Trouble with cleaning jags

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Fremmer

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I cleaned my hunting rifle and tried a .30 caliber brass jag instead if using the plastic slotted tip. It was really hard to push that jag through the bore, it felt really right. It took a lot more push than a slotted tip.!im using square .45 cal cotton patches.

Is it normal to have to push a jag pretty hard to get it down the bore? Also, should I switch to slightly smaller (.30 caliber sized) patches? I'm concerned about damaging my bore.

The jags did get the bore clean and produced dirtier patches than I'm used to seeing from the patches used with the slotted tip; those patches aren't nearly as tight in the bore compared to the jag patches.
 
Yes, I would use the .30 cal patches. They are sized specifically for a reason. ;)

I've been using the brass jags for years and will never go back to the slotted tips.
 
!im using square .45 cal cotton patches.
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Well, there's your problem!!!

Jags are supposed to be tight, as that is why they work better then slotted tips.

But you do have to use the right patches on them.


rc
 
Walmart has Winchester bulk cotton patches in bundles of 200 at a good price. The Winchester patches are large you can cut two shotgun patches out of the largest patches, they are very handy if you have several calibers and a shotgun to clean. There is probably a years supply of patches for a competitive shooter.

I use a 20ga brass brush to clean the cylinder on my 30/06, 270win and 7.62x54r. It only takes a second to get the cooked on carbon out of the cylinder. I cut proper patch to apply bore cleaners. But I cut a larger patch to wipe the bore dry. You cannot damage your bore with patches under normal use. I am sure that someone somewhere has screwed up a bore with patches but those same people can break an anvil with a tack hammer.
 
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I have on occasion used a smaller jag to eliminate that problem or a smaller patch. You also might find that if you don't center the patch on the jag, it may go through the bore easier.

In the end, you should have a fairly tight fit, but not so tight that the rod is flexing and rubbing the inside of the barrel.

By all means, make sure you are using a bore guide. It never siezes to amaze me how many people don't. QM
 
Thanks, I'll get .30 caliber patches. Do I poke the center of the patch all the way through with the jag tip, or just push the patch through without poking a hole through the patch? Sorry for this stupid question.

And I always use a bore guide.
 
I poke the tip through the patch when cleaning from the receiver end, but not when I clean from the muzzle end (i.e. my .22 rifles).
 
Poke the tip through the patch.

It holds in place and keeps it from bunching up off center and binding up in the bore.

And do the same from either end of the barrel!

rc
 
Or, you can be cheap like me, and just cut an old undershirt into the correctly sized patches.

The size is important, especially with smaller bores, .22(.17?) in particular. Easy to get stuck in those with a patch that's too big.
 
They should be firm but you should not need to use a hammer to drive them through or need to use so much pressure that you're seriously worried about the rod buckling and bending.

I found that the sort of material used makes a HUGE difference. If the patches you have now are overly tight then going to a material that is thinner or softer and more crushable will relieve the amount of pressure you need to move the jag.

I like to see mine require about 10 to 15 lbs of force to move them. Anything much less and I feel like I'm not forcing the weave firmly enough outwards to clean the grooves correctly.

Unless the jag you're using is quite long I find that an oversize patch just folds up and fills the shank area behind the working portion so an oversize patch hasn't been an issue for larger bores like .30 caliber and up. On smaller bores a really big patch can bunch up along the shank area and cause issues due to the lack of clearance. For example on .22 to .25 size bores I really want to use the correct patch or it gets overly tight.

I hardly ever use the slotted style any more. The ease of pushing the patches through is an indicator that they are not scrubbing the bore well. This is fine for drying the bore or picking up and removing the crud and solvent left after a bore brush. But since I've gone to good fitting cylindrical jags and patches I hardly ever need a brush anymore other than an oversize one used for cleaning the chambers.

If you can't find a brand of patches that works just right it's easy enough to adjust the fit of the jag. Just chuck up the shank in a hand drill and run a file or sandpaper over the working area to cut down the size a touch. Just a thou or two is all you need to make a big difference to the fit. Just don't go too far. You're not looking for clearance, you're just looking to ease up the compression in the patch material. A little goes a long way when doing this.

Keep in mind that you are also likely ruining the jag for any other brand of patch which uses a more crushable material.
 
Thank you for the info. The jag gets a lot more out of the bore than a slotted tip gets.
 
I've found that it's best to use patches recommended for the caliber I'm working on,or sometimes 1 size below.It's best to buy a set of jags,then if you need to,you can also change the fit by using a smaller jag.If a barrel's really fouled,the patch will push through harder at first,that's when it's good to have a slightly smaller jag.After the worst of the fouling's gone,you can feel it loosen up and can go to the tighter one.
 
I never used a jag until I started shooting black powder muzzle loaders. A slotted patch hold just doesn't do the job for a dead end barrel but a jag holds the patch completely to the end and then follows the jag out on the retraction. I will never return to slotted holders except for use with my cable cleaner.
 
Brass jags, caliber specific patches for me. I've decided that one thing I don't have time for is cutting my own patches.
 
I went from using patches to using cotton balls, frequently on sale in the local Rx. It took a bit of trial and error but I rather quickly figured out how much of the ball was needed for the bore being cleaned. I find they work great.

Kevin
 
Just as a comparison.

I have a .223 Savage single shot. I found that a .22lr spear tip jag and a 1" round patch will easily and freely go through the bore guide, soak up what is in the solvent port and spin like a dervish as I push once the jag is in the chamber.

A Patchworm with a 1" patch on up and including a 1 1/2" round patch will not spin freely when being pulled through.

I haven't used the loop thing for a while and you are not going to get the same spin with the loop when compared to the jag.
 
^^^^^
Doing this before using solvents minimizes the amount of sloppiness involved in the cleaning process, especially handguns shooting lead bullets.
 
dont forget that not all patches are the same thickness. just because its the same width as your favorite brand, doesnt mean its the same thickness.
If you dont understand how patch thickness can affect something going through the barrel, read up on patched roundball.
 
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