Jag tips are caliber specific and designed to pierce the patch. I pierce the patch and hold the rod with the handle down. Apply enough solvent to saturate the patch and then steer it into the bore guide. Once the patch clears the muzzle it simply drops off when you retract the rod. Jags can be purchased individually or in a set as shown. If you have 3 or 4 calibers to work with, a set is your best deal. Another plus of owning a complete set is the fact that all patches are not created equal. A ".243" patch may not offer the resistance you want. Drop back to the .224 jag and use 2 patches.
Slotted Tips and Brushes
Slotted tips have their place but I do not use them often. They force you to pull the patch back through bore or remove the patch manually when it exits the muzzle. They are nice if you want to put a larger piece of fabric through them and clean the chamber by twisting the rod. The slotted tip on the far left is of course for shotguns and is threaded to fit standard rifle rods. Rifle rods larger than 17 caliber usually have an 8-32 thread while the 17 carries a 5-40 thread.
Brushes are a must have. Bronze brushes hold up to solvents but nylon is your best bet on mild fouling. I prefer brushes with a loop on the end rather than barbed off. One less thing to worry about scratching your bore.
A good stiff bronze brush can also be used to pull a broken case from the chamber. For instance, a 30 caliber brush will yank a Hornet case right out, so I've heard.