Just got back from a week of Pdog thinning and found out I left my cleaning rod in the hotel. NO PROBLEM, the guy we shoot on will go get it but I may never get out there again ... and it is a 12 hour drive. Are the carbon rods the best thing now or the coated steel rods better or ....... ??? I gotta get something to clean all this stuff and need it quick ??

I'd go with a Tipton carbon fiber rod. This thing is 10x nicer than the Dewey I had prior. After using this I'd never go back.

I don't think it much matters given today's wonder cleaners. With good jags, brushes and patches along with the occasional bore scope to know what's really happening the rod won't be making all that many passes.

The only knock on Tipton I've ever credited was a rare lack of quality control in fitting the ferrule and if a particular rod was good as most are then that's as good as any. Certainly superior to older coated rods that aren't up to dealing with today's wonder cleaners. But current coated rods are up to the wonder cleaners so again I'd use either rod provided the rod was the right fit.

Then again Dewey chosen to fit the bore and barrel length - not long to fit everything but the right length for my barrel (different rods for a 26" bolt and a 16" gas gun .224 bore) to minimize flex and now I need new ones with the rise of solvent ports making the bore guide longer - with bore guide are what I use in my best barrels because I have them and they are good enough - my preference is a pair of rods - brush and jag - for each barrel along with a Sinclair cradle and double rod holder - plus again today's cleaners and it's quick - except for sometimes waiting - and easy.

No question Montana Extreme is selling a full line of fine rods at 2 different price points and they might be at the top of the class.

Again I'd figure any of the name brands chosen to fit the bore and the right length for the barrel and bore guide is better than a possible superior in some technical aspect rod that was too long and bowed on the stock comb and the other possible ills that a rod is subject to.

If you do a little searching you will find quite a few carbon rods that have shattered and impaled shooters.
I only use polished steel rods. This is like asking who has the longest one. Lot's of BS out there. I've heard the stories of rods wearing out barrels. Most folks either don't shoot very many rounds through a barrel or clean them enough to wear out a barrel. I have shot many thousand rounds through a BR rifle, cleaning every 8-10 rounds. Cleaning and cleaning rods did not wear them out. Throat erosion eventually wore them out. I used to use and still use Deweys on my hunting rifles and polished heat treated Ivy rods on my BR barrels.

Still prefer Dewey's, although I have an old Outer's rod I leave at the cabin.

A buddy claimed it was aluminum and fussed about it, until I flopped a fridge magnet thingus on it and flicked it across the room at him. "See, toldja it was SS".

Don't even remember where it came from, although it's been up there for over 35 years.

Went through a period back in the early 80s, when I was hell on removing copper from barrels. Then one day I said fook this and tapered off. None of the rifles seemed to have been offended, nor taken notice since?

After many years of using Dewey rods, I'm making the switch to BoreTech. Handle bearings hold up better.

Tipton carbon fiber.............

SOUNDS LIKE WE ALL AGREE THEN....... HAHAHA !!
THANKS GUYS.

I'll pile on with a Tipton recommendation.

I am using a 40 year old Belding & Mull stainless.

All rods have qualities that make using them akin to running a carbide drill bit down the bore of your rifle. Studies have shown that merely having a rifle and a cleaning rod of any sort in the same room for a period of time over one minute will cause damage to the bore.

+1 for the Tipton carbon fiber

Denny's cleaning rods get great reviews

http://www.ivyrods.com/

Pro Shot one piece stainless steel...

Best deal out there is at Amazon....

Free shipping if you have a prime account

http://www.amazon.com/Tipton-22-Cal...eywords=tipton+carbon+fiber+cleaning+rod

Probably of no interest to you, but I am still using the old Parker Hale steel rods with wood handle and bearings made in the 1950's.
I have three and used them on my work rifles with not a single problem or hitch...the most important thing that one needs for cleaning is a correct bore guide, and something to put over the muzzle to keep the muck off the wifes curtains (or you will starve to death).

In point of fact, they can get really pissy at the carpet being black with Moly as well...sometimes they are hard to work out!



ps, I cheated by rebuilding the Parker Hale rods.

OK !! I got the Tipton carbon rod and the Tipton 22 jag. So far... I HATE THEM !! I may have just ruined my wifes 223 Pdog gun just trying to get a patch down the barrel it is so tight. I have always used double napped white cotton flannel for patches and never had a problem. Without the tip even on the rod it is very touchy about being in perfect alignment or it binds up. I got a long rod and a shorter one, so I will try the other one in the morning but as of right now I am going to have to send them back. I am NOT going to run those rods down any of my custom guns... for sure !!

