Rifle Cleaning Matters in Mule Deer Country
By the Remington Gun Care Team
There’s nothing quite like mule deer country. Big basins. Mountain scenes. Stout, piercing winds. Hours of glassing in the hot sun or frigid cold. In mule deer Country, success doesn’t come easy. A dedicated muley hunter may only get a few real chances in an entire season, and when the moment comes, everything must align, and your trust must be banked on your woodsmanship and gear.
Mule deer hunters aren’t easy on any of their gear. Their rifles endure conditions that most whitetail woods will never experience. One day you’re climbing up a mountain, the next you’re belly-crawling through sagebrush. Wind carries grit that sneaks into your action. Snow dumps down from the sky without warning. Even the simple act of laying your rifle across a rock or the ground during a stalk can put dirt where it doesn’t belong.
Hunters can’t control many factors, but they can control a few. Stacking the odds in your favor is a great way to improve your chances of a successful harvest. An easy factor to capitalize on? Ensuring your rifle’s performance is up to par. A rifle that’s neglected, fouled, or packed with dust is a rifle that can cost you the muley of a lifetime.
Keeping your rifle clean not only protects your investment and extends its life, but most importantly, gives you confidence that it will perform when you’ve finally got your crosshairs settled. And for that, Remington has you covered for all your gun care needs.
When to Clean
A rifle doesn’t need to be deeply cleaned after every shot, but there are certain times when cleaning is non-negotiable. For mule deer hunters, consider these good indicators to do so.
Clean before and after long-term storage. Rifles can spend months in the safe between hunts. Cleaning and oiling before storage keeps rust from forming. A bare bones cleaning before the season ensures no dust or gummy oil buildup sits in the bore when it’s time to confirm your zero.
Clean after weather exposure. Rain, snow, and even morning dew can start corrosion faster than you think, and western hunts are notorious for unpredictable weather. If your rifle gets a little wet, wipe it down with a small Rem Oil wipe. If your rifle gets drenched, strive to clean it deeply when feasible.
Clean after dusty or dirty hunts. The high country is full of fine grit and dirt. Sagebrush meadows, rocky draws, and even crawling through grass can load up a rifle with all the wrong things. If you’ve got your rifle dirty or muddy, carried it across miles of dusty trails, or even just been on a weeklong hunt, it needs cleaning or a zero check if you suspect it has been jostled around.
Clean after filling in a tag. This is a no-brainer. Even if you harvested with one round, deep clean it, that rifle is your tool, and like any tool, it should be stowed away, but ready for the next job.
Step-By-Step
Cleaning a bolt-action rifle isn’t complicated, but it pays to do it right. There are plenty of ways to skin the cat, so let this be a guide.
1. Safety First
Before you do anything, make sure your rifle is unloaded. Open the action, visually inspect the chamber thoroughly, then run a finger through to confirm it’s empty. Keep all ammunition away. This is non-negotiable.
2. Place in a Sturdy Rest and Remove the Bolt
Using a sturdy rifle vise will make your life easier. Every bolt-action is a little different, so follow your rifle’s owner’s manual to remove the bolt correctly. Setting the bolt aside allows you to clean the chamber and the bolt itself.
3. Clean the Bolt
The bolt is the heart of your rifle. Dirt or carbon here can cause feeding failures or gummy cycling.
Release and detach the bolt. Wipe it down with a clean rag. Use Remington Action Cleaner to loosen carbon buildup. With a small nylon brush, scrub the bolt face, extractor, and locking lugs to loosen any small particles. Wipe down the bolt with a clean cotton patch.
Designed to ensure smooth, reliable gun function in all weather conditions, Rem Action Cleaner cleans and degreases firearm actions and fire-control mechanisms without disassembly. Leaving no surface residue behind, Rem Action dissolves used lubricants, including grease and oils, producing a clean, dry surface. Contains no CFC’s or Carcinogens. Available in sizes for a variety of applications.
Finish with a light coat of Rem Oil applied with a clean cotton patch or Rem Oil wipe. This prevents rust while ensuring smooth operation. A few drops will go a long way.
Rem Oil is the most versatile gun oil you can buy. The same great lubricant since 1913, the advanced formula cleans, lubricates, and protects your valuable firearms so they’ll keep running smoothly and looking like new. Rem Oil penetrates the smallest metal pores, then leaves a tough, long-lasting film to help reduce metal-to-metal wear. Quickly displaces even microscopic traces of water for advanced moisture resistance and rust protection. Available in sizes for a variety of different applications. Plastic squeeze bottles dispense oil one drop at a time, especially useful when lubricating small individual parts. Aerosol cans help cover larger areas, and wipes are great to pack and carry in the field and can be cut to make handy pore patches.
