gun bore protection

You can buy them at any major sporting goods retailer, it is just a little black cover like a balloon that goes over the crown of the barrel. It will blow of well before the bullet hits it so it will not effect accuracy, very popualr with muzzle loading.

is it something I really need though? If not, I wont mess with it

What is the barrel of your gun made out of? If stainless, no need to worry. With blued barrels, as long as you keep it out of heavy moisture you should be ok by applying a real light coat of gun oil to it. If rain or snow though, make sure youve either got the muzzle pointed down or something to cover it. When we were younger my dad used to have us put a plastic baggie over the muzzle in the rain and then wrap a rubber band around the baggie to keep it from falling off. That way if a shot presented itself you could take the rig off, put it in your pocket real quick and set up for the shot.

Electrical tape. For muzzle loading it is moisture protection. For highpower rifle it is crown protection. If you are in real rocky areas on narrow trails with vertical rock faces etc. it can be easy to scape your muzzle and do damage to your crown which is critical for accuracy. Also, to keep out snow or dirt and mud in extreme cases.

Also, no the tape does not effect accuracy. I actually saw an extensive test on this and if I can remember where I saw it i will post it.

blued barrel...thanks for the information guys...