Explain to me why...Cleaning Rods/Bore Guides
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So a few years back I bought a nice one piece rod. Its a Pro-Shot Micro Polished rod. I bought the .22cal because I figured it would work in my .223, .243, and .308 rifles, and it has. Why is it that you see caliber specific rods out there and what do you gain by using them? I have no problem buying another rod, but why do I need it?
Then on bore guides. I understand their purpose to be so you don't jam the rod and jag into the chamber and damage it. I have a Tipton universal fit one that works pretty well. But what do you gain by going to a action/caliber specific guide?
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I don't know for sure but it seems like you would want the extra material to prevent the rod from flexing in the bigger bore of your higher caliber rifles and such.
It's probably not an issue with proshot because they're pretty sturdy and resist flexing pretty well. And they spring back when they do.
I use the same rods and I figure that for 35 bucks or whatever they cost it's worth it to not worry about wrecking the barrel.The 280 rod I have is for both 280 and 270 caliber and the 30 cal goes up to 338 according to proshot, so maybe it doesn't matter that much.
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The more tightly fitting to the bore, the less flex and less lateral force from bending.
Regarding rod guides, I really like two piece setups. The front or body should seal off the chamber so as to trap solvents inside the chamber and down the barrel. The rear part should fit very closely to the cleaning rod itself. You slide the rear part onto the cleaning rod, then attach your brush, then slide the brush into the chamber and seat the rear part of the rod guide into the body.
This centers the rod and supports it entirely. When you come back into the chamber, you remove the rear portion, then remove the rod.
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Who is making a two piece guide setup worth a look?
I'd be willing to upgrade these possum hollow ones I'm using now
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Sinclair has some 2 pc. guides and Mike Lucas makes some awesome 2 piecers.
Order from:
Mike Lucas
Please use E-mail if possible.
225 Browns River Road
Lexington, SC 29072
email: lucasmjb@windstream.net
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I have a few Lucas bore guides and they are well made...but they don't have an o ring seal at the chamber. They are just push fit.
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@dddoo7
When did you get yours?
Mine has an o ring at the chamber end. I got it about 7-8 years ago.
Sinclair has a 2 piece as well as Possum Hollow; wouldn't be surprised if PH made Sinclairs.
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Ok...I went back and checked. My centerfire one does have an o ring on both ends. My rimfire 40x one does not have an o ring on the chamber end.
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Reviving a bit of an old thread here. I need to get some cleaning rods and I need to know how long I need to get. Assuming I have a 2-piece bore guide such as Lucas, etc, how much length beyond the barrel length do I need to account for the action and the bore guide?
Also to Orkan: You show in a YT video that you were using Tipton carbon fiber rods at one time. But now you have switched to Pro-Shot stainless rods. Would you mind sharing why you changed? And have you seen any reason to not use carbon rods?
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On my 40x with two piece Lucas I have a 22” rod and 16” barrel. I wouldn’t mind it being a couple inches longer. If I were buying again it would be a little longer. I would say at least 8” longer than the barrel.
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@flyinphill said:
Also to Orkan: You show in a YT video that you were using Tipton carbon fiber rods at one time. But now you have switched to Pro-Shot stainless rods. Would you mind sharing why you changed? And have you seen any reason to not use carbon rods?
I won't answer for him, but it was discussed a couple months ago in another forum.
To quote orkan's response there on the same question,:"Coated rods get their coatings damaged/shaved from normal use. I've seen a ridiculous number of coated rods stuck inside barrels. Even stuck one myself once. Everything fine, no warning, and boom... the rod just locks up in the barrel.
Carbon rods lack strength and have their fitments come loose on the ends. This is especially true for small caliber rods. Solvents also attack their resins and they simply break down over time.
The frequency that most people shoot and subsequently have to clean is no doubt significantly lower than mine. I switched to pro-shot and ivy stainless rods and my cleaning rod issues have been gone for nearly 2 years. Using stainless rods basically made me feel like a moron for using crappy coated and carbon rods for the last couple decades. It's comical. So if folks want to use carbon and coated rods... go ahead. I will never buy either again.
Ever."
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That pretty much says it.
I stopped using carbon rods because I learned they were stupid.
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I told you wrong. I thought my cleaning rods were 22", however they are 26". Therefore I would buy a rod at least 12" longer than the barrel you intend to clean on a 700 platform.
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Yea, you don’t want to use a short one, they get stuck, ask me how I know! Lol.
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@dddoo7 The nice thing about pro-shot and ivy rods is that the handles are small, so you can go overtop a rifle stock. I HATED that about the tipton rods. Huge handles, always banging into things.
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@dddoo7 said:
I told you wrong. I thought my cleaning rods were 22", however they are 26". Therefore I would buy a rod at least 12" longer than the barrel you intend to clean on a 700 platform.
Pro Shot has rods in 36" and 42" length. I am sure that the 36" will be good for now since the only rifles I currently own are 20" . But I expect that I will have something longer in the future, so I was debating getting the 42". I probably will just go 36" for now and worry about a longer one down the road if/when I need it.
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I look at cleaning rods very much the way I look at bipods, scope mounts, and other things. If I have to buy a new cleaning rod for every rifle I have, so be it. Great when they work on multiples, but having all the exactly right stuff for each rifle is a good.
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@orkan said:
I look at cleaning rods very much the way I look at bipods, scope mounts, and other things. If I have to buy a new cleaning rod for every rifle I have, so be it. Great when they work on multiples, but having all the exactly right stuff for each rifle is a good.
Exactly what I have finally begun to realize after overthinking this for a day. A cleaning rod is $30. Why even concern myself with what I might need in the future, just get what is best for right now. If I can't afford the correct cleaning rod for a new rifle, then I damn sure don't need the rifle.
