Should I Use a Bore Snake?
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- Опубліковано 4 жов 2024
- Welcome to the Ron Spomer Outdoors Podcast!
Stay away from bore snakes. They're the worst pit viper you've ever come across. Now, a bore snake is not an actual reptile. A bore snake is a device for cleaning out your rifle barrel. And it's just this long cable. And they will usually have an ever-increasing diameter of material for scouring out your bore. Some of them will have bristles on them, copper bristles sticking out. And what it's supposed to do is clean your barrel in one sweep. So instead of putting on a traditional patch and/or bore brush and using your solvents and taking each process through, you use this, and it does everything in one pass. You know, they work pretty well for a quick cleanup. But it's certainly not what you want for a complete and thorough barrel cleaning. When you really, really wanna clean your barrel, go to the old rod technique because that's the one that definitely does the job.
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Who is Ron Spomer
For 44 years I’ve had the good fortune to photograph and write about my passion - the outdoor life. Wild creatures and wild places have always stirred me - from the first flushing pheasant that frightened me out of my socks in grandpa’s cornfield to the last whitetail that dismissed me with a wag of its tail. In my attempts to connect with this natural wonder, to become an integral part of our ecosystem and capture a bit of its mystery, I’ve photographed, hiked, hunted, birded, and fished across much of this planet. I've seen the beauty that everyone should see, survived adventures that everyone should experience. I may not have climbed the highest mountains, canoed the wildest rivers, caught the largest fish or shot the biggest bucks, but I’ve tried. Perhaps you have, too. And that’s the essential thing. Being out there, an active participant in our outdoor world.
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All loading, handloading, gunsmithing, shooting and associated activities and demonstrations depicted in our videos are conducted by trained, certified, professional gun handlers, instructors, and shooters for instructional and entertainment purposes only with emphasis on safety and responsible gun handling. Always check at least 3 industry handloading manuals for handloading data, 2 or 3 online ballistic calculators for ballistic data. Do not modify any cartridge or firearm beyond what the manufacturer recommends. Do not attempt to duplicate, mimic, or replicate anything you see in our videos. Firearms, ammunition, and constituent parts can be extremely dangerous if not used safely.
They're handy with lever actions, pumps and autos, that can't be reached with a rod from the chamber side. They're also handy on extended backpack hunts. Like most things in life they serve a purpose, but they are not the end all, be all.
I love them. I started using them a few years, and that’s all I use now. They get my barrels squeaky clean in 3 passes, way less time and waste then the traditional method
So that’s all you use ?
Same here I put a light in the barrel and if I don’t think it’s clean enough I run it through a few more times
@@bait_caster_kam2936yep you just have to pass the bore snake through a few times if it’s really gunked up.
Don’t forget your solvent
Little hoppes #9 on the bristles, oil on the rest and you are gold
Ron I use mine and what i do thats interesting Is I put a patch on the copper bristle and I use that as my indicator and pull it through tell its clean
bore snakes are nice to have in the field for a quick wipe if something gets in your barrel or if the rifle gets wet.
A bore snake can do a really effective cleaning if run through multiple times. The major benefit is that it is less likely to do damage. Firstly it always pulls burrs and smooths the imperfections in the same direction as the bullet travels. Secondly there is no chance to do damage to the crown when the cleaning rod transitions or worse if it is pushed from the crown in.
They have their purpose. Its for quick cleans. Great for 22 because of the amount of fowling you may want to clean at least once.
Not a full replacement for cleaning but handy and worth it
Always good to hear what different people think of cleaning methods. A little regular maintenance will save time and money in the long run. Thanks Ron. 🎥💪🏽💯👍
Nothing wrong with a bore snake for quick cleaning.
Bore snakes all the way. I always inspect my barrel after I'm done shooting and using the bore snake and its always very clean
I thought they were a gimmick,but I gave them a shot,they work great for right after you get done shooting.
I normally run a snake through twice after every range trip. Primarily use them on .22 cal barrels as I have never had a brush not get stuck.
I have a bridesmaid for each of my rifles. I use them after the shot in the field but I always give them a through cleaning before putting them back in the safe.
