[good ole boy]

I own several and have heard different ways to use em.Do you all use solvent or oil on em? I,ve never done the oil but have used a little solvent but hear conflicting reports on where is the best place on the snake to put it.What is you all,s advice?

 

[Double Lung 20]

Holy smokes I was just about to ask the same thing.

 

[may79]

I'd like to hear some user feedback also...

 

[PAkilla86]

I run the bore snake 3-4 times with nothing on it, then I put a little hoppes 9 with weatherguard on the "loop" at the end after all brushes and pull it through another 2 times, 3 if the gun just came in from a wet hunting session or if its being put away for offseason. I have bore snakes for every gun I own and will get one for every new caliber I buy, imo they are the quickest and easiest way to clean a rifle hands down!

 

[BBB]

I don't use solvent on mine but I use rem oil or break free on the brush and loop .
Use a rod and brush when my gun needs a scrubing .

 

[theaceman]

I too have one for every caliber I own. (well...almost)

I typically spray G-96 cleaner down the bore...let it sit for a few minutes...then run the snake thru it.

Im not worried about it being on the snake, because I'll do the same thing next time.

 

[good ole boy]

What do you guys then use to oil the inside of the barrel?It seems like you still need a cleanin rod like BBB stated anyway.Use the snake for frequent cleanings rod and brush for thorough cleanings and to use with a patch to oil down the barrel.Theaceman has a good routine but you still have to oil down the bore.

 

[theaceman]

Not sure...I dont oil the bore, never have.

My dad used nothing but Hoppe's #9 to clean everything. I own 10 x's the oil he ever owned and that aint much. LOL

 

[Gunnermhr]

my opinion of a bore snake is it's better than nothing, but not by much. Get yourself a good Cleaning rod and bore guide, a couple brushes for each caliber and you'll be way better off. A brush without solvent, or putting a barrel away with oil?? This could be a whole other thread, Cleaning and proper storage. If you ever get the chance to look in your barrel with a bore scope, not a light, but a bore scope you would be surpised. Getting carbon fouling out is difficult enough with solvent. Go to a few barrel makers sites and search cleaning. Krieger has a nice site and if you navigate your way through Dan Lilja's site he actually has a video of the inside of a barrel taken with a bore scope. It isn't to show the cleaning process but it is very interesting. Bartlein's site is the one I like the best and also the guys I buy the most barrels from. I would ignore the break-in process on factory barrels, they are generally so rough the break in process is a waste of time. Cleaning is not!!

 

[Sethwood]

I shoot trap during the off season (non-hunting) usually once a week. I bought the Hoppe's bore snake that has a double brush at the top and it's the slickest thing for cleaning a shotgun bore ever.....EVER!!!.

Two pulls thru the barrel with a spray of the Hoppes on the copper brushes and you could comb your hair from the gleen off those barrel bores....if you head was small enough. But..I do know a few pin heads....sorry, I'll stay on track.

I shoot an over\under and the bore's are clean in under 2 minutes. Then I wipe down the outside, the action, then do a quick wipe with an oil patch outside. When I get home, I run a oil patch down the bore (light one if I'm going to shoot again soon, heavier if not).

These are the neatest things since sliced bread.

SW

(Didn't they invent sliced bread in the '70's?)

 

[Gunnermhr]

Shotgun Great, Rifle not so great. Two entirely different scenarios

 

[good ole boy]

Very interesting comments.Thank you and keep em comin.

 

[outofstater]

my opinion of a bore snake is it's better than nothing, but not by much. Get yourself a good Cleaning rod and bore guide, a couple brushes for each caliber and you'll be way better off. A brush without solvent, or putting a barrel away with oil?? This could be a whole other thread, Cleaning and proper storage. If you ever get the chance to look in your barrel with a bore scope, not a light, but a bore scope you would be surpised. Getting carbon fouling out is difficult enough with solvent. Go to a few barrel makers sites and search cleaning. Krieger has a nice site and if you navigate your way through Dan Lilja's site he actually has a video of the inside of a barrel taken with a bore scope. It isn't to show the cleaning process but it is very interesting. Bartlein's site is the one I like the best and also the guys I buy the most barrels from. I would ignore the break-in process on factory barrels, they are generally so rough the break in process is a waste of time. Cleaning is not!!

Excellant post. You should of went for the gold and give your way step by step. There are many people out there that doesent know the proper way to clean.

 

[kozman4907]

I use them only in camp. I place a few drops of #9 and then run it tru the bbl. I give them s real clean after the season.

 

[Gunnermhr]

Outofstater, I don't know if it's the "Right" way or not but I have good proven results cleaning my BR guns this way and I've looked though the barrel more times than not with a Bore Scope through the process. A good cleaning rod and a bore guide are a must, I have a couple Dewey rods and a Tipton, I like the Tipton better, there are a lot of good rods out there.

I first run 2 patches of solvent, Use you choice here, I don't want to start an argument. Then soak a bronze brush with solvent and run it back and forth 10 times, sometimes I'll do 5 passes and put more solvent on it, once you get a feel for it you can almost tell when you need to do it. Then I run solvent patches though until they come out clean, pass dry patches though until they are dry. This will get rid of most of the carbon fouling, maybe not all.

Now onto copper, the best stuff I've found is KG-12, it is wonderful stuff and the most aggresive on copper, once again verified with a bore scope. Follow the directions and it will work wonders, soak a patch and run it back and forth 20 times, don't use a bronze brush, the KG-12 will eat at the brush. KG-12 isn't ammonia based, your patches will not come out blue, the bad part about that is without a bore scope it's very hard to tell if you have all the copper out. Once I'm done with that I run dry patches though until they come out dry.

Back to 2 patches soaked in solvent, then soak the brush and run it through 5 to 10 times. Run solvent soaked patches though until they come out clean, then run dry until they are dry. I like to finish up with a patch with a few drops of Kroil to protect against rust.

There are several good carbon solvents on the market, I never really compared them to see which cleans better. If things get real bad you can use JB bore paste or Flitz, I usually use one of those once throughout the season and then again at the end. But keep in mind, these barrels are getting between 800 and 1200 rounds through them a year, A hunting rifle won't see that many rounds in it's lifetime, well most wont anyhow.

My deer rifle is a straight factory 25-06 Remington, that barrel is so rough inside, I do that cleaning regimen at the end of season and call it good, I know there is still copper in it but so what, a couple shots a year and it's still accurate enough to shoot a deer at the distance I expect.

 

[good ole boy]

It,s good to be back.I couldn,t wait till 2:00.Good regimen Gunner.That,s pretty much the way I did it but wanted to see about everybodys snake method.