Bore Tech. The handle is a decent size and has bearings at each end, and their jags stay tight. I have another rod that the jag is constantly coming loose on, that doesn't see much use.

Stab the patch off center and it won't be so tight. A hellatious carbon ring will make the patch hard to start too.

This is " pound it thru" all the way. Like I said, even without a patch it seems to be way tight. Not much room for a patch at all. Good looking rod. I cut my own patches. The jag is tapered after the first part of it so there should be more clearance. Might save these for larger calibers and get something else.

I'm with 405wcf and fc363. Bore Tech is the best rod I have experience with. Having said that, I have not used a carbon fiber rod of any manuf. nor have I used an Ivy.

The Bore Tech has wonderful bearrings, much nicer than Dewey, and the handle is small diameter so won't be bumping into the monte carlo stocks. It is also made of soft foam material which gives it a non-slip grip.

1flier

JSTUART-RE: wifes curtains.

I take an old plastic jug, cut a hole in its side, and slide the muzzle inside. Toss after use. No muss, no fuss.

I am liking the Pro-Shot one piece stainless rods. Stiff, good bearings, and small enough handle to clear the stock. Just me.....

Another vote for Bore Tech, for all the reasons already mentioned.

Steve

Are you sure you got the .22 size rod? I have both .22 and .30 size rods and never had a problem. I clean everything under .30 with the .22 rod, including a AR15 and a custom 220 Swift with no problems.

I did have to use smaller patches with the Tipton jags.....

I have a few Deweys and I think the bearings and handles are crap. The have balls riding against plastic. The best rods I have are Bore Tech but there may well be better ones.

Most of my guns don't even see a rod anymore. An overnight soak with Wipeout, and one zip with a Boresnake and you are done.

Tipton for me!!!!

I have been using Muzzlemate for a number of years after finding black curtains really excited my wife...and not in a good way.

These sorts of threads always amaze me, because so many posters firmly state ONE cleaning rod (or cartridge, bullet, scope, rifle, venison recipe, strip joint, etc.) is superior to anything else--without any back-up information about how they came to this firm conclusion.

I must have 25-30 cleaning rods, some made as far back as the 1970's and some from the past year. The handles on some don't twirl as well as others, and some are coated and some not. They have all worked to clean a bunch of bores, and since I also have a bore-scope I've found the rumors about cleaning rods wearing out barrels are just that, rumors. As Butch noted, shooting wears out barrels, not cleaning rods.

I have used the same three rods for everything from 22lr to 30-06, I just change ends and boreguides.

Never had an issue with flex, tapping, or binding...never stuffed any barrels either.


ps, I did try a Proshot years ago but it was nowhere near as good as my old steel Parker Hales, actually...it was a piece of rubbish.

i have about 30rods every size available i think. i use the deweys more than the others. i showed up at a auction a few years ago and they were selling a whole hand full of dewey rods at one time. i bought 7 of them for 10.00.

All Rods are not the same Diameter and neither are the Jags . You also have to optimize the shape , material , and size of the Patch ( I like Proshot Patches )with the particular Jag you are using .... I have not tried any of the new Triangular Patches which are not supposed to stick yet , but will probably order some . Anyway , my old Dewey Rods work fine for 22 and larger , not so fine for 20 and 17 .....they Kink ! I like the Tipton for the small Calibers , but as mentioned in previous Posts ( they can blow apart and stick you ) so I'm going to use some sort of thick glove ....just in case . I also like the Bore Tech and Kleen Bore Rods , and have heard the Ivy is the Rolls Royce of Rods , but have never seen one . I can't remember but I think the Ivy is Spring Steel . If I were starting from scratch , I guess I would just follow Butches advice .

As with scopes, if the cost of your cleaning rod doesn't exceed the cost of the rifle, you can't consider yourself serious about the whole business.

True that!

why would anyone need or want 30 cleaning rods?

Perhaps, as a writer, to stay on top of what is currently offered?

I just counted mine out in the shop, and was kinda surprised that I own 14 - 11 rifle (some one-piece, some segmented) and 3 pistol.

I think you should use as large a diameter rod as is possible for each caliber. I wish they made better cleaning rods for big bores and shotguns. I hate patching out my 17, it's like trying to push a piece of pasta through the barrel!

