bore snakes

radio1ham

Member
i have 2 of these one for my .223 and one for my .243 rifle ,, i was wondering if any one else uses these and what are
your opinions on them
 
i have 2 of these one for my .223 and one for my .243 rifle ,, i was wondering if any one else uses these and what are
your opinions on them

i,ve got one for my .270 ,think their really good , i put forrest bore in then leave for a couple of mins then 3 or 4 pulls with the bore snake , it really cleans the chamber
 
They're not a substitute for a proper clean imo. I do use them though. Was stalking in another part of the country this last week and had one with me. They are good in an emergency and I use it with a bit of oil on it when I'm done and an oily rag for the rest so that rust doesn't form whilst in transit. Important with weather like we've been having. Next chance I get the rifle will get a proper clean.
 
I have a bore snake for my 22/250 which I use on my .22lr
And one for my 308 they do the job just fine.

Atb kev
 
They are ok for a quick clean in the field or overnight whilst on a trip and I do have them.

However.

I have read though and, after consideration I agree that repeated use of pull throughs can damage the crown.
 
As already said Bore Snakes are good for emergency use but they can damage the crown with repeated use if they are not pulled straight out of the barrel.

Also they can become embedded with dirt and grit which can score the bore, you wouldn't reuse the same dirty patch on a cleaning rod...
 
May well regret the post here.... :D

I believe there is a damage issue - but strongly believe everyone has the right to treat their property as they see fit and have their opinion etc. So I just pose one query.

In terms of cleaning the barrel. Where does the 'dirt' go with a bore snake? With a spear tip jag and one direction use I can see the outcome and that the 'dirt' is on the patch I discard. Where is it with the bore snake?
 
May well regret the post here.... :D

I believe there is a damage issue - but strongly believe everyone has the right to treat their property as they see fit and have their opinion etc. So I just pose one query.

In terms of cleaning the barrel. Where does the 'dirt' go with a bore snake? With a spear tip jag and one direction use I can see the outcome and that the 'dirt' is on the patch I discard. Where is it with the bore snake?

They can be washed but for those who use one as their only cleaning method it is unlikely that it would be washed often enough to clean the barrel. In fact most boresnakes I've seen are very grubby! At best you would be moving the dirt around in the barrel and mixing it with oil and solvent or whatever which would then create a muddy film. I can't imagine what this does to the barrel when the rifle is next fired.
 
I use one for my 243 and one for my 30/06, I give the first few inches a spray with oil and then after 25 rounds or so I dip the first bit in hopped bore cleaner and pull through a few times, then squeeze dry the snake and oil it and pull through a couple more times.

never had a problem with accuracy or barrel/crown damage.

regards,
gixer
 
I would never use one on my rifles for three reasons
1 they do damage the crown if they are not pulled though perfectly straight
2 they do collect grit which is then pulled though the bore
3 if one breaks off in the bore the barrel is a write off, they cannot be removed
 
I would never use one on my rifles for three reasons
1 they do damage the crown if they are not pulled though perfectly straight
2 they do collect grit which is then pulled though the bore
3 if one breaks off in the bore the barrel is a write off, they cannot be removed

it would take many 000's of pull throughs to damage a crown on a barrel. also most bore snakes are longer than the bore so if the string does come loose you allways have one end sticking out. just my opinion
 
They have their place. Whilst in the mob I cleaned my personal weapon 1000s of times as did the person before me and the person after me. All was done with a bog standard pull through. It was not unusual to see 2 people pulling through a gat when the 4x2 had been torn too large to size, coathangers used to free snapped pull throughs (I saw just 2 snap). When zeroed I could always get a decent score on my APWT. I use a rod and jag now because I think it does a better job quicker and easier, but I would have no issue using a boresnake occasionally but not as my main method of cleaning.
 
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I would never use one on my rifles for three reasons
1 they do damage the crown if they are not pulled though perfectly straight
2 they do collect grit which is then pulled though the bore
3 if one breaks off in the bore the barrel is a write off, they cannot be removed

!) Prove it.
2) Wash them.
3) Never seen one of the correct diameter break off yet.

I've been using these since well before they hit your side of the world; back when the inventor sold them on the road at gunshows. ~Muir
 
I dont clean rifles until they have seen dozens of rounds

I use them as a quick clean between cleans. bit of carbon cleaner on the bristle bit, bit of oil further down and whizz it through

a crud soaked boresnake is going to have to be used an awful lot to replicate the stress of an oversized copper jacketed bullet clocking 3000fps!
 
I repeat , I wouldn't use one on my rifle barrels , scatter guns yes but not in a rifle.
 
!) Prove it.
2) Wash them.
3) Never seen one of the correct diameter break off yet.

I've been using these since well before they hit your side of the world; back when the inventor sold them on the road at gunshows. ~Muir


I have one but never much use it, preferring a rod and jag everytime.
However I just don't buy into the damaging of the crown / barrel .. you would
need to be pulling it back and forth until you had an arm like
Popeye to make even the smallest appreciable difference to the barrel
steel...

I think its fair to assume the heat and stresses a crown is subjected
to with a bullet flying through is significantly more than pulling a material
cord through it.
 
I shoot a .22lr and use a bore snake weekly. The crud comes out the end of the barrel like a fine dust. It only cost a tenner so after a few months I'll bin it and get another, I think washing it may rust it? dont want to drag that through.
I would like a rod set as well but tried some from the bay which bent on first use and couln't find any on the bisley site.

I was told one of the GB team uses a snake as well, so im not in bad company.
no damage to the crown yet.
 
I shoot a .22lr and use a bore snake weekly. The crud comes out the end of the barrel like a fine dust. It only cost a tenner so after a few months I'll bin it and get another, I think washing it may rust it? dont want to drag that through.
I would like a rod set as well but tried some from the bay which bent on first use and couln't find any on the bisley site.

I was told one of the GB team uses a snake as well, so im not in bad company.
no damage to the crown yet.


You clean your .22lr :eek:
 
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