Tips for rainy weather rifle prep?

[7mmsavage]

Looks like we're in for a rainy opening day of deer season here in central Va. I have already arranged a baby sitter so there's no way I'm staying out of the woods tomorrow. Anyone have any good ideas on what, if anything I should do to my rifles before heading out into the weather? I thought about wiping them down with some gun oil or WD-40, but I don't want to reek of oil. The guns in question are a laminate stocked and blued, Savage 110, and a Winchester 94 Ranger, also blued with a wood stock. I'm not hunting with two guns, one of them is being used by the landowner. Thanks

 

[General Geoff]

Carry your rifle in a sealed plastic bag and pull it out when you have a shot. I personally wouldn't take a blued rifle into the woods on a rainy day, this is why I'm a big fan of stainless.

 

[rcmodel]

Johnson's Paste Floor Wax all over everything, and leave it on, don't buff it off. The rain will bead up and run off.

You can also cover the muzzle with a single strip of black electrical tape to keep water out of the barrel.
You can shoot through it safely.

Scope covers would also be a very good idea!

I personally wouldn't take a blued rifle into the woods on a rainy day

Shirley, you jest!
What do you think people hunted with for the couple hundred years before stainless & plastic was invented?
And still do, I might add.
Given even modest care, it won't hurt them in the least to get wet!

 

[General Geoff]

I'm not saying you can't, just that I wouldn't. I don't really like blued guns because they're comparatively high maintenance. Adding water to the mix makes it worse.

 

[rcmodel]

To each his own.

I don't like stainless & plastic because they don't look like real guns.

Real guns are blue steel & beautiful walnut!

 

[mljdeckard]

+1 for flip-up scope caps. You won't hit much with water drops on your objective lens.

Hunting with a blued rifle isn't bad. Hunting with a blued rifle, throwing it behind the seat, tossing a wet raincoat on top of it, and leaving it there for a week is a bad idea. Just wipe it down at the end of the day, don't put it away wet.

 

[woof]

I always thought it was more important what you did with the guns after coming in from the rain that before going out.

 

[General Geoff]

I love wood stocks too. Preferably well-laminated so as to reduce swelling and rotting over time, but still I love the look of wood furniture on (most) rifles.

When it comes to the steel though, I'll take anything before blued.


As long as you clean your rifle promptly and very thoroughly before putting it away, taking it out in the rain shouldn't be an issue even if it's blued.

 

[benEzra]

Get a can of Boeshield T-9 or Corrosion-X from a marine supply store, and coat exposed metal surfaces with it. Both products will protect from 40 hours of salt-water spray, so they'll prevent a little rain from doing any harm; Boeshield leaves a protective wax film, Corrosion-X no visible residue, but both work great. Be careful of spraying them on the stock, though (I wet a patch with the spray and then apply with the patch).

 

[The Bushmaster]

Do not put your rifle in a plastic bag and do not spray it down with WD-40. Better idea...Wipe it down with a rag impregnated with Mobile 1synthetic motor oil and put that rag in a plastic bag and take it with you. Also either place a small toy balloon or a piece of electricians tape over the muzzle (toy balloon works best).

Good hunting...Be safe

 

[7mmsavage]

Thanks everyone, what about an automotive wax? I hadn't thought about that until I saw rcmodel's post about the floor wax. I also have a silicone impregnated cloth, I think I'll wipe a spot down with that and see if water beads. Unfortunately, a stainless rifle is out of the question, I don't have one, like I said, I'm going in the morning. Maybe I'll look into one in about 100 years, when I wear out my 110

 

[The Deer Hunter]

I'm not saying you can't, just that I wouldn't. I don't really like blued guns because they're comparatively high maintenance. Adding water to the mix makes it worse.

Comparatively, yes. Realistically? Not so much. You have to clean and oil both types of steel. The only big difference would be if you get your blue gun rained on, and you just have to wipe it down and oil it.

Preparing your gun for a rainy day? The flip up scope mounts are good if your using a scope. When your using your sling to carry the rifle, have the barrel facing down to avoid water in your barrel. Hoppe's No. 9 gun oil is scentless, get some of that.

Besides that just take your rifle apart after hunting, dry it off very good and put a thin coat of oil on it.