i was out shooting targets last weekend with my 30-06 and it was fairly cold out about 5-6F. i shot three rounds no problem, and then after about 5 min shot 3 more and all was fine, then after about 10-15 min i went to shoot 3 more and all i got was "click". so i tried another "click" anyways i got two cartridges to fire and had about 8 more clicks. i was told that i had too much oil in the bolt, so i took the bolt apart last night and cleaned it out real good with brake clean and then put oil on the firing pin/spring and wiped the excess off, put it back together and then gave the part of the bolt where the safety is and the bolt lever handle one drop of oil. now i am wondering did i do everthing right and will i have this problem again. one more thing the gun i have is a winchester 30-06 Model 70.

was it only one shell? or all the ones you tried?? what did the primers look like? indented as they should been as if they were fired or just barely dented/not at all?? could be an ammo problem..bad shell...bad primer....lot of things....dont know about too much oil....never had a problem in the cold either.....someone smarter then me may know the answer....

The only place you should put a drop of oil on a bolt action rifle is the camming surface of the bolt. This is the angle that is cut into the back of the bolt that pushes the cocking piece back. And I don't use oil for this either. I use a small pin head size of white grease.

After I put any oil on my firearms I completely wipe it off. The very thin film that is left is plenty sufficient to keep it from rusting.

Oil is the number one cause of firearm malfunction.

so you are saying that i shouldnt have coated the firing pin with oil and then wipe it off, i did that to prevent it from corrosion. well i will try out what i did and hope for the best, if the problem persists i will clean it out with brake clean again and the only thing i will oil/grease is that cam you said.

to respond to your question about what the primer looked like, it only had a slight indent in it compared to the ones that actually fired for me. it wasnt all the shells, i got a couple of them to fire, out of about ten eight misfired, but that doesnt include the first six i shot, they fired no problem

anyone with more ideas on this subject please respond to me i am one for vast knowledge and tricks of the trade.

I would submit that a gun in good working condition needs NO oil in cold weather. If it is clean and smooth working, then it should operate better BONE DRY than with any lube on it. A little graphite is better in sub-freezing temps...in my opinion.
If any gun is working roughly when completely void of oil, but seems to work a little better with some lube...then that gun needs some buffing and polishing...maybe more.

Agree \06

No that is fine but you need to wipe all of it off. The super thin film that is left will prevent rust inside the bolt.

It should be a close to dry as you can get it.

A bottle of oil should last you years.

I have to ask were they reloads . I had almost a identical situation happen and it turned out to be a bad primers . I checked the rounds in another gun and got the same results some would fire but not all of them .

I want to add that I DO believe in oiling my guns....but I do it when I put them away. During their use at the range or in the field I rarely, if ever, have any lube of them. And if I do, it is only if it is above 40 degrees outside....and a dose of damp weather. They might sport a thin film of silicone...
But when I put them to bed in the gun locker, they have been given a close cleaning, inspection, and wiped down with a film of oil for storage.
Once out of the locker for use, I make sure they a clean as a whistle and bone dry....maybe a little graphite around the bolt.
The big thing is to make your gun work well and keep away the rust. Whatever you are able to do to maintain the "health" of your guns while protecting the flawless operation is everybody's goal.

that sucks 4 u