Do you use a muzzle protector?

[roundball]

The selections left me out soooo chose range only.

When hunting, I load at camp or PU with range rod. The only time a wood rod enters my barrel is when reloading after shooting game.

Well...ya got me there...I didn't list "at the pickup" as an option...I just used the word hunting :grin:

 

[blowinsmoke]

Im gonna have to plead ignorance on this but i still have a few questions about a muzzle protector. First of all, ive never used one. I use a fiberglass rod in my flintlock. What kind of damage does this do? Is is only to the muzzle of the barrel or does it protect the entire length? If it is just the inch or so at the muzzle, does it affect it as much being a swamped barrel? I was always under the impression that in a swamped barrel its the middle foot or so of the barrel that provides most of the tighest spin which inturn, the accuracy. Im sure its different for each application but is there like an average number of shots without a muzzle protector that it starts to do the damage?

 

[LRB]

Never use fiberglass without a muzzle guard. Fiberglass is extremely abrasive unless the rod itself is coated with a protective coating.
It will not hurt the bore unless it is very flimsy. Your bore condition is important for it's entire length, and the muzzle crown is is also important. A crown will seldom wear evenly from an abrasive ramrod. Idealy, the ball should leave the muzzle with an even all around pressure. If not the ball can be steered by the uneven pressures of the gases escaping on one side ahead of the other side. This condition will also affect the stability of the ball in it's spin. It can make the ball wobble a tiny degree, causing accuracy to fall off.
The swamp on a swamped barrel is only external. The bore should be even in diameter all the way, unless it is purposely choked near the muzzle, or taper bored. Standard swamped barrels should have an even bore.

 

[longcruise]

Well...ya got me there...I didn't list "at the pickup" as an option...I just used the word hunting

Well, as long as we're going to be specific, ya gotta add "at the car" for guys like me that don't have a pickup. Then there is the "at my friends car or pickup" for when you ride with a friend. Also, I see references here to guys who simply walk out the back door and across the field to hunt (wish I was one of those). So you will need "on the back porch". Oops, what about the guys who hunt across the road?? Nedd to add "at the front porch"

You obviously know nothing about how to create a scientific poll!! :haha:

 

[Richard Allen]

For years I shot out of a range box and the only thing I ever used for loading and cleaning were stainless steel range rods with Delrin bushings. I weighed the balls, followed Dutch Schultz's recommendations for dry lube patching, had to use a short starter to start my tight ball/patch combinations, and had to wipe between shots. And I had to lug around that big ole shooting box with everything I thought I needed to shoot and clean my rifle.

It got to where shooting was more work than fun and I found I was shooting a whole lot less often.

After shooting in a few primitive matches and woods walks I realized I really didn't need all that stuff I used to think I had to haul around to shoot. I decided to simplify my shooting procedure and shoot from the bag regardless of the what type match I shot.

I now use a smaller ball and looser patch that I can load with the hickory rammer carried in the pipes. I use fffg. for charging and priming, Stumpy's Moose Snot for greasing the patches, and no longer have to wipe between shots. I also funneled my barrel with Joe Woods' coning tool so that I can thumb start the balls. Shooting is enjoyable again.

If I ever think the rammer has worn the the barrel enough to cause my accuracy to go bad I'll just break out Joe's tool and freshen the funnel.

I know most of y'all are gonna think I'm crazy, and a whole bunch of folks have already told me I am, so I shore ain't gonna loose any sleep over it.

The only thing I can tell y'all is my time spent shooting is a whole lot less complicated and I am having a helluva lot more fun shooting now.

Richard/Ga.

 

[LRB]

I understand what you're saying. Once I have a gun sighted in on paper, I just enjoy shooting things. Cans, baloons, clay birds, ect. I hate shooting paper targets. I like to shoot at stuff that bounces or breaks when you hit it, but I do require the gun to shoot better than me, off the shoulder. A coned muzzle will probably never wear enough to affect accuracy, under normal use. I just can't bring myself to try it. I'd like to try it on someone elses barrel first. Preferably a really tack driving accurate rifle, where any differences could be seen, before, and after.

 

[Richard Allen]

I shot over two thousand rounds through that Getz barreled Lancaster before I funneled it.

I tore my right bicep loose from the bone a few years ago which forced me into finding an eaiser loading combination. After working up an accurate load for that patch/ball combination I shot it well over five hundred times before funneling the barrel. Then I compared the groups I shot at 25, 50, and 100 yards from the bench just before funneling it and the same number of groups shot under similar conditions immediately afterwards and I did not see any loss of accuracy.

In my previous post I fergot to mention I didn't completely quit using the stainless range rod. I still use it to pull dry-balls and for cleaning the barrel.

Richard/Ga.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I tend to agree with Wick on this. I have done both, and still use my range box, and range rod, and tight fitting Ball/patch combinations when I am working up a load for my rifle for paper targets. But, I also find shooting paper about as exciting as watching paint dry.

Once I have a load worked up for a rifle, I then start adjusting components so that It can be loaded and shot from a hunting pouch. I would much rather shoot at targets that react to the shot, be it jumping, breaking, or swinging. :hatsoff:

All this still requires examining spent patches, and benching the gun every year or so just to see if something else is failing with the gun. I find every time I have to buy new fabric for patches, the load needs to be tweaked a bit to keep it going to the same POI, for instance. But, with a chronograph, and an bench rest to check this on paper, I am very soon back happily bouncing targets down range. :surrender: :thumbsup:

 

[roundball]

Well...ya got me there...I didn't list "at the pickup" as an option...I just used the word hunting

Well, as long as we're going to be specific, ya gotta add "at the car" for guys like me that don't have a pickup. Then there is the "at my friends car or pickup" for when you ride with a friend. Also, I see references here to guys who simply walk out the back door and across the field to hunt (wish I was one of those). So you will need "on the back porch". Oops, what about the guys who hunt across the road?? Nedd to add "at the front porch"

You obviously know nothing about how to create a scientific poll!! :haha:

Just your run-of-the-mill apprentice pollster :idunno:

 

[larry wv]

I ruined a .54 Renagade years ago with a fiberglass rod and no guard. Ended up cutting off about 4 inches and recrowned with a file. Shot good again. Still have the cut off piece. It is wallowed out bad. Dumba-- Larry Wv :idunno:

 

[roundball]

No, not a Dumba...no other hobby in life prepares us for muzzleloading so we don't stuff...makes these forums especially great as information clearing houses...thousands of years of experiences that can be read and absorbed in a short amout of time.

Now...if the common theme of the majority of opinions on a subject is read and ignored, and mistakes are made in spite of the recommendations...THEN, Dumba applies :grin: