ORIGINAL: Garminator
In my opinion, I don't think that you have to use brushes at all. If you clean your barrel soon after shooting, some soaked patches w/solvent followed by a few dry ones will do just fine. Too many people damage their barrels and cause excessive/unnecessary wear on thieir barrels by scrubbing the heck out of the rifling. Just my 2cents.
Just curious, how does a soft metal like "brass" on a bore brush, wear out a "steel rifle barrel"? If that was the case, the Rifle manufacture's would put a warning right on the gun not to use them!! I've never seen any warnings concerning using a brass cleaning brush?