Boresnakes - your opinion?

[elkeater2]

On my last outing, twice I slipped and got snow in the muzzle, and part way down the bore. I ended up taking tall grass stems and feeding them through until I couldn't see any snow or junk. It wasn't snowing, or I would probably have had some kind of muzzle protection - I usually do if it's snowing or raining or looks like it is going to.
So I picked up a couple boresnakes on the way home, and have been reading all the hype on the web about them. Some people say they use them all the time, and don't use a rod or patches at all.

Do you guys use them? Are there any things to watch out for? I really like the idea for field use, but not quite ready to put my solvents, patches, and rods away. I've never used a brush on a 'dry' barrel before, always ran a soaked patch through first.

EE2

 

[jmad_81]

I have a bunch of them. They might work for getting "hunting hazzards" out of the barrel like you described, but they don't take fouling out IMO. They are no sub for a good scrubbing with a rod and some patches. I don't like the wire that they have on them. I'm always afriad that they are scratching the bore. I don't use them anymore because of that.

 

[DrMike]

Boresnakes are good for emergency situations such as you described. For cleaning, you are better off using a rod.

 

[kendog]

a piece of black tape over the muzzle all season is what I do.

 

[elkeater2]

Jmad_81 & Dr. Mike (that sounds like a sci-fi movie title :grin: ) - I agree, thanks for the input. Jmad_81, I don't use metal brushes often at all, for the same reasons you gave. My boresnakes will be in with my hunting gear, not in my range box. I can fall down in the snow and not have to pull my lighter out to heat the barrel and melt the snow out. :lol:

kendog, I don't think that far ahead some days. I have used black tape, bandaids, balloons, a finger cut off a latex glove, and something else that looks a lot like it :roll:

EE2

 

[kendog]

yeah, I was guilty a time or two last season. But a person SHOULD do that lol. :?

 

[JD338]

I use bore snakes for a quick wipe of the barrel and a light protective coat of oil to endure the elements.

A through cleaning requires a good quality cleaning rod.

JD338

 

[corbin9191]

I use the bore snake and the boreblast when I am out in the field in case I get something in the barrel.

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

Same here.

I try to throw one in the day pack, or cargo pocket, but never use them when I'm in civilization.

 

[FOTIS]

Boresnakes = quickie :mrgreen:

 

[tyson22250]

I used to use bore snakes all the time for every cal i used. Then about two weeks ago i had one break off in my .308 and tried for hours to get it out. Finally had to take it to a gunsmith and he could get it out but at the cost of takeing the barrel off of action to gain enough access. Not sure if i will touch another bore snake now, was not a fun time.

 

[1Shot]

I don't like any snakes live ones or dead ones. :mrgreen:

Here is a little trick I picked up. For emergency bore cleaning on a hunting trip here is a way to make a very light weight cleaning tool. Take a length of weedeater line about 6 inches longer than your barreled action. Light one end on fire to get it melting then blow it out and quickly press it on a hard surface to make a flattened button end. Make sure the button is not larger than your bore diameter you will use it through. You can file or sand it down to fit. Then sharpen the other end of the line so it will punch through a patch. Keep you some patches and a small bottle of solvent with the line coiled up in a zip lock bag. To use the cleaner just poke the sharpened end through the center of a patch and push the patch down to the button end. Stick the sharpened end into your chamber end and push it through and out the muzzle and grab that end and pull the patch through.

This works very well on revolvers or other weapons that you can not clean from the breach end so you don't take the chance of messing up the crown by cleaning from the muzzle with a rod. To remove copper and lead just use the proper cleaners on a patch or use one of the foaming bore cleaners.

 

[corbin9191]

I don't like any snakes live ones or dead ones. :mrgreen:

Here is a little trick I picked up. For emergency bore cleaning on a hunting trip here is a way to make a very light weight cleaning tool. Take a length of weedeater line about 6 inches longer than your barreled action. Light one end on fire to get it melting then blow it out and quickly press it on a hard surface to make a flattened button end. Make sure the button is not larger than your bore diameter you will use it through. You can file or sand it down to fit. Then sharpen the other end of the line so it will punch through a patch. Keep you some patches and a small bottle of solvent with the line coiled up in a zip lock bag. To use the cleaner just poke the sharpened end through the center of a patch and push the patch down to the button end. Stick the sharpened end into your chamber end and push it through and out the muzzle and grab that end and pull the patch through.

This works very well on revolvers or other weapons that you can not clean from the breach end so you don't take the chance of messing up the crown by cleaning from the muzzle with a rod. To remove copper and lead just use the proper cleaners on a patch or use one of the foaming bore cleaners.

I know what I am doing when I get home. Thanks for the tip!

 

[ScreaminEagle]

When it comes to shotguns I only use boresnakes. My stepdad had an old side by side that hadn't been used in decades. A couple passes with the boresnake and the barrels were as clean as could be. when it comes to rifles, though I only use them for quick cleanings, but for a good cleaning it's hard to beat a rod and brush.

 

[wcstacf]

Hello elkeater,

I like boresnakes and use them from time to time. I know a lot of people have concerns about the brush. What I do is dip the fabric area just before the brush in some solvent and then make 3-4 passes. The first pass results in a lot of the solvent coming out. I then run patches through until they come out clean and dry.

What I am finding myself doing more often now is using foaming bore cleaner like bore-kleenz. I prop the gun upright on a towel and spray some of the cleaner in the barrel until it oozes out. I let is set over night. This lets the cleaner break up the copper build up and drain out on the towel. I come back the next night with another application. I come back the following night and the towel has a nice bluish-green stain from the copper fouling that drained out. Then I soak some patches in liquid cooper solvent and run them through the barrel a few times and then clean up with dry patches. This way a brush does not touch the barrel. It takes some time but the gun comes out clean.

 

[sean1504]

i have a few boresnakes, I only use them for in between cleaning when I'm out shooting a bunch of squirrels. Nothing beats a good cleaning with proper gear.

 

[hardpan]

hey elkeater,
I use them (boresnakes) all the time. In fact, I have not had any problems with fouling, in spite of some of the warnings that we have here. not sure about the builtin brushes. Most of my guns have less than 300 rounds through them. And I really like them for shotguns.
hardpan

 

[SJB358]

I always carry a boresnake in 5.56 in some part of my gear while deployed. Makes cleaning sand and grit quick and easy. I also use a boresnake in most caliber I own just to wipe some fouling out of the barrel. I leave the heavy cleaning to patches and one piece rods though. Scotty