If you are perhaps thinking Carbon Fiber might, in some way, be less abrasive than steel or plastic coated steel or aluminum think again. I make knives as a hobby, using carbon fiber as bolster or handle material. The only way you can cut it is to use the same bandsaw I use to cut my blade steel...the carbon fiber will eat up a regular wood cutting blade...it can be tough stuff, and it will abrade the soft (in relative terms) barrel steel.

Glad you posted this. In the old days when I was in the machine shop daily the cutters were eaten up by the carbon fiber. We had to use Carbide cutters. If I used a carbon fiber rod, I would worry about barrel wear.

I'm glad you posted this as well. I pointed this out a couple years ago and got the wrath of the Tipton rod supporters who hadn't had their cleaning rods long enough to figure this out.

You guys just gave me a great idea for an invention. I'm filing.

Thanks!

There are no mass-produced commercial rods that can deliver optimum performance. The best route is to have a rod made from the finest of rare materials that is custom-fitted to your barrel. If a person is not willing to spend the necessary money to go first-class, the next best thing is to buy a commercial rod and discard both the handle and the rod. The handles on commerical rods are either wood, which will warp, or some inferior composite that lacks the necessary stiffness to do the job properly and should be replaced with one that is hand-laid up to the exact contours of your hand. As for the replacement rod, the debate over material is never-ending. A person just has to make a choice and live with the knowledge that no matter what he chose, he is wrong.

Don't really need a rod at all - just blow the jags and brushes through the barrel with CO2 or a regulator off a SCUBA tank air source (handy for pre-charged air guns. No chance of reversing in the bore either. But it does pay to have a catcher at the far end.

An especially easy adaptation is to put a hose adapter in the Hornady Lock-N-Load Overall Length Gage Modified Case with its threaded base and then use cleaning felts from air guns in the case neck. Marketing tip: pre-saturated cleaning felts.

5sdad,

Actually, what you need is a tactical "stealth" cleaning rod with an extra-large bolt handle, coated in the latest super-synthetic coating that's not only non-abrasive but invisible to the human eye. That way nobody can tell what the rod is, so they can't accuse you of using a cleaning rod that was absolutely necessary last year but oh-so yesterday now.

However, you should leave the bolt handle uncoated, in case you need to find the rod again.

JB: Im glad Im not still in the gun biz....guaranteed there will be people in the store asking for one of those tomorrow just because you wrote it..


Probably to clean their .29B.S. rifles....

Naw, everybody knows B-29's don't ever need cleaning. Just another amazing attribute of the perfect all-around cartridge.

Don't those bullets have counter rotating jackets and cores so they're immune to spin drift?

Actually, the opposite rotation of the core and jacket is based on the design of the "Bell" developed in Nazi Germany and creates a state of weightlessness until such time that the rotations fall below a certain point. This, of course, extends the range of the cartridge in question.

At first I was thought the B-29's bullets actually ROSE in flight, but more testing showed they just didn't drop nearly as much as NASA's ballistic program suggested.

They do, however, flip deer and elk on their backs and field-dress 'em--though only with "proper" bullet placement.

Do these bullets come pre-salted? You know, because you don't want the meat to spoil before you get to it since the animal was killed nearly into the next county or beyond.

I've had a Dewey nylon coated rod for 8 years. It has served me well, never any problems.

This, of course, is called the Bell Curve.

Carbon fiber, stainless steel, coated, whatever. Use one of these:

http://www.6mmbr.com/catalog/item/1433308/954882.htm

Steve
Oregon

Steve,
I go further than that and use TK Nolan's bore guide.

butchlambert1:

Yup, Cadillac!

A good bore guide is more important than the material of the rod.

Steve
Oregon

I believe you, everybody needs to keep their rods clean.

I'm still using my old Parker-Hale rods.

This. Tiptons have good bearings too.

Paul

+1 on Dewey coated rods and Lucas bore guides.

The newer rods have better bearings and you can get dewey to make extensions to have the handle out past the end of the butt to avoid the monte carlo issue. Their plastic coating is 2-3x as thick as Bore Techs and will not peel.

Had 6 Bore Tech rods that the coating totally peeled off. Took me 6 months dealing with Bore Tech to get new rods (which I immediately sold) back after I sent them in.

Forget carbon fiber, I have seen too many issues with carbon fiber arrows to have my hands pushing them!!!!