On Saturday I bought a new cleaning rod because my T/C alluminum pack rod broke last time I used it and the tip keeps coming off of my rod on my gun so I had no rod to clean with!!(I need to glue those). The rod I got came with some 50cal brushes but I gave those to a friend who has a 50cal. The rod is really thick and made out of solid brass. It breaks down into 3 pieces. The rod worked really well and should hold up really good. It also came with a bore guide thing that sits on the muzzle and helps keep the ramrod strait.

To the cleaning part.... I went thru several buckets of HOT soapy water because they kept getting really dirty. I ran several patches thru it pumping that really hot water thru the bore. I have a 54cal and decidedto get out a 20ga bronze brush. It was tight but it scrubbed every square inch of that barrel. I used that several times after every so many patches. I think it really helped. I think I am going to start using 58cal brushes in my barrel instead of 54cal or 20ga. I might use a 20ga every once in a while when I want a good scrub. I suggest trying the next caliber up brush in you muzzleloaders. After several buckets of nasty water I finally got to where the water stayed clean. I think I really scrubbed all of that junk out of my barrel so it should shoot better now. I still want to get a GM 58cal barrel for elk hunting so I can have that extra power!