Last Updated on August 22, 2021 by Jason Tome
Taping the end of your gun barrel is perfectly safe. The air from the explosion of the fired bullet is faster than the bullet itself and will blow a hole through the tape before your bullet reaches the end of the barrel.
Why Tape The End Of Your Gun Barrel?
The reason for taping the muzzle of a gun is to keep elements like mud, snow, rain, and ice from obstructing the end of your gun. It may seem counter-intuitive to then put something over the end of your gun barrel to prevent this, but there is a big difference between taping the end of your gun and getting your gun clogged with debris.
The air created from bullet has no problem putting a hole through thin tape. The reason for using tape is to keep elements out of the barrel that could clog your barrel making it so air cannot escape. This would blow up your barrel.
Taping Rifle Barrels
Although I always tape the ends of my rifle barrels when I’m tracking in snow, I rarely tape my rifle barrels when hunting from a treestand or when I’m hunting in less-severe weather conditions. There is much less of a reason to tape-up rifles in these conditions because rifle cartridges are weather-sealed so the bullets will not malfunction and it is unlikely that you will be clogging the end of the gun.
Taping Muzzleloader Barrels
Where tape really shines is when you’re using a muzzleloader. This is because muzzleloaders have powder that can be exposed if water gets into the barrel. If this happens it may cause the gun to misfire or not go off. I always keep my muzzleloader taped up throughout the muzzleloader season in all hunting conditions and situations.
Does Taping Your Gun Barrel Affect Accuracy?
Taping the end of your rifle barrel does not affect the accuracy. Since the tape will have a hole blown through it by the air, before the bullet reaches the end of your barrel, the bullet is not affected by the tape as it travels out of the barrel.
Best Tape To Use On The End Of Your Barrel
Electrical tape works great for taping the end of your rifle barrel. When it gets cold you might need to warm it up a bit in your hands before you apply it so it won’t be as brittle and so it can stretch. This allows it to get the right fit.
Some people have good luck with putting balloons over the end of their barrels, especially for muzzleloaders that have bigger barrels which allow for a tighter fit. Although I’ve never tried balloons I feel like the electrical tape is more durable in the brush. It also does not leave bad residue as other types of tape can.
If you’re going to put something on the end of your rifle barrel it must be easily blown through by the air that’s generated upon firing. If you put something that the air cannot push through then you have a safety hazard.
How To Tape Your Gun Barrel
Tape is plenty easy for the air to blow a hole through. I make an ‘X’ across the end of my barrel and then tape the loose ends around the barrel itself.
Conclusion
Taping the end of your gun barrel is perfectly safe, just make sure that the air created from the firing of a bullet can punch a hole through what you place on the end of your barrel. A gun will have no problem punching through a thin piece of tape or two.
