Rifle in the Rain

[EmeraldBullet]

I'm not gonna let a little weather get in the way of my first hunt. Is there anything I should know about rifle care in the rain or after i'm hunting in this weather? There's no wood on my rifle (sig m716.) Thanks for all the help and suggestions.

[quadrafire]

Maybe put tape over the muzzle. And wipe
It down after your hunt!!

[follow maggie]

I have mine out in it all the time. Some cop w/ really fine steel wool on the metal, followed by a soft rag, and I don't have trouble with rust. You can cover the male with tape or balloon, if you want. I don't. I leave the wood stocked guns at home in this weather, though. The wood can absorb water, swell, etc.

[Turner89]

I'm pretty hard on my gun. I don't worry about scratching it or anything like that. It's a brush gun. I just dry it off when I get home.

[builtfordtough]

If your gun is wet when you get back to your rig let it ait dry. Don't seal it back in the case

[pianoman9701]

Unload the gun first and then put a condom over the muzzle. I know it works on M-16s! 

[Skyvalhunter]

I put electricians tape over the end of my barrel

[Dhoey07]

Dry it before you put it away!

[300rum]

Rem oil is a good oil to spray prior to taking it out.  Rem oil is very thin, a worthless lubricant for most situations but a quick spray before going out will help.

Focus on screws around the scope and mounts.  Also around the internal safety and such.

I once had a safety "freeze up" on me in way back in on a multi day backpack hunt due to rain and then the rust when it dried out.  I had to keep an empty chamber and use the bolt as a safety for the rest of the hunt.  Now I just spray a shot of Rem oil and I haven't had a problem.   

[Hilltop123]

Bikini scope covers, are a must for me in this kinda weather

[Stein]

The first step is to get a gun that can take the weather.  I have a stainless rifle with synthetic stock and a nice but not expensive scope.  Thus, I don't care if anything gets scratched or minor surface rust on the outside.  With that combo, I don't do anything in the field to protect it but do wipe it down and make sure it is inside to dry.  I have never had problem with rust on that rifle.

I have a smoke pole with a blued finish that starts rusting the second I buy my hunting license.  It doesn't matter what I do, I'm going to be spending some time working the rust out every time it goes out in the rain.

[follow maggie]

Stein, my Remington 1100 is like that. Beautiful gun, but man, the rust if it's wet!  That's why it doesn't go out much, anymore

[pianoman9701]

don't forget the Cat Crap - Op Drops Anti-Fog

[BigGoonTuna]

i don't know when it became unacceptable to use a blued rifle in this climate, nothing is more boring than a safe queen.  my favorite rifle has patina from the weather

[bosshogg112]

i don't know when it became unacceptable to use a blued rifle in this climate, nothing is more boring than a safe queen.  my favorite rifle has patina from the weather

[Eli346]

Pianoman, I didn't know condoms came that small.  I take a disposable rubber glove with me and just cut off one finger at a time until I use them up. They have a tendency to get pulled off in the brush and what not.

[pianoman9701]

Pianoman, I didn't know condoms came that small.  I take a disposable rubber glove with me and just cut off one finger at a time until I use them up. They have a tendency to get pulled off in the brush and what not.

I've heard that they do. Where's PlateauNDN when you need him? 

[PolarBear]

Just hunt and dry it off at night, simple. I hunt every storm that I can, have nothing but blued rifles (hate stainless) and in 40+ years have yet to have a gun rust on me. Just clean it well and you are good.

[Fl0und3rz]

I personally prefer stainless, sythetic stock, with a neoprene scope cover (quieter than bikini and flip covers).  That said, my FIL has an old rusty Win. 70 lightweight .270 Win that has taken more animals than I will see in my lifetime. 

But I will still take my stainless, because I don't like fretting about my rifle getting rusty.

[Bob33]

Growing up in an era when stainless steel and fiberglass were rarely used on guns, before the season I used to remove the action and coat the wood stock and metal with car wax, and lightly spray external metal parts with WD40. Add a strip of electrical tape on the muzzle, long enough that if I shot and needed to cover it again while hunting there was enough left. The key is to make sure the firearm is completely dry before storing it long-term. I never had any problems with rust or stock deterioration due to weather, and to this day hunt with some of those decades old firearms.

[Bango skank]

I put electricians tape over the end of my barrel

Get on amazon and search finger cots.  Work perfect, cheap as hell.  Basically finger sized condoms.

[Fl0und3rz]

And Birchwood Casey sells barrel cots.  Probably same thing, just marked up.

[JimmyHoffa]

For muzzleloader I've used tape or plastic bag.  Even use it sometimes with a muzzlebrake for needles/twigs/ice, but not for rain.  For unbraked modern, never messed with anything on the barrel unless it was freezing.

[EmeraldBullet]

i don't know when it became unacceptable to use a blued rifle in this climate, nothing is more boring than a safe queen.  my favorite rifle has patina from the weather

I'm not really concerned about the appearance of my rifle, I'm concerned with functionality.

Thank you for all the advice guys, helps a lot.

[Alpine Mojo]

Car wax and WD-40.  That's a blast from the past.  This new generation is nothing but p***y.  Guns aren't made of sugar, boys and girls.  Suck it up, put on a rain jacket and get out there and hunt like God intended you to.

[Dan-o]

Pianoman, I didn't know condoms came that small.  I take a disposable rubber glove with me and just cut off one finger at a time until I use them up. They have a tendency to get pulled off in the brush and what not.

I've heard that they do. Where's PlateauNDN when you need him? 

I just spit up on my keyboard.......     

#PlateauNDN

[Bofire]

even if you used a "muzzle up" sling in a down pour, how much water would go down the muzzle? If it did when you got into shooting  position how much water would still be in there?
Carl

[TheHunt]

I just clean it daily after every adventure.  I cover it with Rem Oil and I never had a problem.  Just get out there an get after it. 

NOW if you are taking 1000 yard shots.  I have read that a bead of water in the barrel will reduce your accuracy.