I don't intentionally go out to hunt in the rain - snow doesn't bother me so much - but if I get caught out in the rain it's no big deal. My Parkers and my deer rifle are always wiped down, even in every crack and cranny, with Ballistol prior to going afield and they all get a good cleaning and drying and another application of Ballistol when we get back into camp. As has been said, they were meant to be used outdoors and they'll hold up just fine with the right amount of care.
I fell into a saltwater creek up to my neck with my Titanic barreled DH 12 in January in a blizzard. We were both submerged for what seemed like a minute but was probably less than five seconds. Anyway, I got back to my truck and drove home pretty darn fast. Neither of us suffered any lasting effects. My DH had had a liberal wiping with Ballistol before we went and a good cleaning and drying when we got home and nothing bad at all happened to it. Come what may, I have taken all but a few of my Parkers out when the weather threatened precipitation.
.
__________________
"I'm a Setter man.
Not because I think they're better than the other breeds,
but because I'm a romantic - stuck on tradition - and to me, a Setter just "belongs" in the grouse picture."
George King, "That's Ruff", 2010 - a timeless classic.
|