Why You Should Tape Your Muzzle

Does tape on your barrel affect accuracy?
Some hunters tape their barrels to keep them clean from dust and moisture while on the hunt. But what effect, if any, does that have on the point of impact? We test to find out.

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[tsoliot]

Careful, AFT might consider this a sound suppression device

[rhines]

The ATF watched this saying" he just made a 2 inch silencer wrapping the muzzlebreak with tape." Even though im joking and this method has been used for years.

[zh]

I prefer painter’s tape. It’s very moisture resistant and easier to apply and remove, no sticky residue and much easier for the bullet/barrel pressure to perforate.

[robgrey]

Came to the same conclusion many years ago, through the same process, with several different rifles. I hunt elk in the snow a lot here in Wyoming, and knew a guy who plugged his barrel with snow and blew up his rifle. Nice to see a concise video demonstrating this.

[derbemobile]

Black tape is scarier than painters tape and may be considered assault tape 😀

[ericrumpel]

Father did this since his Korean War Days & introduced this to me nearly 55 years is such overlooked, but, such valuable/priceless info. - good of you to share !!

[Sgt_Potato_]

When I was in the field, we always knew even if we didn't shoot any blanks or head to the range we would still have to clean our weapons before turning them in, so I always brought these things called "finger cots" that I would use when I built computers. The whole name is "dissipative finger cots", and they are typically used on your fingers to prevent electrical discharge from your body to sensitive electronic components. They are black latex, so they don't stand out. They work like a miniature condom, so they are absolutely perfect for an a2 flash hider or many other similar muzzle devices, so it's the perfect way to shield the barrel without having to bring a roll of tape around with you.

I don't think they'd work on a barrel without a flash hider, but they might, depending on the barrel size. If you want a simpler way to plug your barrel, check them out.

[smcinerney]

When working for an outfitter in Alaska every guide had their muzzle taped & recommended the clients do the same. Not only to keep water out but debris as well... hiking/ climbing through the alders were nightmare & always getting hung up on or breaking off....never an issue when it came to firing. To ease the client's mind when sighting in their firearms after the trip up would tape the muzzle last shot to show it didn't interfere with the firearm or trajectory of the round

[biggs]

I experimented with taping my muzzle before last hunting season, but I wasn't completely sold on the idea that it would not effect impacts at distance. I hunt with a suppressor, and I can say for sure that the bullet actually penetrates the tape before it is expelled from the suppressor. Every piece of tape ended up with a bullet hole in it. I noticed a slight POI shift at 100 yards but really didn't spend enough time messing with it. I think it deserves some more experimentation.

[michaeldaltonsr]

I have muzzle-loader hunted for 50+ years. I learned 35 yr ago to use tape/balloons/plastic sandwich bread bags/then finger-cots( best). But good to see sharing is caring.

[yellowdogjb]

Years ago, I read an article by Robert Ruark, Peter Hathaway Capstick, or someone like them, that said in Africa they tape their rifle muzzles because there's a mud dauber wasp that likes to build nests in the barrels. The wasps put enough mud in the barrel to cause some rifles to explode when fired.

[jacobwick]

I’ve done this on every deployment that I’ve been on in my career as a marine. It helps a lot too that you don’t have to clean your barrel at the end of the deployment

[namvet_e]

When I served in VietNam in an artillery battery, we usually taped our rifle muzzles with masking tape, just to keep the bore clean. We usually only carried our rifles when we were travelling (there were a few exceptions). I believe the air expelled from the bore will remove the tape before the bullet gets near the muzzle.

[robertnoonan]

If you have any old ex-military rifles, the best way to keep the rain out of them is to fit a condom over the muzzle. The bayonet lug doubles as a convenient hook for the rim of the condom and by twisting a finger in the rim it gives it a bit of tension so it doesn't fall off. First shot will punch through with no effect on accuracy. Best to use unlubricated condoms as the lubricated ones have a water-based lubricant which will accelerate any corrosion. Old soldier's trick. Greetings from Australia.

[mattfleming]

A method that I've had some success with is a foam earplug, with the bottom 1/4 or so being in the actual barrel. This works great on a1, a2, and other birdcage and pronged flash hiders. I havent noticed deviation out to 150yd in situ (east coast problems) but will to test it at longer ranges now. I always assumed there would be some deviation, but it was not enough for the deer to notice.

[UponGiantsShoulders]

You could probably blow the tape off with a standard compressor PSI, ie 20-60 psi. That rifle through normal operation has that going down ahead of the bullet in a tiny fraction of a second long before even the full build up of pressure, ~50-60K psi, from the completion of the burn cycle and the exit of the bullet.

[jamezz]

Great video.
I did this extensively for decades in the wet western climate of Oregon and never had an issue.
I was always amused by fellow hunters who would try to argue everything from poor accuracy to “you’ll blow your barrel up” 😂
Well I’d say, I guess I’ve just been lucky all these years.

[Steve-uwoy]

We always just used a small balloon. Water balloons are cheap, you can put a few in your pocket and sometimes you can even find them in camo colors.

[JohnDoe-lxdt]

Watching the shockwave as the round travels is cinematic beauty.

[hekkenschutz]

It sounds like great advice but next week the ATF will call this a suppressor 😅