The Costly Mistakes Shotgun Hunters Make During and After the Season

Don’t Let “Good Enough” Ruin Your Hunt

A shotgun that won’t cycle, a choke tube welded in place, and a case that turns into a rust incubator… It’s amazing how fast “brand new” becomes “why is this happening to me?”

In today’s video, we kick things off with a little “tale as old as time” featuring our fictional buddy Greg—who treats shotgun maintenance like it’s optional… until his semi-auto starts acting like a single-shot, his choke tube won’t come out, and he can’t even get the barrel off.

The point of the video isn’t just to roast Greg (even though he’s asking for it). It’s to help you avoid the most common in-season mistakes that lead to malfunctions and damage, and then walk through the end-of-season process that keeps your shotgun protected, reliable, and ready for next year. 

Otis & Shooter’s Choice cleaning products show up as the products we're using, but the bigger mission is simple: keep your shotgun reliable, protected, and valuable for the long haul.

If you have experience with the shotgun cleaning and storage mistakes we cover here (or any we didn't talk about!), let us know your thoughts on the  TFL COMMUNITY!

In-Season Mistakes

Mistake #1: Storing your shotgun in a case between hunts

One of the biggest in-season mistakes is finishing a hunt, zipping the gun into a case, and leaving it there until the next outing. Cases trap moisture—moisture leads to rust—rust leads to regret.

Do this instead:
Store your shotgun somewhere it can breathe (safe/safe room/rack), so moisture isn’t trapped against metal surfaces.

Mistake #2: Not dealing with moisture after hunting

Hunting puts your shotgun through temperature swings, rain, mist, snow, and wet hands. Even if your gun “looks fine,” moisture is still a threat to any metal finish.

Do this instead:

• Wipe down the barrel and receiver to remove moisture

• Lightly protect exterior metal (Otis wipes or Shooters Choice CLP style products are quick and convenient, and they work great)

• If needed, do a quick pass into the chamber/barrel—not a deep clean, just moisture control and a light protective layer

This quick habit prevents surface rust and keeps the shotgun ready to go without issues between hunts.

Mistake #3: Never checking choke tubes until they’re seized

Choke tubes can become locked in the barrel if they’re never removed and maintained. And once they’re stuck… you’re one bad day away from “how did I wreck my choke wrench and my mood?”

Do this instead:

• Periodically remove the choke tube

• Wipe it down and clean the threads

• Re-grease the threads before reinstalling (Shooters Choice grease or Otis MC10)

If you want to go one step further, cleaning sprays + a brush make it easy to keep threads from building crud that leads to seizure.

Mistake #4: Cleaning the barrel but ignoring the parts that make the gun run

A lot of people will wipe down the gun or run something through the bore and assume they’re done. But reliability is usually won or lost in the moving parts, not the bore.

Gas semi-auto focus:

• Gas system gets carbon buildup fast

• Magazine tube, pistons, O-rings, cylinder/ports need attention

• Carbon buildup here directly affects cycling

Inertia gun focus:

• Bolt assembly and receiver channels/rails

• Trigger group (many people never pull it—big mistake)

• Receiver gunk creates friction, which can cause cycling issues

End of Season Mistakes

Mistake #1: Skipping the deep clean when the season ends

End-of-season is when you go beyond the quick wipe and actually deep clean the critical areas—especially if you’ve been in rough elements or put meaningful rounds through the gun.

Deep clean approach shown in the video:

• Use a cleaner that can soak and loosen carbon (MC7 is our choice)

• Scrub key areas (rails/channels/gas parts/bolt surfaces)

• Flush out residue so gunk isn’t left trapped in corners (Quick Scrup is the Ticket!)

• Let it dry

• Re-lube appropriately (inside moving parts = Dry Lube) + (exterior protection) 

Mistake #2: Forgetting the recoil spring (the sneaky malfunction culprit)

A shotgun can look clean and still run poorly if the recoil spring assembly is filthy—especially after wet, muddy, or heavily-used seasons.

When to consider it:

• After a few seasons

• After serious weather exposure

• If the gun starts running “off” despite looking clean

Big warning: capture that spring properly—if you don’t, it will launch across your shop like it’s trying out for the NFL.

Mistake #3: Deep cleaning the barrel…but forgetting the choke tube (again)

End-of-season cleaning is the time to go all the way on choke tubes:

• Clean threads inside the barrel (choke area)

• Clean choke tube threads and exterior

• Clean the inside diameter of the choke tube (plastic residue builds up where constriction happens)

If you shoot a lot—especially target volume—plastic wad residue can build up enough to matter.

Mistake #4: Treating all wood stocks the same

Wood needs different care depending on the finish.

Two common stock finishes:

• Polyurethane/clear coat (shiny, sealed)

• Oil finish (hand-rubbed, more “natural”)

The key point: you don’t want to rub the same products you use on exterior metal into an oil-finished stock. End-of-season is a good time to maintain wood so it doesn’t dry out and crack—or absorb moisture and swell.

Mistake #5: Storing your shotgun without controlling humidity

Storage is the final “make it or break it” step.

What to do:

• Store where you can monitor humidity (safe/safe room if possible)

• Use a hygrometer so you’re not guessing

• Too much humidity = rust risk

• Too little humidity = wood stock risk (drying/cracking)

In the video, I reference enthusiasts/collectors often aiming for around 45–50% humidity, and note how winter conditions can push spaces too dry.

Final detail most people miss: don’t grab the metal when putting it away

Once your gun is wiped down and protected, try not to handle the metal with bare hands as you store it. Oils from your skin can contribute to corrosion over time—especially on blued barrels.

Products Used in This Video

Below are the specific Otis & Shooter’s Choice cleaning products I used throughout the video. These aren’t “nice-to-haves”—they’re tools that make shotgun maintenance faster, easier, and more consistent, especially during the season when time matters.

Otis Technology

• Otis 085 Firearm Wipes
  Perfect for quick in-season wipe-downs. These make it easy to remove moisture and add light protection to exterior metal surfaces after a hunt.

• Otis MC7 Cleaner
  My go-to cleaner for deep cleaning. Used on barrels, chambers, bolts, receivers, gas systems, pistons, and magazine tubes to break down carbon and grime.

• Otis MC10 High-Performance Grease
  Applied to choke tube threads to prevent them from seizing. A small amount goes a long way and saves a lot of frustration.

• Otis Dry Lube
  Used on internal moving parts after cleaning. Great for hunting shotguns because it provides lubrication without attracting excess dirt and debris.

• Otis Steel Cleaning Rod
  A durable rod used with brushes and patches for proper barrel and choke cleaning during the deep-clean process.

Shooter's Choice

• Shooters Choice CLP
  Used for exterior metal protection and light lubrication. Ideal for wiping down metal surfaces before storage.

• Shooters Choice CLP Wipes
  A convenient alternative to firearm wipes for final exterior wipe-downs when putting a shotgun away.

• Shooters Choice MC7 Gun Cleaner
  Used interchangeably with Otis MC7 for cleaning choke tubes, threads, bolts, receivers, and gas-system components.

• Shooters Choice Shotgun & Choke Tube Cleaner
  Specifically used to clean choke tube threads and exterior surfaces to prevent carbon buildup and seizure.

• Shooters Choice Quick Scrub
  One of my favorite cleaning products. Used to flush out loosened carbon, solvents, and debris from receivers, gas systems, pistons, and trigger groups—fast and effective.

• Shooters Choice Grease
  Applied to choke tube threads as an alternative to MC10 grease to keep choke tubes removable and protected.