Tough hunting in Kansas this year, and on several days the freezing rain/sleet would lay a coating of ice on lots of stuff, including my watch cap, my stock and barrel. I'm wondering if anyone has actually shot with ice clinging to their barrel??
I saw a lot of deer in these conditions, unfortunately no shooter bucks. I realize the weight of the ice would change the barrel harmonics some--so I guess it's a matter of how much ice, it wasn't a bunch, just a little coating on about a third that was exposed to the precep coming in at an angle....

Just curious--

Here in south central Texas, we don't have to deal with much ice -- as least not the past few years. But in the early 80s, I did hunt in freezing rain a few times (predator pelts were worth something back then!).

Using a Remington 788 in 22-250, I did take a couple of coyotes with the barrel iced to about the degree you describe. The first was perhaps 50-60 yards; I completed the double with a shot at around 175 yards. If the trajectory was affected, I could not tell it in the field, but then again, the coyote has a fairly large vital area (about the size of a cantaloupe).

I'd say that each scenario would be a rule unto itself, however, as some guns respond dramatically to minor influences while others can endure more significant changes -- forend pressure, etc. -- without exhibiting much of a difference in POI.

My first rifle hunt in MO was the 1995 season. on day 3 of the season, I was in a blind for roughly 3 hours and, like you, had a minimal collection of ice on my rifle. I did shoot a Doe at about 175 yards and on that ONE occasion, I recall no evidence that the bullet path was affected. She was hit right where I was aiming. 270, 140 Ballistic Tip. Ruger MK II. We grilled and ate the backstraps roughly an hour after she expired.

I had a pretty dramatic case of ice about twenty-five years ago. I took a friend with me mule deer hunting near Parachute, Colorado. The day before the season we had scouted in shirt sleeves it was so warm. The next morning we got up at the motel and it was cold, but calm. We loaded our gear, everything luckily, and drove to the base of the mountains we were going to hunt. Since we had never hunted there before, we sat in the truck and waited for it to lighten-up a little. The next thing we knew snow started falling and piled up on the windshield. We waited and when it got to the point to where we could see enough to not get lost we piled on the clothes and started climbing. The snow was just stacking up on us and still falling heavy. My friend and I got separated and I noticed that the snow had covered my rifle, scope, and basically everything facing the wind. Visibility at the worst of the snowstorm was about 5'. I stumbled over deer, but had no chance at a shot, so I just got behind some rocks and waited it out. About an hour later the storm moved out. Snow was at least a foot deep, the mountain was gorgeous, and the sky was clear. I started climbing again.

I looked back down below me at one point and was stunned to see a big buck and four doe crossing a meadow. It would be a long shot, 250+, but I hunkered-down behind a fallen tree for a rest, flipped the scope cover off and put the crosshairs on him.

I squeezed slowly and heard almost nothing as the trigger tripped. I jacked a shell out thinking I was empty, but the bullet fell in the snow. I pulled it out, and the primer had barely a dent. I hurried to get another round in the chamber, and got back on the buck. The deer were just walking slowly through the deep snow, and I waited for the buck to stop. When he did I squeezed the trigger again. The firing pin tapped the shell, but nothing happened. I jacked another one in quickly, got set, and the same thing happened. I was abouut to freak, trying to figure out what to do, when I got over the scope the fourth time, put it on the buck and squeezed the trigger. The concussion from the .308 Win caught me by surprise, but the buck collapsed in the snow and began sliding down the mountain. The doe just stood and stared at him. I watched him slide for 100 yards or so then disappear over the edge of a ravine. He acted stone-dead so I wasn't too worried. I fished around in the snow and found all the bullets. Each one had a slight indentation, but the frozen firing pin had been moving so slowly that it took four pulls to get enough momentum to detonate a primer. This was the first and only time ice has nearly gotten the best of me.

I have hunted and shot at -40. Ice ON the barrel does not matter. Ice IN the barrel is a disaster, leading to a blown up gun. I always hunt with eectrical tape over the muzzle of my rifle. I don't care if it is 80°, -40°, rain, snow, sun, whatever. Even on warm dry days, I have gotten mud in the end of my barrel. Don't know how many times I cleaned it out with sticks or my CB antenna. I got to where I just always use tape, regardless of conditions.

When I lived in N.MN. I had many days of ice and snow on everything. The shots were all less than 200yds and I never had any accuracy problems from ice on the barrel. I did have several other problems though. I was using a Savage 99 25 years ago in a snow and rain storm every thing was covered a nice buck came by at 50yds, I shot and the deer just kept walking, certain I had him him I walked over to the tracks and followed them no blood, later the same buck came by again, a shot and same results.. I test fired the rifle the next day and the impact point had shifted almost 3 feet, the fore end wood had warped so bad it was pushing on the barrel, I had to shave it off with a pocket knife at camp. then it shot perfect again.
Another time with a Ruger 77, I had snow and ice build up so bad I could not turn the safety off, it just would not go all the way into the fire position, I quickly dug it out with my pocket knife and did get the buck.

Most times though it causes no trouble as long as you keep the optics clear, I had that problem once or twice too!!

I had ice cost me a deer once the rifle was coated and it froze the tang safety of a Ruger no. 1 up so I couldn't take it off.

Good feedback guys, I did check the inside of my barrel, but didn't have any tape, it looked fine when on stand, but after hiking out the 2 miles to the truck, with my rifle slung on my shoulder, it had a tiny bit of ice just inside the muzzle-- I hate to think what might have happened if I had jumped a buck and attempted a shot with the rifle in that condition, I will be taping my barrel and shooting it some at the range to determine any accuracy impact, but I think taping it all the time like Marc is probably a good practice for hunting.

quote:

Ice on your barrel

I thought that is what viagra is for!

I've been hunting in icing conditions only twice.

Once in NJ with a Remongton 870, which unless you immerse it in water and let it freeze is pretty much immune for failing to fire, though I will say watching the ice "peel" off the barrel was one of the more interesting (but harmless) things I've ever seen while shooting a firearm

The other time was with a stainless Rem700 that was nicely encrusted, but it functioned fine, again, the ice FLEW off the barrel at the shot.

I've never had a gun malfunction due to ice.

But then again, after reading a story about an initial meeting engagement (fictional?) in a gun magazine ~20 years ago I've always used "LAW" on the critical parts of firearms I use in winter conditions.

LAW= Lubricant, Arctic Weapons which oin all honesty looks and smells like "Marvel Mystery Oil" thickened with just a bit of Dexron (Automatic transmission fluid)

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Four seasons ago I hunted during the day with rain that turned into freezing rain and snow. The bolt was frozen but the rifle still shoots. I couldn't tell whether the POI changed or just me shaking due to the cold.

In bad weather I always hunt with a small piece of sandwich bag tied with a rubber band covering the muzzle. That prevents anything wet or dry to getting in side the barrel.