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Joined: Jul 2001
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,258 Likes: 41 |
Folks:
I have an assortment of gun oils picked up over the years, and the remnants of an old flannel shirt that contains every combination of those oils you can think of. But I'm curious: What's your favorite oil for a simple wipe-down after a hunt?
Thanks
RM Mike, I've noticed that the "answers" have ranged far from your original question. Here are my two answers: 1) I prefer to live and hunt in Montana, where we generally don't need to wipe down rifles after a hunt, because it's so dry nothing much rusts very much, unless left out all year long for 5-10 years. 2) When I do use some sort of oil, it's mostly on the bolt and action, because they can get a little dry (and sometimes dusty) with use. When I do wipe them down with a little oil, it's generally automatic transmission fluid bought by the quart at Walmart. I refill the smaller containers that many companies send to me, because that's usually what's inside "gun oil" containers. Or at least three companies that sell "gun oil" have admitted as much. It works great for general lubing of firearms.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
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Joined: Nov 2010
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,249 Likes: 14 |
You can use Ballistol as a drink if you have digestive issues as well. Thought I would put that out there There was a guy in Germany that used to medicate himself with that stuff. IIRC, Hitler was his name. Just sayin'.🤔 I’d say he didn’t use enough or he’d have not been so FOS. DF
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Joined: Sep 2010
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 19,179 |
Mike, I've noticed that the "answers" have ranged far from your original question.
When I do wipe them down with a little oil, it's generally automatic transmission fluid bought by the quart at Walmart. I refill the smaller containers that many companies send to me, because that's usually what's inside "gun oil" containers. Or at least three companies that sell "gun oil" have admitted as much. It works great for general lubing of firearms.
FIRST, a sincere thank you. Living and hunting the Humid South we need to pay attention to moisture or ‘Rain’. I’ve lived in Ark. &. La. plus hunted in Miss. & Al. so prudent precautions are in order. That said, I have not had much trouble with rust at all. I’ve used WD 40 ON a rag NOT sprayed on firearms. I’ve used Hoppes. I’ve used Remoil. I’ve used Silicon. I’ve used 3in1 oil and no doubt others I can’t remember. I’ve never thot about ATF.......will NOT forget. Thanks Again Jerry
jwall- *** 3100 guy***
A Flat Trajectory is Never a Handicap
Speed is Trajectory's Friend !!
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,540
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,540 |
Another vote for Mobil 1. I use 0-W-20 on a flannel rag.
Nifty-250
"If you don't know where you're going, you may wind up somewhere else". Yogi Berra
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Joined: Nov 2005
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,540 |
DuPont chain lube with iso paraffin . It leaves a wax like layer of oil on the metal.
kwg In 1974 I bought my wife a new Browning BL-22 lever-action rifle that came home new in the box. The dealer hadn't had it out of the box. The rifle's metal was all coated with a thin layer of some sort of light wax. At home, wiping the gun down thoroughly with a soft rag was a pleasure, because the light wax wiped off very easily. It left a beautiful, smooth, protective finish on the gun. I have always wondered what that product was. I would like to get some. I have never run into something quite like it, as far as I know.
Nifty-250
"If you don't know where you're going, you may wind up somewhere else". Yogi Berra
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Joined: Mar 2002
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 3,662 |
The only thing I'm an expert at is my own opinion, and I have plenty of those!
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,681 Likes: 2
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,681 Likes: 2 |
I have personally watched OlBlue get soaking wet... drenched even... many, many times while cradling a rifle or shotgun... But it was often just salt spray off a Kodiak wave breaking... Many, many times we discussed the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of keeping metal black... Sometimes we had to put the discussions on hold while we ran rapids, shot critters, calculated tides, dropped guts, laughed at the Captain giggling over schools of pollack, retrieved ducks, skinned Kodiak bears, shot Sitka blacktails, shot ducks, stacked foxes, dodged salt spray, rode huge standing waves, prepped skulls for display, and generally had a good time. Of course, decades spent in real weather do not mean anything. I need the advice of someone in the high desert to let me know how to protect my valuables!
