Cleaning kits
 

I need to get a good cleaning kit for my bolt action rifle but don't know much about what's a good one to buy. I am not a competition shooter but shoot a decent amount. Any advice on brands and types is appreciated.

Start with one one these;

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...-box.jsp.form1



When you have time to do a complete job;


http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...box.jsp.form23

Hope this helps

I just get stuff individually. Say, a bore guide, a good stick, jags, brushes, patches, brushes, solvent. If you tinker much, a gun vise would be awfully nice......

Whatever you do, get a good cleaning rod. I think a coated steel one would be best. Those aluminum ones are junk.

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.

the problem with the steel rod is its of comparable or greater hardness than the metal in the bore...you will ruin your throat, rifling and crown in a hurry...

cleaning rods ruin more bores than anything else..


get yourself a coated 1 piece dewey rod or equivalent...and a bore guide for your rifle...

then you'll have no worries...

always use brass attachments as well...and if you need a brush, make sure the part that holds the bristles is brass...most are steel or aluminum..its almost tricky to find brass ones...but they are out there...


your right about grime and gunk and junk getting on the rod...simple..wipe it off with each pass...i havent had anything "embed" im by coated dewey rod coating..

Lucas bore guide, Tipton carbon fiber rod, Tipton brushes and jags, Shooters Choice solvent, RemOil or CLP...

I was thinking about getting a bore snake. Are they worth getting and do they really clean the barrel good or just for a quick clean?

I only use them for hunting. For range use they are inadequate.

Get a Dewey rod, and a bore guide. Then buy a jag and a brush. You should be out the door for less than $50. Tax and all. Think how much you'd be out if you wrecked a rifle.

Tom

I think I might take your advice on this. Thanks for everyone's input.

At home I use Tipton rods with bore guides.When hunting I carry the Otis kit.These days I'm using Butch's Bore shine and oil with his triple twill patches.

I've heard of guys using a bore snake after every shot to prolonged barrel life, but not for a good cleaning...

I like those Otis (With a cable )cleaning kits that come in a small pouch ( for my semi autos, leverguns & when space is limited etc)

Maybe I'm missing something here--I like to run a patch through with a good solvent on it, then a couple passes with the bore snake and then a patch that very lightly coats the bore with a good oil after each outing or trip to the range. It seems to me that the bore snakes do an excellent job and are well sized for the individual caliber--I have three for my .204, cut the brush and tail off of one of them, gave it a light coat of oil and use that one before putting the rifle away. This is a Browning A-bolt and the accuracy has been outstanding--of course I also run a patch or two through it before heading back out to the range to remove the oil and to make certain the bore is clear and dry. What I'm asking is why some shooters aren't real bore snake fans, because I feel they work very well and leave the bore very clean, I would have thought they would be more popular--What is the problem with them?----------John

I find it easier to throw away a patch from a cut up t-shirt than to have to wash or replace a bore snake. Nothing against bore snakes. They work great!

Usually Dewey cleaning rods get lots of great press however, I had one and I can't say I was at all impressed with it. I didn't really like the handle or the rod or really anything about it. The coating wore off very quickly. I guess it's better than a cheap $2 rod from Wally World but it just didn't impress me. Next I tried a Tipton Carbon Fiber rod and I absolutely love these things. IMO it's one of the best cleaning rods out there. There is no comparison at all between this and the Dewey rod. It doesn't have that coating to wear off, has a awesome handle, and isn't metal so doesn't seem to be able to bend. I really like this thing and would highly recommend the Tipton cleaning rods. Some people do like the Dewey rod's though so you might like one I just didn't. Then I just use cheap brushes from Walmart, Bass Pro, etc. Tipton makes a kit of different brushes and stuff but I haven't bought it to see how it is.

I stick with the Pro-Shot products. They're made well and made here in the midwest.

I'll be checking one of those out next time I'm at a shop.

Tom

The most important component is a coated or fiber rod, and a boreguide. Good luck.

Does anyone use the Tipton bore guide? If so, have you considered finding/making a secondary insert like the one's found on the Lucas bore guide?