Should I Use a Bore Snake?

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.

Disclaimer
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.

[jk-krjt]

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.

[fishlife]

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

[jamespruitt]

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

[fabulousoffroaddesigns]

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.

[yepyep]

Cleaning rods are worse than bore snakes in my opinion. Been shooting, cleaning and repairing my own arms for 32 years. The boresnake does not ride or bump along the crown of your barrel like a rod does. Pull the bore snake straight through and you will Not have any issues.

Bore snake’s cleans like no rod can.

Just my opinion

[trevorkolmatycki]

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.

[digbudkiss]

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.

[JackRR]

It's funny because of these old heads I didn't want to get one, but now I will only use boresnakes and it's perfect. There's no reason to 100% clean your barrel, like that's just OCD.

[laafa]

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

[joelmcmahan]

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. 🎥💪🏽💯👍

[doughaner]

Nothing wrong with a bore snake for quick cleaning.

[wretchedmess]

I've used them for a quick clean, but prefer a rod for a proper clean. I saw an interesting post recently that warned that while using one, you have to pull it straight, and not at an angle, because you have the fouling from previous cleanings imbedded in the snake which can lap the crown of your barrel.

[goinhot]

Not a full replacement for cleaning but handy and worth it

[alexmartin]

Boresnakes clean a barrel squeaky clean. 🤷 2 or 3 passes with your preferred cleaner and done.

[lelenbates]

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.

[ninjkitywarlock]

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.

[gyromurphy]

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

[seanwhite]

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 .

[sdimeblazer]

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.

[patobrien]

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.