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 3,662
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 3,662 |
I have personally watched OlBlue get soaking wet... drenched even... many, many times while cradling a rifle or shotgun... But it was often just salt spray off a Kodiak wave breaking... Many, many times we discussed the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of keeping metal black... Sometimes we had to put the discussions on hold while we ran rapids, shot critters, calculated tides, dropped guts, laughed at the Captain giggling over schools of pollack, retrieved ducks, skinned Kodiak bears, shot Sitka blacktails, shot ducks, stacked foxes, dodged salt spray, rode huge standing waves, prepped skulls for display, and generally had a good time. Of course, decades spent in real weather do not mean anything. I need the advice of someone in the high desert to let me know how to protect my valuables! 😊
The only thing I'm an expert at is my own opinion, and I have plenty of those!
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,258 Likes: 41
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,258 Likes: 41 |
Gee, my post was meant as a joke, but evidently wasn't taken that way,
Mike, the OP, asked what oil people prefer for "wiping down" their rifle after hunt. I have hunted other places than Montana, among them Alaska in several places, including both the Peninsula and Kodiak more than once. Have also hunted other wet and, often, salty places, including the Gulf Coast area of the U.S., New Zealand, the fjord country of Norway, Anticosti island, coastal British Columbia, the southern Arctic Ocean and both sides of Hudson Bay in Canada, and Africa both early and late in the rainy season.
Have used everything from traditional walnut-and-blue rifles to synthetic-stocked models with miracle coatings (including some used inside barrels) and experimented with various oils and coatings a LOT, partly because manufacturers send 'em to me for that purpose. There's a pretty long chapter on weather-proofing rifles in my latest big game book, published in 2017, which covers the range of stuff just mentioned.
As a result I don't really have a favorite "gun oil," because I've found so many to work well, both for rust-prevention and lubrication, but these days do mostly hunt in Montana, partly because I've done just about all the other kinds of hunting I wanted to do elsewhere on the planet, along with some I didn't know would be so enjoyable until I went.
But one of the things I do like about hunting here is that we don't have to worry much about rusting guns, though have seen it happen even to stainless-steel barrels (which usually aren't made out of a very rust-proof varieity of stainless) after they've spent a week or more in an old leather saddle scabbard on a horseback hunt, which has been thoroughly "cured" by horse-sweat over the years. But we still have to lube 'em once in a while, mostly because of dust.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
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Campfire Tracker
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OP
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Mike, I've noticed that the "answers" have ranged far from your original question.
Boy, that's rare for the 'fire, huh? Actually, I appreciate all the responses as they've answered some questions I had other than the original one. It looks like it boils down to something like Breakfree CO or EESOX for long term storage, ATF for an exterior wipe-down, and maybe a CLP or good ol' Hoppes for a run through the bore. To think of the money I could have saved over the years! Our climate on the east coast of Florida is certainly different from yours, especially this time of year when pigs are still in the line-up. It's hot and humid, we get afternoon thunderstorms that dump a lot of rain in just a few minutes, and there's always some level of salt from the Atlantic in the air. Even in our cooler dry season we still have enough heat, humidity, and salt to mess things up. And none of that takes into account perspiration that gets on things as well. So yeah, we wipe 'em down when we come in. Thanks to everyone who offered their thoughts and experiences. It's much appreciated. RM
"An archer sees how far he can be from a target and still hit it, a bowhunter sees how close he can get before he shoots." It is certainly easy to use that same line of thinking with firearms. -- Unknown
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 9,762 Likes: 7
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 9,762 Likes: 7 |
Gee, my post was meant as a joke, but evidently wasn't taken that way,
Mike, the OP, asked what oil people prefer for "wiping down" their rifle after hunt. I have hunted other places than Montana, among them Alaska in several places, including both the Peninsula and Kodiak more than once. Have also hunted other wet and, often, salty places, including the Gulf Coast area of the U.S., New Zealand, the fjord country of Norway, Anticosti island, coastal British Columbia, the southern Arctic Ocean and both sides of Hudson Bay in Canada, and Africa both early and late in the rainy season.
Have used everything from traditional walnut-and-blue rifles to synthetic-stocked models with miracle coatings (including some used inside barrels) and experimented with various oils and coatings a LOT, partly because manufacturers send 'em to me for that purpose. There's a pretty long chapter on weather-proofing rifles in my latest big game book, published in 2017, which covers the range of stuff just mentioned.
As a result I don't really have a favorite "gun oil," because I've found so many to work well, both for rust-prevention and lubrication, but these days do mostly hunt in Montana, partly because I've done just about all the other kinds of hunting I wanted to do elsewhere on the planet, along with some I didn't know would be so enjoyable until I went.
