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Realtree Camo Guide
Properly caring for your deer gun’s barrel and action ensures it’ll be ready to go again next fall
Deer season is over, and now is the perfect time to give your rifle a thorough annual cleaning. Store your gun in a secure and rust-free environment and it will be in good working order when you break it out for a range session in a few months.
To do the job right, you need to secure your rifle horizontally in a vise. A vise attached to a workbench at your house will work fine. Or you can purchase a portable gun vise from a company that specializes in firearms-cleaning accessories.
Spend $40 or more for a universal gun-cleaning kit, which will include a three-piece bore rod and an assortment of jags, brushes, patches, and other accessories for cleaning not only your bolt-action, but also other handguns and long guns that you own.
Also, and this is important, purchase a bore guide, which will protect the bore and action of your rifle by properly aligning the cleaning rod as you work.
You’ll need a quality solvent like Hoppe’s No. 9 for swabbing the bore, and a gun oil like Break Free CLP (best I’ve used for preventing rust) for wiping down the exterior of your rifle.
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Wipe down the action, trigger guard, scope, barrel, and all exterior metalwork of the rifle with a light coat of gun oil. When I plan to store a rifle for two months or more, I run one last patch dabbed with a light coat of oil into the bore to prevent rust.
To further avoid rust, firearms should be stored in an environment that stays around 70 degrees F year-round with humidity of 50 to 55 percent. It is best to lock all your guns and ammunition in a gun safe. At the very least, secure firearms and ammo in a closet or room that you lock tight. Affix trigger or cable locks to all guns for added security and peace of mind.
When you break out your rifle for a practice session before next deer season, run a dry patch through the bore to remove trace oil. Then get to shooting. I think you’ll be impressed at how much tighter your groups are from the squeaky-clean barrel.
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