Don’t get us wrong, we love summer. Especially when you live in an area like we do, you need to enjoy every second of summer sun you can get. That doesn’t mean we aren’t counting down the days to fall though. Let’s be honest, fall is our season.

After spending the off season in the safe, your rifles and shotguns are probably ready to get back out there too. Here are a few tips and tricks to get your firearms dusted off and ready to get back into the business of filling freezers. Remember to always follow the fundamental rules of firearm safety.

For starters, let’s get your firearm back down to the bare bones. If you used a long term protectant, use a gun scrubber like Shooter’s Choice Quick Scrub to degrease those surfaces. If you used something like a CLP or general protectant, we’re big fans of our tried and true O85® for a season kickoff cleaning.

Next, we suggest a quick breakdown to clean off old protectant or CLP to give those dormant mechanisms a fresh coat of lubricant for when things get running again. Take the bolt out, clean the chamber and apply a generous coating of lubricant.

Depending on what you like in a lubricant, we offer a variety to choose from, ranging from our grease, to our traditional Firearm Lubricant, to Dry Lube, which is loved by duck hunters.

Now it’s time to check your zero.

Since August is National Shooting Sports Month, you can kill two birds with one stone by heading to the range to get your rifle sighted in and by spending a day at the range. Know someone who is interested in learning about shooting sports? Invite them along and share the knowledge!

Once your firearm is dusted off, cleaned up, and zeroed in, give it a quick wipe down and re lube. The Ripcord® is an excellent way to clear carbon and fouling out of your bore after getting things all sighted in.

Lastly, pop your Bore Stick™ back in the end of your barrel and head back to the safe until it’s go time.

Prepping for the beginning of the season is as much superstition and tradition as it is science. What traditions guide your fall prep ritual?