don't see many scenario i could get crud in the barrel, even going through tons of wet brush considering how i carry them through the brush.... maybe it will bite me some day and i'll change my ways, but besides something really jammed in the barrel, i don't see it being a big issue, and i have now killed plenty of stuff and seem more killed in the pouring rain through the brush, with no tape on the barrel and no WTF moments from something being in the barrel.

if it actually kept water out, i would tape it, but it does little to keep water out if you are hunting in really wet conditions. i remember the year i quit doing it was the year i had a bunch of rust in my bolt after season and started paying attention after hunting in the rain, and there was always water everywhere in the barrel, chamber, and bolt
 

Macintosh

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Feb 17, 2018
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Northern new england most guys I know tape as well. Ive friends who had snow melt on their barrel in the sun, and drip liquid water into the bore and freeze there. Also snow from schwacking through brush gets in there. And, the inevitable ass over teakettle faceplant scrambling over wet leaves/sticks/rocks/ice with a few inches of snow for lube. it can be hard to keep the muzzle out of the dirt in those conditions, and this type of hunting a rifle cover isnt possible. Electrical tape seems to be more durable than the rubber glove tips, they seem to tear in brush for me.
 
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Nov 20, 2021
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Well, carrying a rifle at port arms in the timber And missing a slick root going uphill... it's something that if it hasn't happened to you, it will if you do it enough. Tape your barrel and you keep hunting, and open barrel you're going to have to clean it out.

So simple to tape up at the range, shoot a few rounds then shoot without the tape. I've done it many times, no poi issue. Air in the barrel pushed out in front of the bullet along with powder gas blows the tape off long before the bullet gets there.
 
Joined
Apr 5, 2021
Messages
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Location
Washington
i taped my barrel for a long time, don't anymore... certainly doesn't keep water out, and would keep debris out, but i don't see many scenario i could get crud in the barrel, even going through tons of wet brush considering how i carry them through the brush.... maybe it will bite me some day and i'll change my ways, but besides something really jammed in the barrel, i don't see it being a big issue, and i have now killed plenty of stuff and seem more killed in the pouring rain through the brush, with no tape on the barrel and no WTF moments from something being in the barrel.

if it actually kept water out, i would tape it, but it does little to keep water out if you are hunting in really wet conditions. i remember the year i quit doing it was the year i had a bunch of rust in my bolt after season and started paying attention after hunting in the rain, and there was always water everywhere in the barrel, chamber, and bolt

 

deadi

Lil-Rokslider
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May 14, 2014
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211
As stated many times already. Electrician tape stretched tight over the muzzle then 2 or 3 wraps around the barrel to keep it tight.
 
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Video looks like it's raining, if the barrel got some water in it... smaller bore/higher intensity cartridges would probably be more prone to this, IMO. Kinda like hydrolock in an engine. Liquid is not compressible and could spike pressure dramatically.
 
Joined
Apr 5, 2021
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483
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Washington
that's a little incomplete to draw any conclusions from, haha.... what caused that? i doubt a little piece of scotch tape would have changed the outcome of that video
Who knows, but I just happened to watch that a few minutes before reading your comment. Thought it was kind of funny.
 
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