For most of us across the country, hunting season started weeks ago with the opening of archery season. Out here in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southern Virginia, we started muzzleloader season this last weekend.
That means we’re only a couple of weeks away from open rifle season. It’s time to get those rifles, cleaned, oiled, zeroed, and prepped for the hunt. Finding the best rifle cleaning for your hunting rifle is the first step in being ready to harvest an animal.
My goal today is to go through how I prepare my hunting rifle for deer season. Not only do you need your rifle clean, but it’s important that the metal is oiled properly and you zero your rifle after cleaning.
I have 5 tools that I use to prepare my hunting rifles for the season ahead. I tend to go with a less is more strategy to keep things as simple as possible for me.
The Tipton Standing Ultra Gun Vise is the tool that sets the stage for everything else. I don’t think you have to have a gun vise to clean your rifle, but it sure does make the whole process safer, easier, and faster.
The first step anytime you’re about to clean your guns needs to be clearing the barrel and chamber before you do anything else.
If you already have a workbench or table set up, you could just get theUltra Gun Viseand save $70 on the stand. The Standing Ultra Gun Vise can be found for under $200 at some retailers.
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What Are the Benefits of the Standing Gun Vise?
Saves your back– It will save your back a lot of pressure and discomfort by staying level below most of our waistlines. Unless you’re a giant you should be able to reach your rifle pretty easily without bending over into an unnatural position.
Safe for your stock and barrel– Tipton uses very rigid and hard glass-filled nylon as the clamps for the rifle. This is important because many of us rifle owners have custom stocks that need protecting. I have had any issues with the clamps marring or scratching my stock or barrel.
Secures your rifle for Minor Gunsmithing– Anytime I change out a scope, optic, laser, or light attachment, I secure my gun in the Standing Ultra Gun Vise. I never have any trouble adjusting, removing, or installing any of my attachments.
Provides better Safety for Gun Maintenance– My main concern is putting my cleaning rod through my gun barrel and having the gun slip and fall and bust my scope chip paint. Knowing that your rifle is stable and secure allows you to clean your gun easier and with more confidence than leaving it loosely on the table or floor.
Less Mess– Who doesn’t like to have less of a mess to clean up when they’re done with their rifles? Using the Tipton gun Vise allows you to keep your workspace cleaner and more organized because the gun is secure and both of your hands are free. Whether it’s lubing up your barrel and putting a protective coat on your barrel and scope frame, you can freely move around the rifle to wipe away the excess oil.
When it comes to cleaning my rifle barrels, I always try to run a cleaning rod with a bronze bore brush through before I use any patches or bore ropes. Having a carbon fiber cleaning rod makes my job easier because it’s strong and lightweight so it won’t hurt my barrel.
I use a Hoppes (foam) Bore Solventfor my rifles right now because it’s so easy to use and there is no mess. I spray foam from both ends of my barrel and let it sit for a few minutes. I then use my Tipton Bore Brush to remove any carbon or debris that’s inside the barrel.
Since the solvent does such a great job at lifting and loosening the carbon, copper, and environmental debris, you don’t need to run the cleaning rod through more than a couple of times.
The carbon fiber ensures that the barrel is protected from heavier metal scratching or gouging holes inside the rifling. For me, it’s always about making it as easy as possible with spending the least amount of time cleaning as possible.
What Are the Benefits of the Tipton Carbon Fiber Cleaning Rod?
Safe on all rifle barrels– The carbon fiber is much easier on the interior of rifle barrels than stainless steel. Carbon fiber is lighter than the steel that’s used to manufacture each barrel, ensuring that no particles are embedded into the barrel walls.
Interchangeable tips– The tips of the cleaning rod should always be interchangeable, with options to choose from jags, brushes, picks, and mops. I enjoy the Tipton carbon fiber rod because they make it easy to transition without using a lot of force to switch and secure tips.
Ergonomic handle- The Tipton handle is very forgiving on your wrist and forearm because it travels the path of least resistance. There are 2 ball bearings inside the handle that help guide the rod through the barrel to follow along the rifling.
