Question about rifle hunting and rifle cleaning chemicals

[Gigolo]

I'm planning on getting into rifle hunting next deer season and I have a question about gun cleaning chemicals used to clean firearms vs exposure to meat in the field.

I currently use Break Free CLP which is a petroleum based chemical and I plan one switching over to a non-toxic CLP like Seal-1 for all my firearms as a personnel choice, but that's irrelevant.

My question is, and I'm sure this is just me overthinking this but, should there be any concerns in regards to touching the rifles surface that have petroleum chemical residues on it and touching the deer and meat in the field?

Obviously, one doesn't want those chemical getting into their food and the bullet going down the barrel is going to burn off any oil residue on the bullet from the heat, and most people wear latex gloves when dressing a dear, my gut feeling is that I'm over thinking this and it's not an issue. What does everyone else think?

 

[jdemocko]

You are over-thinking this. Think about how many steps are taken after the animal is down. Unless you handle your cleaned rifle just before you cut up the meat, I think you will be fine.

 

[Laelkhunter]

I also believe you are overthinking this. Also, I would not consider CLP (Break Free) as a bore cleaner. It might be a marginal lubricant, but you will need something better to clean the carbon and copper fouling when it comes time to do so.
I think the possibility of lead contamination of the meat from bullet fragments (unless you are shooting mono bullets) is more of a concern than contamination of the meat from cleaning compounds left in the barrel and transferred to the meat by the bullet. Make sure you trim bloodshot meat at impact area and exit area, and inspect the meat for signs of lead fragments on and near the bullet path.

Good luck!!

 

[mtwarych]

You will absorb far more cleaning chemicals from cleaning the rifle than any transfer to the meat.

If you are concerned about chemicals, wear some sort of protective glove and wash your hands well.

The worry about absorbing chemicals is founded due to the use of some pretty hairy compounds in the solutions we use for rifle maintenance.

Better safe than sorry. I don't wear gloves but I wash my hands after reloading and rifle maintenance.

 

[300RUM LNGRNGE]

Yeah, waaay over-thinking this.....I don't eat the meat that I blew apart, meaning usually the wound channel is blood shot/tore up and I cut around that.
If it concerns you , after cleaning, run some hand sanitizer in the first few inches of the muzzle.........but then what about the bacteria in the air between you and your game.......

I think the media has everyone so over sensitive to this kind of thing.
For example, a friend of mine had his kid in for lead testing, she tested high and the suggestion was made to remove all lead products from the household. The lead product in the house was paint. Old house, all the wood was painted. to get rid of this, you either strip it all down and re-paint (which would release the lead into the air causing a bigger problem), or replace all the wood.
My friend could afford to do neither and upon the next check-up, lo and behold, lead levels still high. Explained his plight to the doctor who told him ...the doctor , mind you, ...that the lead discussion is blown way out of proportion and that unless his kid was eating lead exclusively for breakfast every day, not to worry about it.

 

[257ackleyhunter]

what the others have said is right. what ive used for the 20+ years ive been shooting and hunting is FP-10 for a lubricant and Shooters choice for a bore solvent. when i joined the military i already had more experience cleaning guns than the people trying to train me. it was the most irritating thing using CLP for everything when i knew it wasnt getting the weapon perfectly clean. thats my prefrence but other shooters also like hoppes no. 9 and it probably works just fine as well. if your worried about meat cleanliness something my dad and i do is wiped down the whole animal with warm water and vinegar after youve skinned it. its a natural cleaner and safe for meat.

 

[gohring3006]

Man....
I eat my lunch sitting on a stump in the middle of the woods. I never wash my hands and spill saw gas and bar oil on my gloves and bare hands daily.
I also bite down on lead shot when I eat rabbit and squirrel....
Good luck to you...

Another thing.... I remember going fishing with my dad when I was very young. We fished all day with night crawlers and chicken liver. Dad always brought sandwiches, and I honestly don't remember washing my hands before I ate...

 

[geo4061]

You must be a biologist. My daughter is and she is way over the top on anything that might cause chemical contamination. I do not want to spend my life that paranoid.

 

[dig]

Most people fail to realize the extreme heat in a rifle barrel cleans any barell oil out at shot one. We debate on all these great products and they are gone after the trigger is pulled.

 

[Seabeeken]

Yeah, I know its an old thread but just finished testing Seal 1 CLP and their copper and lead remover on my 284 win and wanted to address the OP with more current info. Jury still out on the lead but so far it does a very good job cleaning my bores. It does have issues with the hard packed carbon as you can see in the pics but then we all know that only an abrasive can get that out. I'm not a CLP fan as a result of the useless stuff we had in the military but this stuff works. excellent lube, no rust on any guns yet, and cleans powder fouling easily. After initial application, carbon doesn't seem to stick and just wipes off. It doesn't get gummy like the green paste nor does it seem to attract dirt and dust. A very little goes a long way and always wipe it off as it still protects and lubes after wiping down. it does what they say it does. Just ordered a larger batch of it

 

[memtb]

Welcome to the forum……..and "no" to your question!

As stated by dig….the extreme heat caused by the friction of it's trip down the barrel, has pretty thoroughly "sanitized" the bullet! memtb