Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Rifle Cleaning question

I have purchased several different jags for my 30 caliber rifles and virtually none of them seem to fit. If I put a normal 30 caliber patch on the tip, it simply will not go through the barrels. my problem is, if I go down in size to a 270 or 7mm size patch, the fit seems to loose and I don't get that feeling things are getting clean. Is this common? any suggestions? I have only recently gone to jags, but will go back to slotted tips until I get this figured out.

For the most part I've quit using jags. I use a correct caliber nylon bristle bore brush or an undersize bronze brush and wrap a patch around it. It gives you far more surface area over a jag. It doesn't hang up in the bore either.

Try a .270 bronze brush wrapped with a patch.

Are the patches dry and the bore dry? That would be a tough push. But, a 30 cal jag should be able to push a wet patch thru a 30 cal bore.

Are you sure you don't have a 7mm rifle?

no, I have 6 30- 06 rifles and 2 308's and all the patches are wet, never dry. I was just surprised at how tight they were and I guess I will just have to go down in size considerably to make them work. thanks

Might be your patches, cut them to smaller size and see if that works. You didn't get the cotton patches made with the elastic in 'em did you? Those things are crap, they bind in the bore.

I'd suspect your patch brand, not the jags. I actually put a small fold in patches (usually) to get it tight (tight is good). I also use an 8mm jag in my .30's to get a tight fit. So, loose is more a problem for me.

I use round patches. I have seen square ones seem too tight.

use ur 270 jag - doulble up on the patchs

I'm pretty picky about the feel of my patches also. I'll use the bigger patches and just trim whatever necessary from one or two sides of the patches with a pair of scissors until they fit well. I cut several patches at a time once I know what needs to be trimmed so it's not as big of a hassel as it might seem. I just keep a pair of scissors on the gun bench or in my kit. Good luck!

Tim

I want a snug patch, but I'm not all that particular..I have no problem with using a 270 tip with a patch in a 06 if its reasonably snug, your just pushing out loose stuff btw...The copper or Nylon bore brush is the one that cuts through the crud and copper..

That said I only clean my guns with patches and rod about once or perhaps twice a year and that is with Wipe Out..The rest of the year I use the bore snakes, the best invention since sliced white bread..More bore throats are ruined by rods than by shooting, more scrapes in the steel are caused by rod tips.

One pass with the bore snakes built in brass brush with any solvent on the brush or even oil, and followed by 3 feet of cloth equals 180 patches in surface cleaning..3 passes equals 540 patch passes..They work! I know that while shooting rockchucks the bore gets bad and accuracy goes South on ocassion, but one pass of the bore snake fixes it in the field or on the target range.

+1 for the Bore Snake, best thing in the world! I always take one with me when I deploy, and go hunting.

I'm w/ you FHead
also a good tip, save your used and wearing brushes to use with patches.
for all the reasons above as well as savin $$

I pitched all that cleaning junk a long time ago. I have the OTIS cleaning kit which serves me well. I never use wire brushes. For patches I use a nylon brush with the patch wrapped around it. Cleaning duty is handled with WipeOut.

I didn't pay all the money for hand lapped bores with mirror finishes only to gouge them with wire brushes & steel rods.

So for me, it's WIpeOut & a patch. If my hunting rifles are shooting accurately I never clean them.

The only use I have for wire brushes are for case neck preparation prior to loading. And, that's a fact, Jack !!

I make a trip every year or two, to a fabric shop,( usually following my wife around Christmas shopping). I find white cotton that has some body to it, not to thick or to thin. I buy a couple of yards of it and cut my own patches. Been doing it for many years, and have learned to cut them the right size. Works for me.

Bore snakes are fine for what they are.

But IF you want to use a rod.. junk all you have and buy something like a borestix rod and the appropriate brass wrap around jags... it'll cost you some... i know some rods are 50 bucks....but with the right rod and jag life is so easy.

But remember a patch doesn't really do any scrubbing... and with chemicals these days you dont' need much elbow grease, just wipe out the funk...

BTW wire brushes.. IE the brass ones.. NOT the SS ones... will never harm your bore.. if used properly. We used to burn up 2-4 Krieger tubes a year in competition and a good cleaning with a brush and the correct gear never hurts a barrel.

And the fact is that to get carbon and fouling out sometimes.. you just have to use JB or the like. But using a good rod, not steel, and the right gear on the end with a bore guide from the chamber end you won't hurt a thing.