The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Guns, Politics, Gunsmithing & Reloading Gunsmithing What do you think of 'bore snakes'Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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| one of us |
Any of you used and formed opinions on the bore snake cleaners for rifles? I wondered whether it was a crown basher and am undecided about phospher bronze scrubbing the bore dry as is the case with this. For field use/shooting trips. | ||
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| one of us |
I have these in most calibers and for a quick clean at the range or in the field they work well. I don't think I would rely on them to truly clean a bore though. I haven't noticed any bore damage through a magnifying glass, but you might with a bore scope. Hope this helps. Dan | |||
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| <Don G> |
1894, I carry something similar for field use. Like after jabbing the muzzle in the dirt or mud. I never use then at home. If fed from breach to muzzle and used sparingly (twice a year?) I wouldn't worry about the wear. Don | ||
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| <jagtip> |
Being a believer in the free enterprise system,I hope they sell a zillion of them but on the other hand,I consider them to be nothing more than a gimmick.It's nothing but a pull through which shooters have been fashioning with cord,patches,etc.for as long as there have been breach loaders.Considering that you can make one for next to nothing,the commercial offerings are grossly overpriced.Just another gimmick waiting for a sucker!!!! | ||
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| one of us |
Hey 1894, I've got a buddy who lives in Louisiana who turned his 0.5xx" shooting 7mm-08 into a 1.5" rifle using one of them. Fortunately it was a temporary problem that was cured by "cleaning" the Bore with JB Compound, a few brushes and a good bit of elbow grease. He emailed me in a near panic and it took us about 4 days to figure out he had been using a BoreSnake. He was under the impression that he could use it on the dirty Bore and then not need to use a good old Bore Brush and Cleaning Rod. The accuracy degraded over the course of a summer as the copper built up in the barrel. So, I'm not a fan of them. As a side note, I've heard stories that they will clean a barrel that gets dropped into the mud. About 25 or so years ago I climbed about 30' into a big tree. Back then I was convinced it was SAFE to pull your firearm up to you with a rope. Got it right to my finger tips and the rope broke(dry rot) and down the rifle went. Fortunately it hit muzzle first at the base of the tree. I had nothing to get the mud, pieces of leaves and stuff out of the barrel. So, I had to sit there and watch the Deer walk by. Got back to the Plantation House and had to use a cleaning rod to push the trash out. I can tell you for sure that a BoreSnake would not have been of any use at all in that situation. I now carry a Cleaning Rod in the tool box that goes across the bed of my truck when I'm afield. Haven't needed it since then, but it is there just in case. ------------------ | |||
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| <holtz> |
As said, they are not intended to replace normal cleaning equipment or procedures. However, they're great on a hunting trip. When I go to Africa, or any other trip of duration, I take one along with a 1 oz. tube of solvent and oil. That's all I need, and it beats lugging a full blown cleaning kit around. Steve | ||
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| <JOHAN> |
Hey I think of this product as a SOS kit when you are out in the bushes and got something in your barrel that should't be there. The quality of the cleaning is not very good, but's it's better that using the anthenna from the Landrover or a very thin stick from a bush.
