What You Should Know About Customizing A Rifle Before Going Through With It

By Allen Brown

So you’ve finally bought a rifle, or maybe you’ve had one for a while and are just now considering the idea of customization. Maybe you are unsure of the options available for personalizing your gun, or maybe you are worried about the cost and effectiveness that upgrades will have.

Either way, it is only natural to be hesitant or concerned before making big changes to your costly weapon. It is important to be up to date on the most efficient customizations you can make, and why they’re worth putting both the time and effort in. Read on for everything you should know about customizing a rifle before going through with it.

Waterproofing

When using your rifle, the type of weather you’re going to be exposed to is a big factor. You’ve probably spent quite a bit of money on your equipment, so one of the best ways to protect your investment is to waterproof it. Using various at-home methods such as oil-soaked rags, scope caps, or even chapstick can yield great results and are fairly inexpensive. Oftentimes, hunting and other shooting will take you into muddy, rainy terrain. You’ll even find yourself wading up to your knees in a fair amount of lakes or ponds if you’re hunting waterfowl. Make sure you and your gun are prepared by customizing your rifle to withstand water.

Camouflage

If you’ve been on a few hunts you will know that one of the most important factors of a successful trip is the element of surprise. This means taking all necessary precautions to ensure you go unnoticed by any potential game. So you’ve thought about wearing a camouflaged outfit, but what about your gun? If your gun sticks out in a forest or other hunting grounds, it could ruin the stealth of your entire outfit. Dressing your rifle in a camo wrap will personalize it as well as protect you in any situation. The best part is that this is an easy update to make, and can be easily switched out based on your intended environment.

Muzzle Brakes

Muzzle brakes are as cost-effective as they are useful, and save you big time in alignment and shooting efficiency. When compiling your lower parts kit they are crucial additions, as they will control recoil, side-to-side movement, and barrel rise when shooting. This customization will result in increased accuracy while firing and quicker target realignment. Plus, lowering your recoil will make for a better and easier shooting experience.

Stocks

This one is an easy swap if you are looking to customize a rifle. If you love your gun, but find the size of the stock is lacking, changing the stock can be the solution you’ve been looking for. This will allow you to lengthen or shorten it based on what your needs are. This is something you can easily customize yourself if you’d like, and requires little material besides a table saw to make the proper cuts. Determine what your ideal length of pull is and go from there, and don’t forget to measure before you cut. Comfort and shock absorption are big advantages when customizing and can make all the difference when shooting.

Tripod

Tripods are the holy grail of gun accessories. Less like additions and more like extensions of the rifle, tripods are inimitable in their usefulness and practicality. When looking to customize your rifle’s tripod, you should be looking at what you need for your usage. If you are going to be doing a lot of moving, you want something lightweight and easily transportable. If your rifle is heavier, or you will be shooting from a further distance, you should consider something stronger. Where and how you need to use the tripod should also dictate how many supports it has, and how easily you can pan or tilt it to follow a target.

Using a rifle can be rewarding for many reasons, and they are a great addition to any gun collection - specifically for hunting. That being said, you can improve your user experience immensely with some quick customization. Whether you’re handy enough to do it yourself, or you want to outsource a few jobs to professionals, there is customization available for all experience and skill levels. Basing your changes on what kind of shooting you will be doing, and in what weather or terrain, will yield the most personalized and helpful results.

Remember, this is your rifle and it should feel like a weapon that meets your needs. If you’ve been thinking about doing some rifle customization, hopefully this information has given you the confidence to boldly make the changes you’ve been thinking about.