The idea of NOT being meticulous about rifle maintenance, especially when you hunt in big bear country, is completely foreign to me. I dont care what make and model your rifle is, it is a given that you perform preventive maintenance on it. All rifles are mechanical devices and all mechanical devices will fail if neglected long enough.
The "Brand A is better than Brand B because Brand A can be neglected longer" argument makes me laugh. Every one of my rifles leaves home for every hunt in tip top working order every time.
