I try to shoot my rifles year around and after each use, I give them a "once over" depending on if they are a hunting rifle or a target rifle. Hunting rifle: Some Hoppes down the bore, a bronze brushing, patch 'til it's dry and a oil patch followed by two dry patches. Wipe down the outside with an oil rag. (oil rag is kept in a sealed baggy and a tbsp of gun oil, is put on it after each use before putting it up unless is seems to be getting too oily).
Right before hunting season, I give each hunting rifle a deep cleaning: I go after the copper fouling, I spray brake cleaner into the trigger assembly and into the lug recesses in the action. I play hide and seek with Q tips and such. I coat the barrel channel and any hidden wood surfaces with a coat of Johnsons paste wax and run a oil rag over all the metal surfaces. I oil the bore as above, check the mounting screws on the scope and put it back together. Then I verify zero and don't touch the rifle until after hunting season. I may run an oil rag over the outside to cut some dust but I don't touch the bore. If I get caught in a rain storm or fall in a cattle tank, I'll protect the scope lenses and spray the entire rifle down with WD-40, lock, stock, and barrel. I'll use the little nipple thingy to get into the trigger assembly and into the creavesses in the lug lock ups. I'll blast it down into the firing pin hole and so forth. I let it stand muzzle down for a while and the wipe it down as best I can, pull a bore snake thru the bore a couple of times and go hunting. I don't take the rifle apart. There'll be time for that when I get home.
When I get home, I take the rifle down and give it a pretty good cleaning and then go back to my sloppy ways.
