Camouflaging a Precision Rifle?

[Joshua M. Smith]

Hello,

I like camouflaging rifles by wrapping them in burlap or similar if I'm going to hunt with them.

However, this has been done mostly with military arms - Mosin Nagants, SKS, etc - nothing that's too accurate.

I was thinking about doing this to my .22LR Savage Mk II BTVS. It has a free floated barrel.

I'm convinced nothing should touch that barrel.

How do military snipers go about doing this? They have rifles which are more precise at longer distances than my .22lr, but they seem to camo them up to go with their gillie suits.

How is this done while maintaining accuracy?

Thank you,

Josh

 

[ShootingFool]

I am no expert, but long range snipers have been allowing soft materials to have contact with their barrels for a very long time. Some of the guys in Iraq and Afghanistan now are using tape of sorts, others some sort of wrap. Ghillie socks have long been used as well. I just thought it was rigid materials you didn't want in contact with the barrel.

Obviously you could Duracoat or paint it in a camo pattern as well.

If you google "camo wrap" there's this cling wrap you can get in all sorts of camo patterns, very similar to cling wrap first aid bandages. It's very light and non marking, no residue, etc. Its what I have on my hunting rifles, but I wouldn't call them "long range". Heh.

 

[Cromlech]

This Accuracy International in .338 Lapua Mag is a pretty nice bit of kit, and the Dutch guys seem happy enough to wrap it up.

 

[desidog]

The difference in harmonics on a bull barrel with a bit of burlap over it is so negligible that it does not threaten accuracy. There are many other factors that influence the outcome more.

Barrel camouflage should be light and able to be torn away easily; but as long as you don't try to wedge it between the barrel and stock, or add a bunch of hot glue or something, you should be alright.

On your .22lr, if the barrel is really thin, and the stuff you put on real heavy, you might see your POI shift down a bit.

 

[briansmithwins]

My AK has Mcnett camo form on it in this picture. The stuff doesn't have any adhesive, it only sticks to itself. It comes in different patterns and is reusable. BSW

 

[Cromlech]

That looks nifty. I hate having to clean the residue left by adhesives on anything, let alone on a nice shiny firearm.

 

[praharin]

Most of the operational snipers I have seen (I was never one myself, but I did work with many) paint the rifle and use an appropriately colored piece of mesh (Spider Mesh, as sold by Tactical Concealment) to distort the silhouette of their rifles and themselves.

This was in a desert, and I never saw one in a ghillie there anyway.

In training stateside, I didn't see as many (by design? ). Painted rifles and maybe a little vegetation was a common addition to a ghillie. Attached properly, the veg' won't touch the barrel or obstruct the optic.

 

[Joshua M. Smith]

Thanks folks.

I don't want to paint this; it's a nice rifle and the stock just wouldn't look right painted, anyway (thumbhole, wood).

It does have a bull barrel.

I'll play around with it and see what I can do.

Thanks again.

Josh

 

[Caliper_Mi]

Secure the burlap to the barrel and take it to the range. Don't military snipers practice with their weapons kitted out as they intend to take them into the field?

 

[Uncle Mike]

Wont hurt a thing...especially with that bull barreled 22! Wrap away!

 

[Medusa]

Well, when tying some burlap or other soft material onto the rifle you just make sure you won't pull any tensions in it (like pulling the barrel and stock together), so as long the material is loosely attached the accuracy does not suffer, but the center point of impact does change within inches @100 yards, because the harmonics are influenced (barrel frequency changes a bit and the bullet leaves the barrel when it is oscillated to a tad different position, comparing to the un-covered one, so I've understood). But you have to shoot to see how much difference there actually is.

When I used ghillie-compatible/like long and hairy strip on my rifle, I attached one end to near the muzzle brake, rolled it loosely around the barrel and stock, making sure that controls were accessible and ejection port uncovered, and then tied the other end at the butt. Worked fine for me.

OT, as with Ghillie, that kind of camouflage is used-when-necessary-item, mostly the right colour scheme breaks the outline up well enough, but when 3D is needed, burlap or other might be pretty useful.

As said, paint is good but does not change the silhouette, which is sometimes needed and the burlap et al. used for.