keeping your rifle out of the snow

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fat but funky

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Hi Folks,

I'm hoping someone out there has a tip/trick they can share

Every once in a while during my hunts, I have to put the rifle down. I have equipped my hunting rifles with Harris bipods so that I can just deploy the legs and put it down on the ground while I do whatever it is I have to do (get something from my pack, set up my sitting spot, or just take a whiz, etc). The bipod legs keep the barrel and action out of the snow. I already use finger cots to keep snow out of the muzzle, but I just don't like the idea of getting snow inside the stock or inside the action. Nothing good can come of moisture in there.

The bipod works but it adds a lot of weight to the front of the gun, making off-hand shots a bit cumbersome.

Besides, I recently acquired an 1885 falling block, and the idea of putting a bipod on that rifle just seems wrong.

In the past I have tried to hang the rifle by its carry strap from a branch, but often there is no suitable branch nearby

Leaning the rifle against a tree seems unsafe - and again there often is no tree nearby

Anyone have a tip or trick to share? Is there such a thing as a "quick detach" bipod that doesn't utilize a rail of some sort?

Thanks in advance

Fat
 
If you have a cot over the muzzle leaning it against a tree or stump etc is safe provided it's unloaded or the bolt is lifted and to the rear a bit. I will do this if I need both hands or have to take a crap in the bush, or when I take my jacket off to crap I'll set my rifle down on my jacket.

The cot will stop any debris from the tree or bark pieces from falling down the barrel, otherwise if I need both hands I'll sling it over my shoulder and use the chest and waist straps to buckle it in securely. Usually when I need to climb over or up something, I don't think I'd add a bipod to a rifle I hunt with due to weight. It's in my hands 95% of the time and my sporter no4 isn't all that light to begin with lol.

I just bought a vickers sling for a couple hunting guns, they're super easy to adjust at a moments notice if you need length to sling it cross shoulder or over a pack.
 
All the above plus I can only think of a rifle backpack or a solo rifle cover0ac1b63b-2c15-4c20-8fe5-920ee78a6792_1.6d0bdd09b24a1e06163278661fbd9e3d.jpgSOLOHUNTERTAN_0.gif
 

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Tape the muzzle, jam the buttstock into the snow. It stays vertical, at least around here, in the crappy wet thick snow that we get. Plus it drains all the water out of the barrel and action that was in there from carrying muzzle down.
 
SKS - deploy bayonet, stick into snow/ground.

If it is real cold, I don't worry about snow. It will fall off rifle, without sticking or melting. I would not mind laying rifle down in cold snow, but would try to keep snow off the scope lens. My hat would make a wrap for the action/scope section.

If it is not real cold, I would stick rifle in snow, butt down.
 
Stomp or kick the snow down. Tape over the muzzle and I carry a segmented cleaning rod in my pack.
 
Go to a garden supply store and purchase three 1/2 " bamboo poles. (This should set you back about $8.) Cut them to 36" and wrap them with light chord at 32" (or whatever feels good for your height ). Viola, you have a portable tripod. Place a small bean bag at the center of the pod and you have a stable, movable, shooting platform. Want to keep your rifle out of the snow? Plant the tripod and hook the sling over the top of one of the bamboo rods. I have shot many coyotes with this rest and I am very happy with it. Sorry, I have no photo's available.
 
This is the first I'm hearing about taping the muzzle. I know that snow/dirt in the barrel can be a problem, but is accuracy not affected by the tape? I'm assuming it's not a significant amount of tape.
 
hessian_ said:
This is the first I'm hearing about taping the muzzle. I know that snow/dirt in the barrel can be a problem, but is accuracy not affected by the tape? I'm assuming it's not a significant amount of tape.
Click to expand...

According to my testing, electrical tape over the muzzle has no effect on accuracy. One layer over the muzzle held on with one wrap around the muzzle and snow, rain, twigs, dirt are all a non-issue. Lots of people do it all the time, and those expensive little condom things become irrelevant.
 
1. sling with muzzle up. Don't understand how people don't have slings on their guns. Its like carrying a handgun with no holster

2. lean on a tree or stump. If you gun is too fancy to lean against stuff take it back to the shooting bench and reconsider your life choices

3. If there is no snow or its packed snow just lay it down. Don't be an idiot and get snow or dirt stuffed down the muzzle. Electrical tape is a smart idea but not needed.
 
hessian_ said:
This is the first I'm hearing about taping the muzzle. I know that snow/dirt in the barrel can be a problem, but is accuracy not affected by the tape? I'm assuming it's not a significant amount of tape.
Click to expand...

I have been taping the muzzle of my rifles for 40 years. You take a strip of electrical tape about 3" long, and wrap it over the muzzle of the rifle.
Then take a second strip 4-5" long and wrap it around the barrel to make sure the first piece stays in place and to provide tape in case you
shoot the gun and need to replace the tape over the muzzle. It will NOT hurt the rifle, NOR the accuracy, since the tape is removed by air
pressure before the bullet reaches it. It is having something inside the barrel that will cause problems [snow, ice, etc] so the tape is just a great
way to make sure some undesirable thing is not in that muzzle. EE.
 
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