I purchased a stainless rod. I may be way out in left field, but, due to the hardness of the steel, it is my belief that the rod would be less prone to "gunk" embedding in the rod itself versus those made of softer material. I wipe down my rod after each pass through the bore. I would suggest purchasing a rod that is long enough so it can be run from chamber to muzzle whenever possible. Bolt action verses pump, semi-auto etc. Stay away from aluminum, and especially those that are multi-segmented. I do carry a small breakdown steel rod in my fanny pack when afield just to take care of barrel obstructions should the need arise.