Bore cleaning / using a bore guide

[hemiford]

So far, I've not used a bore guide when cleaning, just a rod
with a jag and a patch. I only push through in one direction.

Not sure I see a large benefit from using a bore guide, could
someone help me understand ?

 

[J E Custom]

So far, I've not used a bore guide when cleaning, just a rod
with a jag and a patch. I only push through in one direction.

Not sure I see a large benefit from using a bore guide, could
someone help me understand ?

This is a very good and important question and deserves a good answer.

The main advantage to using a bore guide/throat saver is to prevent wearing the throat with the cleaning rod. throat erosion is one of the main causes of accuracy loss.

In a perfect world nothing but the brush or a patched jag touch the barrel. a throat saver helps minimize this ware, increasing barrel life. It is the same problem when a rifle is cleaned from the muzzle end (The crown gets prematurely worn)

I use the largest one piece rod possible to also help. (They are stiffer that a 22 caliber rod and with no joints that could catch on the throat they also help).

There is also a benefit to starting a patch correctly and easy using the throat saver.

Once you use one you probably will never go back to cleaning without one.

Just my opinion

J E CUSTOM

 

[LaHunter]

Do a google search on Mike Lucas bore guides. These bore guides are excellent and are very useful tools to prevent the cleaning rod from wearing out the throat of your rifle. The generic cheap bore guides are probably better than nothing, but they fall short when compared to the Lucas bore guide.

Good Luck

 

[Barrelnut]

They also keep cleaning solvents out of you trigger mechanism and magazine area.

 

[FearNoWind]

I wanted to add something, but those guys pretty much covered it all. JE Custom's info. is, IMO, an excellent explanation as to "why". Just make sure your bore guide has something under it (between it and the opening to the trigger) to prevent solvents from dripping down into the trigger. I use a fitted sleeve that slips over the stock and extends up under the bore guide at the tang.

 

[Dosh]

This is a very good and important question and deserves a good answer.

The main advantage to using a bore guide/throat saver is to prevent wearing the throat with the cleaning rod. throat erosion is one of the main causes of accuracy loss.

In a perfect world nothing but the brush or a patched jag touch the barrel. a throat saver helps minimize this ware, increasing barrel life. It is the same problem when a rifle is cleaned from the muzzle end (The crown gets prematurely worn)

I use the largest one piece rod possible to also help. (They are stiffer that a 22 caliber rod and with no joints that could catch on the throat they also help).

There is also a benefit to starting a patch correctly and easy using the throat saver.

Once you use one you probably will never go back to cleaning without one.

Just my opinion

J E CUSTOM

JE nailed it as usual. The Lucas Bore Guide is excellent, custom machined to the make, model and caliber of your rifle. Just send Mike Lucas an e-mail with your spec and your guide arrives in the mail. Good luck

 

[hemiford]

All right, thanks Gents, will do some reading and pursue this.

I have Bore Tech Borestix now that I use. They will not mar or
wear on the steel, as far as I can tell. I do have several rods,
bigger ones for the bigger bores.

Apparently there are different styles of guides, news to me.

 

[Laelkhunter]

J E CUSTOM, you refer to a "throat saver". Is that the same thing as a bore guide??

 

[J E Custom]

J E CUSTOM, you refer to a "throat saver". Is that the same thing as a bore guide??

Yes.
That is ultimately what is does. It saves the throat by guiding the rod through it without touching the throat/bore.

There is also a bore guide that fits in the muzzle end of the barrel to protect the crown when cleaning a rifle that is impractical to clean from the breach. some cleaning rods come with one. (It is normally a small brass funnel shaped piece that fits the rod and slips into the bore).

J E CUSTOM

 

[Laelkhunter]

Thanks, I just never heard of it being referred to as a "throat saver", always a bore guide. Throat saver does seem to be a more accurate term for the function.

 

[gunner69]

I developed a bore guide that fits the muzzle crown end - seemed incomplete to protect only the chamber end. Anyway I am trying to get some feedback from marksmen on the products. There are some videos that are helpful on the site too. Thanks in advance for any thoughts you might have.

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