Barrel 'condoms'

MN Hunter

anyone have experience using barrel condoms (or any other method for preventing foreign matter from entering a rifle barrel)? I've seen them used on shockeys hunting show and have also heard mixed emotions about the effects on accuracy.

My idea would be to use something while wandering the Montana wilderness to prevent water, snow, limbs, sticks etc from entering the barrel, but am hesitant to put something on the end of the barrel. I know a scabbard attached to a pack is a obvious fix, this would be a plan B for myself.

Any thoughts, good bad or ugly would be appreciated.

JohnnyBGood

Black electrical tape is cheap and easy, and works. Should have zero effect on accuracy.

Johnny

11b6r

Another vote on the black tape. Just a bit across the muzzle, not wrapped down, but held just by the adhesive.

When a shot is fired, the air in the barrel ahead of the bullet is compressed, tape blows off before bullet gets there. No real effect on accuracy.

waltermoe

I used Saran Wrap once when it was raining. Just took a small piece and put over the muzzle and then used black tape to hold the wrap in place about two inches back of the muzzle, seemed to work alright.

Ray B

There are barrel balloons made specifically for barrels, but I find a packet of children's toy balloons work well- BUT it is important to only have them on the muzzle when you are outside and during the hunt. Take them off when out of danger so that the barrel can "breath". Keeping the cover on the muzzle will cause condensation in the bore. They work best if there is a front sight to help hold the balloon on. Electrician tape will hold it, but the tendency is to leave it on, which leads to problems as noted.

andrewsw16

+1 on tape. Cheap and efficient, a hard to beat combo.

Of course, there are always real condoms. Don't forget the scene in "Big Red One" where Lee Marvin reminds his squad to put on their muzzle covers before the amphibious assault.

Mobuck

I use a barrel cover all the time on centerfire rifles. Last fall I attended a business auction and bought a bag of "finger cots" for a pittance. They don't last more than a couple of weeks but keep the bugs, dust, and rain out of my everyday carry AR(extending over the vents of the flash hider). They didn't cost much and are easily replaced.
Hunting rifles get a swatch of electrical tape to prevent water, snow,bark, or whatever from entering.
I once found a mud dauber's nest in an old .308 I'd been carrying in the back window rack of the farm pickup. Would have been a disaster if fired that way.

Horse Plains Drifter

What Ray said, penny balloons.

sandwarrior

That tape don't work well at all in the Montana cold.

In my experience of hunting both Montana and Minnesota, I've found that Montana is way more open and you don't have hardly the brush/trees/general depris that can get into your barrel that Minnesota does. I simply would not worry about putting something over the end of my barrel to hunt there. I would bring along a cleaning kit with a rod long enough to run the length of your barrel. There are screw in jags that are hooked (made of brass, hey won't hurt your barrel) so they can run into something stuck in your barrel and pull it out. If you fall or go through brush that you suspect will leave something in your barrel, check it before shooting. If you can't get it out where you're at, then head back to camp/cabin and work on it there. Or, finish your day scouting and clear the rifle that night.

Hunting Minnesota where it's brushy, you pretty much don't move and hunt, you stay in a stand. Some may think it's "lazy" or "not really hunting" but they haven't tried to move in brush and trees that only allow 10-50 yds many times for visibility.

Again, I would not worry about it.

Mobuck

"That tape don't work well at all in the Montana cold."

I find that comment odd since Montana is where I learned the trick originally. Why do you think it won't work well?

Bill DeShivs

Finger cots.