I use it. I think it is inexpensive insurance to prevent getting any debris in your muzzle if you take a spill and the muzzle goes into the snow or mud. Your hunt would be over if that happened and you didn't have any way to clear the barrel. It will not affect anything when the trigger is pulled. The bullet will never touch the tape because the air pressure in front of the bullet pushes the tape out of the way as it is going down the barrel.
I use black vinyl electrical tape. I cut two pieces about 6 inches long, and run one over the muzzle from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock, and the other piece from 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock. I then cut a longer piece and wrap it around the muzzle covering the ends of the other pieces. I tried using the barrel cots but they just weren't durable. They would get torn off when moving through brush.