[This message has been edited by JOHAN (edited 11-24-2001).] | ||
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| one of us |
They do a decent job of cleaning a bore, A wire brush followed by material, one pass is equal to 150 patches, so now tell me just why they don't work??? you can use them with or without solvent...so what are you defectors basing your posts on???? Keep in mind a barrel does not have to be squeeky clean as some seem to indicate to shoot well, least as Jack Belks states we would have to clean between every shot..I guarentee you that one or two passes with a bore snake will give you another 20 accurate shots...I use them a lot...I clean with a rod and CR-10 probably every 200 rounds... A cleaning rod has ruined more barrels than all the shooting in the world... there is more than one way to skin a cat and the bore snake is a viable alternative..Im glad they came out with them, but they won't push mud, bugs or stuck bullets out of a barrel, you got that right. ------------------ | |||
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Moderator |
I've wondered about the bore snakes myself, but the thing that concerns me about using them in the field is that the most important thing to me is getting out obstructions, and for that you need something rigid. I have thought about drilling out a hole in the butt that you would have to unscrew the recoil pad to access and putting a few cleaning rod sections in there, a pain but better than nothing when you are in a jam in the woods. Anyone ever try this or have found anything else to work and be convenient? [This message has been edited by MarkWhite (edited 11-25-2001).] | |||
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| one of us |
I use one to clean my rifle's bore when hunting. My rifle always pick-up dust, and things like that, and some end-up in the rifling. At the end of the day, I clean the rifle before I get into my sleeping bag. I got used to do that when in the military. At home I always use a cleaning rod and brush. | |||
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| one of us |
Buy the Otis kits. If I want a clean patch, I take a new one. If I want a brush, I take whichever I like. And if I have to push out dirt, the plastic covered steel wire is just great. Once used the bore brush is dirty. Instead of cleaning that I prefer to use clean patches. Good shooting! H P.S.: try their small bore cleaning set on a Ruger 10/22 with just the bolt locked back!!! It�s the best .22 rf cleaning tool I�ve yet discovered. ------------------ | |||
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| one of us |
1895, For wiping the bore between groups,on the range,the snakes are the best way to go.But when the shooting is done,I take the guns home for a real cleaning with a real rod. Frank ------------------ | |||
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| <BigBob> |
Here in New Mexico we have a permit drawing to hunt Oryx. A couple of years ago my wife, Kathy drew this rare permit. During a stalk down a dry wash, Kathy lost her footing and as a result the muzzle of the rifle hit the sand. We used the snake to clean the bore. Since Kathy's rifle is a bolt action, we removed the bolt and dropped the weight down the bore from the action. Thirty minutes later her Oryx was on the ground. Not a big one, but hers. One suggestion I would make, we carry our snakes in a heavy duty zip lock bag to keep it clean. | ||
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| one of us |
I have a Rapid-Rod on my cartridge belt..It is the size of a pocket knife and pops out to a ridged 32"'s....I use it for obstructions, but in the last 10 years since I got it, I have yet to use it, ain't that the pits....I really like bore snakes. ------------------ | |||
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| one of us |
Regarding side notes, bore obstructions etc. If you do get some crud in the bore , during a hunt, not ot worry. Remove the bullet from a cartridge. Do this by working the bullet side to side or by tapping the side of the neck hard enough to crush the brass a bit. The bullet will be released. Dump the powder. Chamber the primed case and fire it. The crud will be blown out. Hope this saves someone's hunt. | |||
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| <allen day> |
I think the Boresnake is a junky gimmick that should never have been born. It'll never, be a satisfactory substitute for a quality on-piece cleaning rod, and it's inferior to Ray's prefered Rapid-Rod for in-field cleaning purposes. So what's it good for? Absolutely nothing.... AD | ||
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| one of us |
Allen, then explain to me why a brass brush with cleaner on it run through a bore followed by 150 clean patches is a piece of crap, that equates to one pass of a bore snake...Maybe your just a little set in your ways, something I wouldn't know about  ------------------ | |||
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| one of us |
Get'em RAY! I shot 40 rounds through my rem 300 rum just the other day.On the way home i picked up a bore snake just for this forum. I sat the gun in a gun vise put a little solvent on the brush end and a dab of oil on the tail end,made one pass. then i took a cleaning rod and a new patch, passed it through,Come out clean!Except for a trace of oil. Just to be sure i took a new patch a dab of solvent and pushed her through ,COME out clean! IF A BORE SNAKE WON'T CLEAN YOUR GUNS,YOUR WAITING TOO LONG TO CLEAN THEM! Reloader len | |||
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| <luv2shoot> |
