I used to have the same question you did.But after watching a
Black Powder hunting video with Dave Embry he was using a T/C
flintlock muzzleloader while deerhunting.So before it started raining
he pulled out a cheap plastic padded zip up gun case.So he went to
his deer stand and set up.As he set there a big buck appeared a few
hours later.He had left the gun case unzipped and all he did was simply
slide the gun out and send a .50 caliber round ball right at that big buck
and dropped him in his tracks.So if I am going hunting I will just fold over
the plastic gun case and put it in my back pack in case it might rain.If
it does just pull it out and slide my gun inside leaving unzipped in the back
and ready for that buck when he appears.I know it works for me.I hope
this helps you out as I know it works and no tape is needed.Plus a plastic
gun case is cheap!Hope this might help somebody.Take Care! Mike

Finger Cots can be purchased in any Pharmacy department. They are a plastic/latex cover for finger when you cut the finger and need to keep the wound clean. You just roll that over the end of the finger, the same as you do your barrel. Get the extra Large. They do stretch a little but the Extra Large finger cots just seem to work better.

I get mine at Wal Mart.

Always use masking tape to cover my muzzle on all big game rifles.To keep out snow and foreign objects.I don't care for electrician tape as it is too thick[worse in the cold]to work with.I leave a small roll of masking tape in the glove box of my truck for such purposes.I'm in Alberta Canada so if you don't like the weather just wait 5 min and it will change.I also wrap muzzle brakes for the same reason and it just vapourizes upon ignition .338 Win Mag Magna-ported...................seen lots of wrecked guns at the gunsmiths RE:snow/mud/barrel obstructions...My 2 cents worth...........Harold no reason you couldn't use a small piece of Saran wrap and an elastic to cover the end of your .50 or .54 I'm going to

blackheel

Tape certainly works, finger cots available at a drug store work, but there is another ML product available - ML rain Gear...



http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&a mp;langId=-1&partNumber=19942&hvarTarget=search&c mCat=SearchResults

The rubber is a little thicker and holds up a littel better than finger cots - but they are a lot more expensive....

I have never had a real problem keeping these on the barrel, but it is possible for them to come off or get punctured....

I always used the black tape as well.

I keep the barrel pointed down when its raining/snowing.