Both guys above are right BUT things change depending on what you're putting down that bore throat.

Dvdegeorge gets away with soap -- gets away with a jag instead of a bore brush because George is probably using a lubricant in the bore to keep fouling soft AND he's probably using powder charges mild enough to not produce leading. He obviously is not using copper-clad bullets or plastic sabots.

I know poster Cayugad is mostly-always reaching for the max...lol He'll buy those monster 500+ grain bullets & try to knock down a thick steel sheet wall he has standing up in his backyard around 90 yards from where he shoots... lol again!

My sidelock cleaning is more similar to Cayugad's because I toy with so many different bullets/powders. I'll use a weak cleaner at first to remove 90% of the crap. Anything in a small spray bottle like alcohol or Windex will work. Then I remove the nipple & reach for a small funnel that fits in the muzzle. I'll pour 15-20 ounces down the funnel with semi-hot tap water. You'll see chunks coming out the empty nipple hole.

I'll have my ramrod, bore brush & two patches right next to me & use those immediately to dry the bore best I can to avoid flash rust. I scramble over to my cleaning bench & use stronger cleaners to remove according to the type of bullet I shot -- or how much powder I burned because heavy powder charges of a powder like 777 will leave behind leading, plastic or copper in your rifling that a jag CANNOT remove... must be a bore brush for that. Stuff like lead & plastic need removal after most range work where 20 shots or-so are fired. Copper-cladding generally can wait for around 75 shots or-so. It's residue is much thinner than lead or plastic.

After that's clean, I'll use a displacing cleaner on a patch to remove the solvent leftovers. It could be alky again -- could be Kroil, Ballistol.... even yucky WD-40. I'll dry-patch that (always use a brush) ... then reach for top-notch storing oils like Birchwood Casey Sheath, Rem-Oil/Teflon, Breakfree CLP. However, I never dry-patch storing oils because I keep my clean breechplugs, nipples, bolster screws in a sandwitch baggie hanging from the muzzle in my gun safe.

I generally put a sheet of paper towel on my safe floor & hang my clean rifle muzzle-down for a week. Any remnants of excess oil will drip out onto the paper towel. Then I turn the gun over muzzle-up for the remainder of the time.

When cleaning breechplugs/nipples, I do it over the sink but block the sink hole because sometimes holding the nipple with pliers or needle-nose pliers ain't good enough.... they occasionally drop while brushing them with a toothbrush or cleaning the insides with a paper-clip end... or something similar like a sewing needle or safety pin. Automotive Brake Cleaner in a spray with the long red straw-like nozzle attachment is used more on guns than your car brakes.... lol. Works great on nipples, breechplugs... etc. Don't get this stuff on your gun anywhere. It destroys finishes real fast. Also watch out for Brake Cleaner splashes from the hard stream spray. Don't get it on your clothes either.

Small threads like nipples & screws need anti-seize with 777. Shotgun Choke Tube Lube in huntin'/gun stores are squeeze tubes with a nice small head that releases very little at a time... perfect for stuff like itsy-bitsy bolster screws, nipples.