The shine you see in the pictures is just a fresh coat of BLO rubbed over the steel wooled varnish to even out the finish. After it dried, I waxed the rifle with johnsons paste wax, and the shine is gone. Outdoor pictures also make it reflect more than it looks in person.
Thanks for all the help and comments! I plan on trying to take a deer or two with the rifle this fall in Tennessee.
Chuck