Very durable- There is nothing worse than having tools break from being poorly made or not up to your standard. I love the fact that I can smack this handle with a hammer or mallet to get a stuck patch through and it never breaks.
Where Can I Buy the Tipton Carbon Fiber Cleaning Rod?
One of the most important gun cleaning tools for your homemade kit is the bore brush. Attach the correct bore brush to the tip of the Tipton carbon fiber cleaning rod.
I prefer the bronze brushes, but you can also get the nylon models if you’re worried about bronze doing damage to your barrel.
Once you have the right bore brush attached for your barrel, spray the foam solvent inside the barrel and run the cleaning rod through a couple of times. This prepares your barrel for the Nope Rope to clean up any residual particulates inside your barrel.
What Are the Benefits of the Tipton Rifle Bore Brush Set?
Great versatility- The reason I like the Tipton bore brush kit as much as I do is the versatility of having a brush for every rifle I use.
Caliber-specific brushes provide better cleaning– When you use a brush that is caliber specific to your rifling, it makes for a better clean. The reason is that the brush is made in the exact dimensions for each potential rifle barrel. This precision ensures the brush covers the entire interior of the barrel when cleaning.
Bronze or nylon construction– Using bronze as the metal is great because it’s still rigid, but not as hard as steel so it won’t damage your barrel. Nylon is great because it’s softer than metal and is 100% solvent-resistant. In short, the nylon will for sure protect your barrel and it won’t degrade from use with solvents or other cleaning chemicals.
Many companies make alternatives to the Tipton Nope Rope, but I’ve had a lot of success with this brand for my 30-06 and 7mm Rem Mag.
Once I use my solvent and push my cleaning rod through a couple of times, I’m ready to use my Tipton Nope Rope to pick up anything else that may be still inside my barrel. This also helps spread the solvent around inside the barrel to absorb and lubricate the barrel evenly.
What Are the Benefits of the Tipton Nope Rope?
Durable construction- The first reason I use the Tipton Nope Rope is its durability. As long as you use it as directed and store it appropriately, this will last a few years at least.
2-pack– The package for 9mm, .223/5.56mm NATO, and 12Ga bore cleaner comes with 2 Nope Ropes.
Time-saver-The Tipton Nope Rope has attachable ends on each rope to allow a continuous loop of cleaning, instead of feeding the rope through the bore every time.
storage container- In order to keep track of all my tools, I prefer to have storage containers for each item. This allows me to keep better organization and cleanliness.
Prevents carbon build-up– The whole point of using a Nope Rope after a bore brush is to mop up all the carbon, copper, and steel particles that could be in your barrel.
Chemical-Resistant– The Tipton Nope Rope doesn’t let the solvents, lubricants, or any other gun cleaner deteriorate your fabric.
The Tipton Silicone Clothis one of those items that many hunters don’t think they need but really do. My father was a Master Mechanic for much of his life and he always would stress to me how important it was to use the right cloth on a car’s finish.
I’ve never really been into cars, but I do love everything about guns and optics. I’ve learned that if I’m going to lube the outside of a barrel or scope housing, I need to use the right cloth to wipe it down.
I probably use it too much, but I put oil on my barrels and scope housing after every hunt or shooting session at the range.
I use the Tipton cloth because it absorbs gun oil really well, provides a shiny appearance, and most importantly, prevents corrosion from the elements.
What Are the Benefits of the Tipton Silicone Gun Cloth?
Prevents Corrosion and Rust- Silicone is very pliable and malleable, allowing the cloth to reach every crack and scratch from the day out in the woods.
Never drys out- How many people have hand clothes they use for a few weeks and then they dry out? It happens all the time, especially once you have these cleaning chemicals on them. The Tipton Silicone cloth hasn’t dried out with the multiple rifles and shotguns that I’ve used it on over the past year.
Affordable Price- I have a total of 3 clothes because I got them for under $8.00 per cloth.
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