With the birthdays rolling by and having dogded a few health bullets over the last couple years, I've decided there are a couple hunts I want to do in the next two or three years. The first one will be a moose hunt, since the tuckamore and muck can kill old knees. As the primary gun, I'd like to take either my 8x57/16, or one of my 9.3's, my drilling (thanks Bruce), or my Chapuis, using my old Ruger 77 06 as my backup gun. One of my concerns is all that rain that happens on moose hunts. Maybe I need a raincoat for them, or maybe a cosmoline dip? What have you guys done to protect your driling/combo/double when hunting in Noreasters and Alaskan downpours.
Thanks
Bfly

A lot of people use a paste wax like for cars on their rifles.

Use something like this - http://www.bushwear.co.uk/nost...D=313826&ClassID=233

Keeps the rifle covered, but very easy to get the rifle out when needed - three or four seconds is all it takes.

Have been thinkinbg about making something similar out of neoprene - the leg of an old wetsuit would be ideal.

I have one similar to what Heym linked, the flap fits between the sling mounts and is a simple antler button loop closure that does not take long to get open. The big advantage is you have your sling perfectly useful without having to carry it. Another version at link, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

FRANKONIA LODEN FUTTERAL

Here in Scotland we are very used to shooting in the rain. Whilst we see a lot of stainless / synthetic rifles, most feathered game is shot with side by side or over and under steel and walnut shotguns. Turn up with a benelli and you be asked to leave! On wet days, a good coat of wd40 or similar protects well enough. Also have a cloth in pocket to wipe things down and remove excess water when rain stops. Most important is to give the gun a good clean when you get home and don't put it away damp. With a rifle it's the same procedure. We do tend to keep a gun or rifle in it's slip until needed.

If the woodwork looks a little dull or white after rain, a drop of gunstock oil soon sorts things out.

I frequently shoot wildfowl on the salt marshes - worst conditions - mud salt and rain, wd40 before going out then just rinse off salt when I get back, before giving a good cleaning.

^^^

What he said, and be sure to dry every little crevasse. Moisture can get behind shotgun ribs, too. I like to warm my guns up a lot for long enough to dry hidden places.

I use Howards Feed & Wax on my firearms. It protects both the wood and metal from moisture. I will of course strip a rifle or shotgun when I get home and do a detail cleaning, wipe down, and some more Howards.

I do not think I have ever had a rust issue.

I use my drilling rain or shine, and yes it's got rained on durning moose hunts.

I just keep it wiped off with a rag that has break free cpl on it and no rust!

DM

A good drilling is much too difficult to come by in the first place.

Leave it home and take some other guns for a rough trip.

quote:

Originally posted by Savage_99:
A good drilling is much too difficult to come by in the first place.

Leave it home and take some other guns for a rough trip.

I disagree... I bought my drilling for MY use and MY pleasure, so why leave it home or try to save it for someone else?

Drillings were made to be used, and well made drillings work just as well on rainy days or sunny days, and with a wipe down once or twice a day, they staying looking good and working perfectly.

My drilling has been on hundreds of hunts of all kinds, from moose and bear,



On down to all kinds of small game and turkeys,



And after many years of use in all kinds of weather and all kinds of hunts, my drilling still looks good, is NOT beat up and has no rust,



It still works perfectly, and is my favorite firearm to use. That's why it was with me last fall when i hunted hard, and got this nice whitetail,



I wouldn't have it any other way!

DM

That's why I bought my Benelli ! Hunting geese from a canoe etc.
The gun makes a big difference . A friend and I were once caught in an extreme downpoor ,like walking under a waterfall !! Back at camp my M98 was easy to take totally apart and clean but his 99 Savage was a different story ! You can't do that with most shotguns either.

I made a couple of water resistant covers, one for a scoped rifle one for an iron sighted rifle.

I had my wife sew up a gun slip out of green cotton.
Then I treated it with the same wax that Browning uses for their was cotton clothing. I used the Browning product because I found it in a pint can.

It rolls up and fits in my coat pocket or my pack.

DM,

I defer to you on gun maintenance. Your obviously much better at it than I am.

I cherish my drilling and consider it delicate.

I wonder why my old 99F is not rusty after days of hunting with it in rain and snow. I was in a warm house at night where I could dry and oil it.

These days I would carry a SS gun.

quote:

Originally posted by Savage_99:

I wonder why my old 99F is not rusty after days of hunting with it in rain and snow. I was in a warm house at night where I could dry and oil it.

And if you treated your drilling the same way, it wouldn't be rusty either...

The only maintance my drilling gets is, cleaning/lubeing the hindge pin, wipeing off the gun with an oily/break free rag and SHOOTING!

A few years ago, after 25 years of hard hunting, i sent it to JJ to be checked over. There was NO rust inside and it checked out perfectly...

My Krieghoff is FAR from "delicate", and it will be going LONG after i'm takeing my eternal dirt nap!

DM

As I say DM your the man. I defer to you on all topics.