Originally Posted By: pyscodogAre we getting cheap or something? Whats next, shoe laces and worn out T-shirts for patchs. If your gonna play, you gotta pay.
For normal at home cleaning I use a bore guide and a good rod, etc., just like the best of the "pay to play" boys. And none of what I use is cheap.
For end of the day "in the field maintenance" - when home is not nearby at the end of the day - I've found a weed eater line as described with a loose wet oily patch followed by a loose dry patch to be a great way to insure that there is no snow/water residue (high mountain hunting can be a wet event) or dust/dirt residue (hunting in dry dusty country like you find in Africa) left in the bore to accumulate for days that can cause damage to a rifle bore before I get back to civilization.
Maybe it is a cheap way to do it but it has worked for years for me. And it has done the same for a lot of other cheap people just like me. Some of them even appear to truly know what they are doing in the field. The entire set up with small containers of bore cleaner, gun grease, bore patches, and gun oil, is light in weight and can be packed away very conveniently in a back pack or other pack gear when you won't be home to tuck Mommy in for a few nights.
If you're home every night, by all means be extravagant and "pay to play" if it helps you sleep better at night.
The only thing I do differently from what is described is to add a small crimped lead split shot fishing sinker to the line just above and touching the melted knob. In my experience it adds a bit of strength for bigger bores, especially in very cold climates.
The best part of being cheap like this is I can afford to get out of town and go hunting once in a while.