Plugged Firearm Barrel?

[airedale]

One night hunting Coon me and a hunting partner were slogging through a swamp toward our Hounds that were treeing loud and clear that they had put up a Coon. My buddy who was ahead of me stepped into a mudhole and went down ass over teakettle and in the process the 22 rifle he was carrying got the barrel full of mud. We had nothing with us to clean the barrel so there would be no shooting when we got to the dogs and the treed Coon. All was not lost as back in those days I was pretty knarly and could make a monkey proud when it came to climbing trees. So I went up the tree and shook the Coon out and my Airedale took care of the rest. 

Valuable lesson was learned, When hunting in the field have something on your body to clean a plugged barrel! For years I carried a boresnake in my pocket and while I never had to use it better to be safe than sorry. So recently I was shown by a friend a better solution for an in the field cleaning. A little packable cleaning rod called the "Rapid Rod".

I liked it so much I picked one up and now carry it in my little waist pack that is on my belt. I want to make clear this rod is flimsy compared to a regular cleaning rod and is made for emergencies while hunting not regular firearm cleaning, but that being said if there is an occasion where I would have to remove a barrel obstruction I have no doubt it will work and like the package sez "it can save your hunt".

Al

[DirtTime]

I've had mud clog the muzzle a couple times on shotguns. A stick always worked just fine to push it out. I do keep a cleaning kit in the ML bag though.

[Bigfoot 327]

I knew a guy in high school that fired his Ithaca Deerslayer with snow in the barrel. I wasn't with him when he did it, but I saw the results. End of his barrel liked just like a trumpet!

[Moho81]

I've been lucky enough to only go ass over teakettle in deep snow so a quick disassemble, cleaning and reassemble was easy enough. 

[Dinsdale]

Tape the muzzles of my guns with electrical tape when hunting.

 

[wolc123]

54 minutes ago, Dinsdale said:

Tape the muzzles of my guns with electrical tape when hunting.

 

I did that last week on the recommendations of folks on here and it worked great at keeping the powder dry in my ML during some good rains. It did not seem to effect accuracy at all with hitting right on the shoulder blade (exit hole visible in photo) where I aimed.

 

[SpacemanSpiff]

I use black tape religiously just for that reason. 

[Pygmy]

Black tape, or duct tape make good insurance...I have shot through it a number of times and never seen an effect on accuracy, including some 200 yard plus shots on some of my out of state hunting trips....

[DirtTime]

How about painters tape? Anyone ever try using that stuff?

[airedale]

I have some finger cots put away somewhere that I used over the end of my shotgun barrels back when I was doing a lot of hunting for Snowshoe Hare. I have also used them on muzzleloaders a couple of times, had some guys tell me balloons work just as well.

Al

Edited October 30, 2021 by airedale

[Lawdwaz]

36 minutes ago, DirtTime said:

How about painters tape? Anyone ever try using that stuff?

Doesn’t adhere well in dampness. Electrical tape for me.  A couple extra wraps around the barrel for after you blow the first one off.   (Hopefully you do that!!)

[DirtTime]

I picked up some jimmy hats for the ML, I thought I grabbed the dry kind but they weren't. It's going to be balloons going forward.

 

I was just curious about the painters tape as it leaves less residue.

[Daveboone]

I have used a green twig with a patch cut out of my shirt in the field....worked well in a shotgun. A rifle is more tricky, but I know of one guy that pee'd in in his barrel to clear snow and mud. Worked, and saved the hunt.. Needless to say, he was very meticulous cleaning it later. That rifle was known as "old pisser" after that. Certainly didnt hurt it any.

[mowin]

Yrs ago I knocked my rifle out of the tree. Happened to be a basketball sized rock under me that I was sure the rifle was good to smash into. Luckily, the stock hit a limb a few feet from the ground and spun the rifle so the barrel stuck in the ground. I counted my blessings and went home and cleaned 6" of mud out of the barrel.