Keeping a barrel clean

[ThomC]

Got some small balloons and put in my pack. You need something to keep the little mesquite leaves out of the barrel.

[azmetalman]

I have used electric tape for many years. Never a problem with accuracy, pressure etc. in 3 different rifles. The compressed air and gas that exits the barrel ahead of the bullet pops a neat hole in the tape. To keep things clean with my .300 WM that has a muzzle brake I use a cheap party balloon and tape the bottom end to secure it. The only thing I don't like about the party balloons is they will tear if a an overhanging limb grabs the end of the barrel. This year I tried out an entirely different set up on my LR .300 WM. I purchased a Solo Hunter Rifle Cover and used it everyday during my Coues hunt this year. This is the answer for me. It keeps the rifle and optics free of dust, leaves and debris. The quality of the product is outstanding. The rifle is easy to carry with the cover is place and I will use it everyday on every trip from now on regardless of which rifle I am carrying. http://tinyurl.com/opfxbtu or http://www.fettsgear.com/products/solo-hunter-rifle-cover

[Whitesheep]

Electrical tape is the answer. Finger cots are too fragile from my experience. Pretty much all the guides in AK use electrical tape and carry extra around the barrel for replacements. There was an article in American Hunter a while back that did a range test on electrical tape and it had no impact on accuracy, point of aim or pressure. As azmetalman says, the air ahead of the bullet in the barrel pops the tape, not the bullet (think about it), so the presence of tape doesn't change a thing. No need to take it off before you shoot either. I suppose if your running F class the extra weight of the tape would change barrel harmonics and make a .01 MOA difference and possibly cause you to lose a match. However, the F class guys probably never stick their barrel in the mud crossing a arroyo or shoot when it is raining anyway so this is not likely a concern of theirs.