I've found Hoppe's to be a little weaker than Shooters Choice, but Butch's is stronger. If your rod is coated, like most of the good ones these days, aggressive cleaning even with a bore guide will cause it to flex and slap against the rifling, possibly depositing coating in the bore. Be very careful with any polish or steel wool, since it will remove steel. Dirt may act as a stencil and protect some areas, resulting in an uneven surface. JB paste is excellent for anything, and they also make a polish called Bore Bright, probably like jewelers rouge - same color - for use on a clean bore. It is intended for microscopic tool marks and such and leaves a mirror-like finish. I always follow directions but never use near as many strokes as they recommend. Hint: if you are going to take a rifle to the gun show, run a few patches of Bore Bright and you will probably sell the gun, since most people have never seen as bore so brilliant.