Cleaning Rod Material ?

[Zep]

I have been using a Dewey coated rod but my varmint shooting friend uses stainless steel. I need a few new rods and I would appreciate some input regarding your choice of material.

Also it would be good to hear what brands are currently favored.

Many thanks.

 

[Aldon]

I like Dewey and Bore Tech products.

I like the coated rods so that if by some chance the rod comes in to contact with the barrel....say at the muzzle for instance, less likelyhood to damage said muzzle.

That is my resoning for the protected coatings. Although with judicious use of bore guides etc, with acute attention to detail, the non coated guides would work for me as well.

 

[dig]

You are going to get a ton of opinions on this, Stainless, Coated, Graphite. Each has benefits and drawback. Stainless supposedly can scratch, Coated picks up debris and wears out. Graphite is weaker and picks up particles. I have and use coated and stainless, I think you nailed it. Use a good bore guide, quality rod that is clean and lubed and be carefully.

 

[Aldon]

I would also give a thumbs up to Possum Hollow Bore Guides. I think the Lucas are the bomb, but the Possum hollow with solvent port work equally well, are often in stock with no wait at Grafs.Maybe Midway...and I am sure others.

 

[LouBoyd]

I want a rod which is softer than barrel steel so the rod won't scratch the barel, but not so soft that sand will imbed in it.

These are the rules I follow for cleaning rods:
brass is ok if not corroded.
plastic coated steel or aluminum is ok.
stainless steel is ok if it's a relatively soft alloy like 303.
aluminum is not ok unless it's coated. When aluminum is exposed to air it quickly forms a layer of Al2O3 (Aluminum oxide) the same as anodized aluminum which is much harder than barrel steel and will easily scratch it.

I don't like barrel snakes made of cloth or rope. If they're completely clean they're ok but but carried in the field and exposed to blowing sand, they can be like sandpaper. For the same reason I keep all patches in small ziploc bags so they aren't exposed to blowing sand.

I wipe off a cleaning rod just before using it. I start by holding a barrel vertical to let any large sand particles fall out, then run a dry patch once from the breach to remove small particles.
I live in Arizona which has lots of blowing sand.

 

[Trickymissfit]

I have been using a Dewey coated rod but my varmint shooting friend uses stainless steel. I need a few new rods and I would appreciate some input regarding your choice of material.

Also it would be good to hear what brands are currently favored.

Many thanks.

I prefer the burnished stainless steel rods from ProShot. They're very stiff, and crud just cannot imbed into the surface of the rod like coated ones do. I've got ProShot rods that I've been using close to twenty years now, and they look like they're new.
gary

 

[Trickymissfit]

I want a rod which is softer than barrel steel so the rod won't scratch the barel, but not so soft that sand will imbed in it.

These are the rules I follow for cleaning rods:
brass is ok if not corroded.
plastic coated steel or aluminum is ok.
stainless steel is ok if it's a relatively soft alloy like 303.
aluminum is not ok unless it's coated. When aluminum is exposed to air it quickly forms a layer of Al2O3 (Aluminum oxide) the same as anodized aluminum which is much harder than barrel steel and will easily scratch it.

I don't like barrel snakes made of cloth or rope. If they're completely clean they're ok but but carried in the field and exposed to blowing sand, they can be like sandpaper. For the same reason I keep all patches in small ziploc bags so they aren't exposed to blowing sand.

I wipe off a cleaning rod just before using it. I start by holding a barrel vertical to let any large sand particles fall out, then run a dry patch once from the breach to remove small particles.
I live in Arizona which has lots of blowing sand.

aluminum oxide will imbed into the soft coating of a coated rod, and thus become the samething as emery cloth. Once it's in there, it's near impossible to get it out. A burnished surface is very dense, and almost never will allow anything to impregnate it's suface. I've got a couple carbon graphite rods and they're pretty good as well, but with a super tight patch I've had some issue with them. I now only use them in shorter barrels and handguns due to flex.
gary

 

[jharris308]

I like the Tipton coated rods, as well as Dewey. They seem to hold up well if used and maintained properly. Plus one on the Possum Hollow bore guides with solvent ports, makes cleaning much easier and reduces chance of bore damage.

 

[Zep]

Many thanks to everyone for getting back to me. A good cleaning system is important and all input you gave is being worked into my brain.