I use one for my .50 black powder rifle. Pull the barrel plug, drop the line weight, pull through with a little Bore-butter on it and continue shooting with two minutes of down time.
Regular one piece plastic covered steel cleaning rods all the way. I only use bore snake for shotgun barrels.
I found that bore snakes are great in the field if you need a quick wipe. I like them a lot for my Inline black powder muzzleloaders. They are perfect for a quick consistent clean between shots while bench/target shooting. There are different brands out there some are better than others.
I use them quite often, but when shooting corrosive or my muzzle loader its the rod and patches and a bristle brush.
Curious how well they work and if they clean as well after they foul up? Love your content Ron!
I just throw mine in a clothes bag and throw them in the washing machine when they get super gunky. As long as you don't use softener, they come out just fine.
If you clean after every shooting session, they're all you really need, in my experience.
Bore snakes are awesome!! They work far better & quicker than a rod & patch!!! Don't listen to him, he's just stuck in his ways!!
@@MikeMikeActual I was skeptical when they first came out, but after using one, that’s all I ever use now. They work fantastic.
@@jamespruitt6718 Hell-yeah!!
Ya I use a bore snake for cleaning my 22 quickly but every once in awhile I go more thorough
Good for field cleaning
I've found Boar snakes to be best for a quick cleaning when the fire arm is still warm. Basically it helps Extend the time between full clean cleaning but not by much. Definitely not a Replacement.
They are great for a touch up but not for a good cleaning. When I was shooting service rifle competion I started using between targets. The next year almost everyone was using one.
If I just shoot a few rounds at the range for checking and setting zero I’ll run a bore snake down the barrel afterwards but i use the rod method when doing complete cleanings.
I had the boar snake done last week and it wasn't for my rifle. Love your Channel Ron keep up the great content
I like to use the bore snake at the range when testing new hand loads. I'll shoot a batch of 25 then snake the bore before switching to a different loading.
I keep one in my gun case. I can use it to quickly clean bore if needed.
No complaints with them on .22s, especially on the ones where breech access for a rod is impractical without a detail strip. Might not be enough for big bore or nasty ammunition
I've never used a rod ever. Boresnake only . I only shoot gas guns with Nitride , QPQ or CL barrels . I've shot quite a few rounds and never had any accuracy issues or any other issues . I clean my AR barrels every 750 - 1k rounds . If I'm running a can every 500.
I've noticed absolutely 0 issue on my COMPETITION Barrels . I replace the barrel every 17k to 20k rounds or so . I use 416R QPQ Premium Black Series. Even at 15k it's still banging 6" plate at 500 yards with decent ammo .
I keep a bore snake and a zip lock stored, oil dampened rag for my rifle/shotgun in my hunt bag for that particular gun. If I shoot during the day I do a quick, snake pull thru and rag wipe off b4 putting back n2 the case for transport. I wipe down only if I haven't shot that day. I don't use it for true "cleaning" and honestly don't kno any1 who does. Personally I clean after hunting season, only
Rod so you can couse maximum muzzle erosion?
I only use bore snakes on my air rifles. Anytime I do the solvent method I end up getting that stuff in my compression chamber...thus dieseling my shots. So no solvent, no need for rod. Just a quick swipe with petroleum free oil and then a clean dry sweep...its all they need. My opinion though. Sure everyone does it differently
I swab with Hopps and then with oil. I leave the copper in there
I use the old rod technique
What do you think about the barrel cleaning shells for 12 gauge
I use them for leftover carbon and powder than I go in with my patches
They have their place and problem is some people keep them and use them for years without replacing thrm or cleaning them so all that crap is dragged down the barrel repeatedly
Some say don't clean your barrel much at all, maybe run a patch through it every once in a while to keep out rust. A few instructors who shoot thousands of rounds a month, all year. That is for like ARs and AKs though, I'm not sure about precision rifles with handloads over 500+ yards... I'm just getting into precision distance shooting.
Cleaning schedule for precision target rifles depends on when accuracy declines. Many competitors must shoot dozens of rounds through a course with no time to clean. Many find their rifles shoot consistently with a "dirty" barrel, etc. Some benchrest shooters find they must clean every 20 rounds or so to match their needs.
A boresnake is great to use when the barrel is still warm.