But one of the things I do like about hunting here is that we don't have to worry much about rusting guns, though have seen it happen even to stainless-steel barrels (which usually aren't made out of a very rust-proof varieity of stainless) after they've spent a week or more in an old leather saddle scabbard on a horseback hunt, which has been thoroughly "cured" by horse-sweat over the years. But we still have to lube 'em once in a while, mostly because of dust. Don't forget used motor oil. Take a few used coffee filters from your garbage, strain the oil through them to remove the grit, and presto! Lube! It's also good for staining lighter woods for a faux walnut look.
Safe Shooting! Steve Redgwell www.303british.comGet your facts first, then you can distort them as you please. - Mark Twain Member - Professional Outdoor Media Association of Canada
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 9,762 Likes: 7
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 9,762 Likes: 7 |
I hope this is meant as a joke. Used motor oil gets acidic so not good except for an emergency. I use it in chainsaws with some STP added to thicken it up. Gee, my post was meant as a joke, but evidently wasn't taken that way... Gee, my post was meant as a joke, but evidently wasn't taken that way...
Safe Shooting! Steve Redgwell www.303british.comGet your facts first, then you can distort them as you please. - Mark Twain Member - Professional Outdoor Media Association of Canada
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Joined: Jan 2010
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 8,089 Likes: 11 |
I have heard the best motor oil for corrosion protection is the Amsoil Z-rod line. I'm going to get a quart and try it out. Heck of a lot cheaper than the tiny bottles of gun specific stuff, and probably better
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 29,795 Likes: 3
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 29,795 Likes: 3 |
Folks:
I have an assortment of gun oils picked up over the years, and the remnants of an old flannel shirt that contains every combination of those oils you can think of. But I'm curious: What's your favorite oil for a simple wipe-down after a hunt?
Thanks
RM Rev, I just wipe them down with a wee bit of Penetrol on a rag. Seems to work...and I don't have to bother thinking about it again. For the insides I now use syntheitic Nulon motor oil as it doesn't stink, I previously used Military formula Break-free that had been liberated from the Australian Army but stopped as it stinks to high hell. I started with three and have just the one bottle left...and somewhere out there is some fool with no sense of smell slowly making his way in my direction, when he gets here I shall gift him with the last bottle of this horrendous concoction.
These are my opinions, feel free to disagree.
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Joined: May 2010
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2010
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I love the smell of Break Free and Hoppe’s No. 9.
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." Hunter S. Thompson
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Joined: Jul 2001
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,258 Likes: 41 |
RevMike,
I'm pretty familiar with the Florida climate, having visited various parts of the state since my first trip in 1985. Mostly have fished, but also hunted Osceola turkeys, and as mentioned earlier have also hunted other Gulf Coast states--in fact all except Louisiana. (Have only hunted Cajun food there, mostly in New Orleans.) In fact have hunted more than once in the sand dunes along the Gulf in Texas, and been both roasting and semi-hypthermic in Alabama.. It is indeed a different climate than Montana!
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
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Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 29,025 Likes: 28
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2013
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My first sample of Frog Lube landed yesterday, the paste.
Smells minty (but my wife grabbed her nose and gagged. "Minty" must be subjective).
What fresh Hell is this?
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 25,143 Likes: 2
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 25,143 Likes: 2 |
Last year I took my collection of partly filled gun oil bottles and combined them, including a small bottle of Ed’s red I made up, into a near empty quart of Mobil 1 5-30. I figure I’m covered for everything now. Usually use Breakfree CLP though.
“Life is life and fun is fun, but it's all so quiet when the goldfish die.”
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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No Mobil 1 for me. It's Castrol full synthetic or nothin'! And when the current jug of it's depleted (probably around 2067 or so) I'll switch to the German synthetic Lubri-Moly that I now use in my car. That or sperm whale oil. (Actually ATF is a close approximation of sperm oil. Sperm oil was the oil of choice for early automatic transmissions. ATF was developed as a substitute for it.)
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz "Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
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Campfire Tracker
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JSTUART wrote it a little less diplomatically than I had earlier, but until I am hunting nose blind deer, there is no way that I'm ever using Break Free on any of my hunting rifles. If I can smell it that strongly, it isn't going to be all that attractive to something down wind. Rig as a wipe down has worked way better.
My other auto is a .45
The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of low price has faded from memory
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