for shotguns i usually use an oak dowel, and just use paper towels which i wad up into a plug-like thing, coat with cleaning solution and push through with the dowel. sometimes if ive only fired a handful of shots i dont even use cleaning solution just a lightly oiled paper towel.
sounds like i am being a cheap@ss but i actually have proper rods and more expensive commercial cleaning solutions - they sit on the shelf gathering dust because i found that they are overkill for shotguns. i used to spend more time cleaning my cleaning equipment than i did cleaning the actual shotgun. paper towels are ideal since you just chuck them.