Hunting in Rain/Snow
 

Guys,

I have a new Accura V2 and am don't want to mess it up by hunting in the snow/rain. I hunted in the snow last weekend with it BUT I carried the soft case with me to the tree and didn't take it out as I didn't see anything I wanted to shoot. We have rain coming and I don't want to take the case all the time to the tree.

Can I just wrap plastic cling wrap around the muzzle end and then do I have to take the forearm off and wipe it down completely when I am done hunting? It does have a SS barrell.

Thanks,
HOOSIER

Wrapping cling wrap, a piece of electrical tape over the muzzle, a muzzle mit, all help in keep moisture out of the barrel and compromising the charge. Also, keep the end of the muzzle down as much as possible.

If you walk in the rain with the rifle, at the end of they day, due to the conditions you were in, I would shoot it off. Then when you get home, take the barrel off, and clean the entire rifle. You will be nice and ready for the next day. And perhaps hope for better weather. Good luck to you.

They have barrel rubbers to cover it, but i'm too cheap to buy those. I just use Saran Wrap and a rubber band.

And what was your plan for the shooter that appeared for 10 seconds and vanished? "Ziiiiiiiiiiiiiiip, bang!"? :confused2:

You were right to be unsure of what do to with BP in rain/snow but just keeping the muzzle slightly down once you got to your stand would have been fine. Not sure how you would have had time to get it out of your case had you seen something you wanted to shoot, not to mention all the movement that would have created.

I'm sure you're seen those long/narrow/thin plastic bags many retail stores have on a rack at the door, and which are intended for wet umbrellas. Grab a few of those. One over the gun from the muzzle end and one from the butt end will keep your gun dry when carrying it in a hard rain. And the bags take up very little room in your pocket.

LOL Well that's a darn good question. I didn't say I kept it zipped. It was totaqlly unzipped and just folded over the gun with my hand on it. The case stayed in my lap and I had really good cover.

This weekend it's supposed to rain but I am taking it with the muzzle covered in Saran and a rubber band and I am hunting. I will take it apart and clean it up when I am done.

Ah yes Semi - always thinking.

As yes, you were also bronko. Something I have come to find that works and I am amazed not more people try is rubber surgical gloves. I use them all the time and you have 5 covers from 1 glove!!! Cut it off at the palm area. stretch and slip over and away ya go!!! My wife is a nurse and we are always finding them in the washer or dryer!!! That and an extra pr in your pocket/backpack is never even noticed as well. That and will aid in keeping your hands clean in the cleaning process afterwards.

I'm not fond of shooting through rubber. I'm not sure if it affects accuracy. I seem to remember someone testing that, and the POI changed.

Saran Wrap is way too thin to affect the POI. I've tested that.

Whatever you stick on the muzzle is likely long gone by the time the bullet gets there.

That's true. But there's a long column of air between the bullet and the muzzle protector which is compressed as the bullet moves forward, blowing any muzzle protector to smithereens long before the bullet gets to the muzzle.

It still effecting the POI. I believe Jon did the test with those Muzzle Cots. (rubber)

I don't believe it.

In my experience, the muzzle cots have no impact to POI. I don't hunt a lot in the rain but that's what I always use. One pack has lasted me several years.

i use Traditions "rain gear". The little pink thingy waterproofs the #11 cap.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/produ...n-gear?a=56813

Really. You didn't say that when the test was made.



http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/blac...-bore-cot.html

I did once test finger cots on a rifle that had no front sight to see if they made a difference in accuracy. I found no difference. But I was only shooting out to 75 yards with my White M97 in .451. I was shooting 80 grains of 2f T 7 and a 460 grain conical. I did find finger cots that looked to be still in tact. Why I am guessing the pressure of the air moving simply blew them off the muzzle.

A finger cot to those that do not know is a rubber bandage you can purchase at a pharmacy. Its used to roll over your finger, keeping dirt and grim out of cuts to the finger. They work real good. But in rifle, if you have a front sight, sometimes they tear, sometimes they don't.

The bullet doesn't need to touch the cot to affect accuracy.

For the same reason the bullet doesn't need to touch a QLA bored off center to affect accuracy.

My suggestion is.... hunt from a blind!

BPS

I hunt in the SE part of Al. It often rains during our special 5 days of ML I hunted last week during the rain as a matter of fact. I don't try to keep my rifles out of the rain. I use the fingers of "surgical" gloves or a balloon strectched over the muzzle. I have had no misfires. Also I have test fired my ML's (Savage 10 ML and CVA 50 Cal. Optima ) at the range to satisfy myself that there is no adverse effect of ahving the covers on the muzzle. I have found zero effect on accuracy or drop out as far as my shooting range goes .... 150 yards.

I simply wipe down my rifles when I get back in to camp and will clean them thoroughly when I get back in after taking a shot (s). I have had zero rust issues.

Well, the POI changed when I tested it. So, that's two to two saying different results.

However, only one is showing the results on a target. I guess the best thing is to test this on your own gun to see how it comes out.

I know I went to the Saran Wrap, because it didn't affect the POI, but rubber did.

One of those was Jon and most don't really trust anything he says so that doesn't help your case.

The short is, just like everything else in muzzleloading, the hunter/shooter should test if for themselves and should have confidence with the tools they are using.

I know Jon better than all of you. His tests are honest.

Plus, I believe my own test too. Although I only tested one gun.

The first hunt I used my mk85 on it rained for 5 days. When I got home I had quite a bit of rust on barrel where the stock covered it. From that point on I have used Birchwood-casy sheath on all the metal of my gun. I do not run it down the barrel but everywhere else. Since that first hunt I have zero rust on nmy gun. Sheath is now called Barricade. Its works so well that I have no fear at all that weather will negatively affect my gun again. The inside of my barrel gets a light oil patch after a cleaning. Before I go hunting I will fire one cap against a patch, and then run one clean patch down. My barrel on the inside almosts looks new.

I have no change in POI from my rifle when using one of the fingers off a pair of surgical gloves. The muzzle brake requires that I use the full length of the finger. Its like it isn't even there and I've tested at much longer ranges than most will ever test....

agreed. as for keeping the firearm in good condition i'm not sure i've ever considered trying to keep any of mine protected in any way aside from cleaning it well after use and storing it properly.

Well said JohnnyHildo,

I don't worry so much about my guns getting wet because if they do, I strip, dry and then clean them meticulously when I get home after the hunt. Our late ML season can be nasty at times. Here in northern PA during our late ML season (which is flintlock only), most of the time we deal with snow. But, I've seen many times when we've had rain showers that change to sleet/freezing rain or wet snow over the course of several hours. I've lost several opportunities to take a shot over the years because I just couldn't get my sights cleared of those big wet heavy snowflakes in time to take the shot when a deer presented itself.

BPS

Always remove whatever you put over the end of your gun at the end of the day and dry/treat with a rust inhibitor, even if it didn't rain. Moisture collects/condenses under the plastic/rubber and will cause a rust spot on the end of your barrel if left too long.

A condom held by a rubber band works great.

maybe an "extra small" sized condom would work better for you.
a person couldn't pay me enough to walk into a drugstore to buy those tho assuming they even exist lol.

So do fingers off of the doctor office gloves. Them and a small rubber band. For the gun that is...:D

That's gotta hurt.