Thanks Ron.. I didn't realize that.
They aren't always a cable, some are a type of braided rope no ?
All mine have paracord type of line. Oh, I do have one that came with a cleaning kit that's a cable. I've never used it
I switched to OTIS and havent looked back
3 or 4 pulls will get you pretty clean pretty quickly if you're concerned about keeping filth in your barrel after a range day and you know you're too lazy to clean it when you get home
I really only like them for one time use a new gun, run it through the border real quick with a couple patches over the brass bristles just to make sure there’s no metal or anything or dust or any obstruction in the bore
Otis makes the best USA
Boresnakes clean a barrel squeaky clean. 🤷 2 or 3 passes with your preferred cleaner and done.
Have you ever looked at a bore with a bore scope after you use a bore snake. They don't do anything except wipe the loose carbon out, which really amounts to nothing significant.
I've been using nothing but boresnakes for years and all my bores are sparkly clean. The key is they're not super deep cleaning, they're designed for using after every shooting session.
@@shockwavecity sparkly clean, verified with a bore scope?
But I love my boar snakes I take everything out the business end of the barrel rather than pushing it back into the breach,, and it may also depend on the amount of times you clean your firearm I typically clean them after every time I use them I kind of enjoy it
Called "Pull Through" in British Indian Army, and called phultroo by the locals and it later became a sexual innuendo meaning trying to screw with a limp ....
never owned one. i have gotten "un shootable" high quality guns that i re broke in and made a tack driver
I have to disagree with Ron on this one. Bore snakes are effective and I get my bore clean fast using a bore snake. It's a big time saver over the traditional method and portable. Just gotta replace them before they get stuck and you pull out only part of it.
Not sure I understand from this video why the boresnake doesn't do the job of a patch and rod.
You'll understand once you look down the bore with a magnifying bore scope. It often requires dozens, sometimes hundreds of passes down and back with many solvent soaked patches followed by bronze or nylon brushing to get out all the carbon and, especially, gilding metal/copper fouling. If you just want to remove a few layers of carbon fouling, a bore brush will suffice, but elbow grease seems necessary to get clinically clean.
You are dragging crap from previous pulls back through your barrel and they don’t remove copper fouling. Bore snakes are OK for a quick field use if you get debris in the bore.
This didn't go the way he thougt in the comments lol
Bore snakes are great in the field, or at the range of you're doing a barrel break in. Other than that, they're useless.
Bronze is softer than steel. Therefore you’re not going to harm anything. Science.
Amen, I keep seeing comments about cleaning rods damaging rifle bores, soft aluminum or bronze rods will not damage dropped forged tempered steel
Bore Snakes are for use in the field (hunting) After a rain storm or Dust storm ........ They ARE AWSOME but no they do not replace a ROD
I never clean barrels on anything I own until I notice a problem with accuracy, then I will do absolutely minimum cleaning. Here is why; copper jackets or whatever will fill the microscopic imperfections down the bore, Leaving a smooth gliding surface for the bullet to slip out of. If you remove everything that fills in those microscopic imperfections, no you increase drag on the bullet you subject the steel inside the barrel to high pressure microscopic focal points, degrade your accuracy and lose barrel life. It is best to let nature take its course and allow the copper buildup to swage into the microscopic caverns through your bore, rather than remove it and expose it to microscopic pressure spikes each time the bullet flies past a tiny cavern in the bore. If you're shooting black powder yeah you better thoroughly clean it every single day, with nitro powders in modern rifles and pistols I clean mine about once a year maybe once every two years unless I see accuracy drop off.
Never Used a BoreSnake..I Aways Use a Cleaning Rod with a Nylon Brush Wrapped with a Patch Soaked with WD40 ..
2 WET PATCHES Followed by A DRY PATCH,
Check/Look..
Then Spray with WD40, Then Back in the Safe..
35 years And No Rust or Issues of Any Kind..
Edit: My Savage model 10 Predator has 7000 plus Rounds Fired And Still Holds +/- 1/2 inch Groups at 200 meters 👍💪
Regards,
Vince ADF 🇦🇺 Spec-Ops 1989-1996 Retired, 👍✌
Just use 550 cord with knots every so often