How do you clean your average hunting rifle?

[hunter33]

I was just wondering how you clean your average hunting rifle and how you oil it.Maybe take me threw the process?

[Scorch]

Many threads on this in the forum if you use the Search button, but here goes:
* Remove bolt, insert bore guide in the breech.
* Wet patch the bore, let sit for 5-10 minutes while I scrub the outside of the rifle.
* Wet brush the bore one stroke (in and back) to remove carbon loosened by the solvent. Let sit 5 mins.
* Dry patch on a jag through the bore. Repeat until patch comes out dry and clean.
* Remove bore guide, reinsert bolt.
* Wipe down the exterior of the rifle with gun grease cloth.
* Clean scope lenses with Windex on a patch.

Done.

[hunter33]

whats a wet brush and wet patch?

[williamd]

Note Scordh did not say OIL it. Wipe with cloth with light oil or a special gun cloth. Oil ruins as many weapons as it does good! Especially any with wood.

Then I like to store with bbl sloping down so any oil left runs down bbl and not into stock. Work over a lot of stocks with Whiting!

[rgitzlaff]

Clean scope lenses with windex? Jeez, I wouldn't touch your scope lenses unless any dirt or smudges is degrading the picture at all. Then you probably want to get a lense pen or some lense cleaner and wipes. Scope lenses have coating on them that can be cleaned right off if you treat them like any other piece of glass.

[HankL]

I'd sure keep anything with alcohol in it off my lenses.

[piercfh]

I use the lens pen when I start to notice crap on my lenses, but if you are careful they stay pretty clean. I clean the bore of a hunting rifle about once a season before I go sight in. Then the rest of the season every time I come in I wipe it down with G96 and a paper towel. If I hunted in the rain the rifle comes out of the stock and gets a full cleaning.

G96 is pretty much the greatest rust preventative on earth for a blued firearm.

[Art Eatman]

I wouldn't know how to clean an average hunting rifle. All my hunting rifles are above average.
















After a shot or three when hunting, I just spray some WD40 on a patch and run it through the barrel. Spray a little WD40 or RemOil on a patch and wipe down the metal.

I generally don't worry about copper-removing bore cleaners until a couple of boxes or more have been shot.

If my hunt season has included wet weather, I'll take everything all apart for a seriously complete cleaning and oiling.

Art

[fisherman66]

Be careful to keep gun oil (I'm not talking about BLO or wood specific oil as those have hardeners in them and are made specifically for wood) away from wood. It softens and weakens it. Otherwise I follow Scorch's procedures pretty close. Add using Johnson's Paste Wax on the metal instead of wiping with oil.

[hunter33]

You guys didn't answer my second question:(

[rgitzlaff]

A wet brush and wet patch just means the brush or patch has solvent or cleaner on it, vs. being dry with nothing on it.

[The Tourist]

The only thing I would add is my own questions on bolt maintenance.

The one thing I like about Winchester bolts is that you can take them apart with your bare hands. Having said that, I no longer have any Winchesters.

In terms of total use, I blast more rounds through Ruger 77's. None of which has needed a gunsmith for anything.

Like most of us, I keep things clean and use aerosals for the places I cannot reach. For the bolts, I spray stuff into the cracks and seams, and if no grit runs out, I announce it "clean."

However, have I left grit (like primer anvils) lingering in the bolt? Is this a proper was to service bolts?