BORE SNAKES: Why I stopped using them

Other tips....1. Inspect the cord where it attaches to the snake part. 2. Wash the bore snakes. 3. Hold gun waist high pointing upward pulling upward while snake dangles below creating zero resistance beyond the effort needed to pull through cleanly. A simple 90* bend in the snake can cause one to pull 2-3 times harder than needed. Ya gotta be smart to use a bore snake, not for dummies.

Ive been using bore snakes for years and never had any of these problems. I guess thats what happens when you pmcs it before you run it down the barrel and clean it after you use it. Edit: I use mine by oiling just the portion where the string meets the mop, and the brush portions. The rest stays dry to soak up excess oil as its pulled through the bore. A couple hard shakes clears any accumulation from the mop. I also pull the string straight with the bore, and make sure the mop is in line with the bore while pulling, no dragging it through a mag well or ejection port at a hard angle.

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I hadn’t considered the risk of the snake breaking. Thanks

You are the second YouToober I really listen to who says “No!” to Bore Snakes. I hear you and will change my ways.

52 years of shooting. I can honestly say, I have never used a bore snake. I had a natural aversion to them & never thought about why. Quality coated 1 piece rods is all I have ever used.

Y’all clean your guns?

As a barrel maker, never use a bore snake on a rifled barrel. Same as everyone else is saying. They break or worse they bunch up in a knot and get wedged in the groves. If you push with a rod it makes it worse. I found a way to get it out, but you run the risk of damaging the rifling. Take a long drill bit ( 18” to 24”) like you use to drill thru walls. Make sure it is smaller than your lands diameter. Center it up buy using a muzzle bushing and ease it down the barrel, gently tap it into the bore snake so the snake will grab ahold of the bit. Use a hand crank to get the snake taught on the bit. Then pull like (!@“&!!), they usually come out. You have nothing to lose. If you damage the barrel you are no worse off than if you have a stuck snake in your barrel. Do not pour abrasive chemicals in your barrel. They cause pitting. Always clean a rifle barrel with a plastic (or similar) coated one piece rod (Dewey, Tipton, Parker Hale, etc…). Use a good bore guide that fits the action or muzzle on leaver action and other enclose action rifles. Use brass jigs. Use a good softer brush most are readily available at stores (ProShots Benchrest Brush is my favorite, Hoppes works etc.). Don’t use a hard brush that will scratch the bore. Wet patch a couple of times with a solvent which as Hoppes # 9, CLP, Shooters Choice, (Wal*Mart Break Parts Cleaner). Put the brush on wet it scrub, make sure you push the rod straight (like your handling a pool stick). After about 5 to 10 strokes clean the brush spraying it off. Flush the bore or run wet patches thru the bore a couple usually does it. Brush again. Flush, then push a patch coated with a light clear oil (Rem Oil or Mineral Oil) fluid dynamics will take over. The heavy clear oil will push the lighter bore cleaners out the barrel groves. Then fun a dry patch. Recommend you put the gun up for storage with a light bore oil in the bore. Can be done by pushing an oil patch thru the bore. Before you shoot through rifle, push a dry patch thru to get the oil out. If you have an air compressor with a blow gun on it. Blow it dry. Never get any type of oil, solvent, etc. on your scope lenses. Cover the well.

Rule #4: If a bore snake shows any signs of wear, discard it immediately! This is especially true at the transition point between the parachute cord and where the snake starts.

Its sooooooo much fun to try and fish out a broken Boresnake. I have used them but after my fishing expedition I pitched all them things in the trash

Never had a problem with bore snakes. Used them for many years, from pistols to LR precision bolt rifles. I would say that I am one who thinks most people either clean their barrels to little or too often. A bore snake is great for running through a barrel after a day at the range. Although it doesn't replace a good cleaning after a thousand rounds or so depending on caliber, ammo, conditions, etc.

I have never liked the idea of the boresnake, and so I've never used one. But then, I've never wiped my ass with toilet paper that already had shit on it, either, LOL!

Your advice makes sense 100%. No more bore snakes for me!👍

All points make sense to me. I'm ditching them. As always, thanks, DD.

Great video! Funny as hell with very good points and information.Great job,as always!

Great insights and love the new video!

I have expensive cleaning rods and jags; and I use bore snakes. Thanks for your perspective; and the possible pitfalls of using bore snakes. I used your link and just ordered the Otis universal rifle cleaning kit. I had never given Otis much consideration. Stuck casings and bore obstructions could really ruin my day; so now I should be better prepared.

With all due respect Desert Dog (I watched all of you videos and have learned a lot from them...) - for the past 3 years I have used nothing else but Bore Blitz (German version of bore snake) to clean my rifles both at home and in the field and never have any issues. Lupo 243 win (2000+ shots so far) Lupo 308 win (3000+ shots so far) continue to print 0.25 MOA groups at 100 yards have been never cleaned with anything else but Bore Blitz only ...

I stopped using bore snakes when I found i couldn't clean them enough. As you said in effect: 'would you wipe your ass with dirty TP?". My own observation following a bore snake with patches was that the bore snake was NOT cleaning the barrel. Now I don't clean my barrels much. I look with a bore cam and use mops and pathes and am very careful with the brass rods. Now I think I'll try the pull through cable you mentioned

You must be brilliant (because we agree 😉 ). I have long been suspicious of the bore snake concept because of reading about the pull-through cleaning devices that were traditionally issued by European armies and the wear they caused on rifle barrel crowns. Yes, they usually consisted of aluminum beads on a chain and would cause wear more quickly, but the fundamental danger of a well-used, dirty bore snake is the same, and even pulling the snake straight out doesn’t eliminate all contact with the crown. But you also raised some other points that I’ll remember the next time someone asks my opinion of the devices.