Own a couple boresnakes for both a Ruger 10/22 and my Savage 7RM. I don't use either for periodic cleaning, but do carry them in the field for "emergency" use along with a nasal spray bottle filled with gun oil. Unfortunately, as was previously posted, pull-thru's of any type are practically useless if mud or debris are jammed into the bore. Even when taking particular care to the muzzle, I would still find tiny pieces of dust, tree bark flakes and other debris that had found its way into the barrel. Since where I hunt is a mix of fields, woods and marsh, I went looking for a solution. After visiting the local toy store, I picked up a bag of (30) OD green water grenades (water balloons that resemble pineapples) for about $1.29. The skins on these balloons also feel thicker than others I've tried. Length is 2" when pulled over the muzzle of the barrel. The opening is narrow enough to fit on my buddy's 7-08 mountain rifle. The bulbous nature of the "grenade" allows it to stretch over thick barrels. (Maybe up to 2" in diameter is my best guess.) Since using the "grenades", I have yet to use the boresnakes and haven't had the headache of a plugged barrel, though I still carry the boresnakes "just in case." Probably the best testimony I can give is that after my first hunting season using these,(and suffering thru a few inquisitive looks), a number of my friends now practice "safe sex" with their thunder sticks! Just my experiences and thought I would pass them on....Hope it works for you like it does for me. | ||
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| <jagtip> |
Luv2shoot...For what it' worth,a piece of tape over the muzzle does the same thing with less hassle. | ||
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| <luv2shoot> |
Jagtip...been there, done that. At first, I thought tape would be the easy way out for me, but found it doesn't like to stick to the exterior of my lightly-oiled Chro-moly barrels. Guess I could remove the oil with alcohol, but then that would defeat the purpose of having it oiled in the first place. This won't be a problem after I shoot out the barrel and have a nice SS barrel installed, but that won't be for another season, maybe two. | ||
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| one of us |
Len, Allan is a very informed gun person and is to be highly respected so I wasn't going after him, I just disagree with the old curmudgeon. ------------------ | |||
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Moderator |
I can attest to the value of a taped muzzle. I was moose hunting this fall in a sleugh, and managed to trip on an unseen log in the waist high grass. I avoided a face plant in the swamp by burying my rifle up to the action. I still got water in the barrel, but no nasty muck. I used a 3 pc rod and patches to get the water out of the bore. I also have several wraps of electrical tape on the barrel just past where the stock ends, so was able to re-tape. I'd always questioned carrying a cleaning rod, but certainly see the wisdom. Perhaps the bore snake or a pull through would be a lighter alternative, but I'd rather carry a rod and not need it, than not have one and need it. | |||
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| <Mike Anderson> |
I'm with Ray on the bore-snake. I think its a good product depending on how you use it. I carry one with me while shooting prairie dogs. I shoot moly-bullets usually around 150 or more out of a barrel per day. I use the bore-snake with some oil or Kroil to snake the barrel a couple of times during the day and do a normal cleaning with a bore guide and a dewey one piece rod at night. I believe the pass with the snake during the day keeps me from fouling as bad. To each his own! Happiness is pulling your bolt and pulling it often! | ||
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| one of us |
I use a bore snake as supplement to a rod and patches, not a replacement. The snake is more compact and easy to use at the range, but at the end of the day, its the rod and patches. My two cents. Good luck and good shooting. | |||
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| <Gary Rihn> |
quote: Uh huh.... | ||
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| one of us |
The Rapid Rod is the best thing since buttered toast...It folds up to about the size of a pocket knife and pops out to a one piece rod with a flick of the wrist...It is very strong and I tested mine by slugging a bore with it, it worked fine. ------------------ | |||
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| one of us |
Hey RAY, Len here,I did't mean anything towards ALLAN, just get a kick out of your reply's. Seems you allways have a good come back,or atleast you stay on your toes! Iam new to this site and so far i find it usefull and alot of enjoyment from it. PLEASE CARRY ON MEN! | |||
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| Moderator |
Ray can you point me somewhere to find one of these rapid rod gizmos? They sound like just the ticket for what I am looking for.... Thanks! | |||
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| <allen day> |
Len, Ray and I are friends, and I respect him highly as a true huntin' man, rifleman, lover of fine firearms, and a first-rate member of the Texican race. He'll also stand up for what he thinks is right under no uncertain terms, which is a quality I hold in high regard. Ray, you've called be for what I am: Set in my ways! I've got about as much use for new-fangled bore cleaning gizmos as you have for plastic stocks! AD | ||
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| <teltey007> |
quote: Firstly its nice to see some-one from the UK. Secondly, I do have such cleaner but only use it with a bore guide which I carry out in the field. Generally I carry a cleaning rod in the car for thorough cleaning. So far the snake has been really useful but I would depend solely on it. | ||
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