4. Clean the Chamber, Magazine Well, and Bore
A fouled bore (barrel) is the enemy of accuracy at any range. Out West, when shots can stretch past 400 yards, you shouldn’t gamble on performance.
Use a cleaning rod and a bore guide for ultimate precision. Run a solvent-soaked cotton patch through from chamber to muzzle first. Remington Brite Bore or 40-X Bore Cleaner are great options. Follow with a bronze-bristle brush to loosen fouling. It is crucial to go up in one stroke and back in another. Rushing this and making quick movements can harm the crown of your rifle, which is critical to ensuring accuracy. The crown is a small zone on the end of your rifle that protects the edge of the bore. Run clean patches through the bore until they come out nearly white.
Remington Brite Bore solvent will clean the inner bore of your firearm’s barrel to a mirror shine finish by removing all the contaminants left behind after firing. Remington 40-X Bore Cleaner is a non-eroding bore cleaner made with earth suspension in mineral oil. Improving your accuracy by removing carbon and other debris that can affect the mechanical action, this process is environmentally safe and non-acidic. Natural abrasives effectively scrub away all types of fouling without scratching even the finest bores, leaving your bore sparkling clean and saving you time-consuming soaking.
Finish with a patch lightly applied with Rem Oil for protection against corrosion. Use a nylon brush to scrub any fouling away from the chamber. Finish with a light coat of Rem Oil. Wipe the magazine well with a cotton patch to remove any debris. Follow up with a light coat of Rem Oil or wipes if needed.
5. Wipe Down the Action and Ejection Port
Use a rag to remove easy debris from the action and ejection port areas. Follow up with Remington Action Cleaner to loosen any buildup, scrub away any debris with a nylon brush, and wipe out the inside of the receiver. Finish with a light coat of Rem Oil. Pay attention to the rails where the bolt rides. Any grit here can cause a lock-up or an unpleasant slide.
Designed to ensure smooth, reliable gun function in all weather conditions, Rem Action Cleaner cleans and degreases firearm actions and fire-control mechanisms without disassembly. Leaving no surface residue behind, Rem Action dissolves used lubricants, including grease and oils, producing a clean, dry surface. Contains no CFC’s or Carcinogens. Available in a range of sizes to suit various applications.
6. Reassemble Everything and Check to Ensure it Functions
Before reinstalling, apply a small amount of grease to the appropriate areas of your bolt. Grease improves functionality in areas with high friction and pressure. Every gun is different, so be sure to read your manual. Reinstall the bolt as directed in your manual and cycle it a few times. This should feel smooth, with no drag or hesitation. Check the safety, then perform a dry fire to ensure everything is properly striking. Apply a very light coat of Rem Oil on the exterior of the barrel and metals near the ejection port to protect against the elements.
7. Store It Right
Last, store your rifle in a secure place away from moisture. A Remington Safe with a dehumidifier is always a safe bet. A dehumidifier is the ultimate tool for repelling moisture. A rifle stored clean is a rifle ready for the next hunt.
The Remington Gun Care Mini-Dehumidifier – 500 Series is a rechargeable, compact unit that attracts and holds moisture through water crystal technology to protect gun safes and cabinets from excessive moisture within a 500 cubic feet enclosure. No batteries or electricity necessary. Works for up to 10 years.
Bottom Line
Mule deer hunting is unforgiving. So remember, anytime your rifle’s been stressed by weather, dust, or heavy use, it deserves thorough cleaning. You don’t get many chances, and your gear doesn’t get many breaks. Keeping your rifle clean is one of the easiest factors you can control, and it’s one of the smartest things you can do to improve your chances of a harvest.
About Remington:
From muskets to modern day, generations of hunters and shooters have trusted Remington ammunition and accessories. Loaded in Lonoke, Arkansas, by American workers, our wide array of pioneering sporting and hunting ammunition promises to get the job done every time the trigger is pulled. At Remington, we’re here for everyone who loads a round of ammo into a handgun, rifle, or shotgun. Founded in 1816, Remington has played a significant role in American history, fighting and winning wars, providing food for millions, and uniting countless generations at the range and in the field. Remington is proud of every round that rolls off the factory line. An ammunition brand of The Kinetic Group, owned by CSG, a globally diversified industrial group based in Prague (Czech Republic), Remington is bringing a renewed focus to ammunition, innovation, and quality – all while staying true to Remington’s legendary heritage and stature as an American icon.
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