Don't use wood ramrods!

[azmntman]

I wonder why God would want to break her ramrod.

Spence

read her post again and then mine OUTLOUD till you see it.

hint.... "He likely didnt, he was just protecting her" as the incident occurred. Apologies to any offended by the use of the word GOD (gotta be a few these days).

 

[Idaho Ron]

I have never carried or used a wood ramrod. That being said when you replace it with an aluminum or what ever kind make sure you pin it. A lot of the aluminum ones are hot melt glued in place. You need to drill and pint it with a brass pin to make it reliable.
If you don't it will pull off. I know I have done it.

 

[longcruise]

If you go to the lumber yard and sort through the 3/8" oak dowels you can usually find one that has no grain run out. Not as good as hickory, but as for me, I live in a hickory desert.

Zim, I don't mind the extra weight. In fact, it sorta improves the handling and hold for me. No clatter or clinking either.

The barrels on these are 28" to 32". I expect that when barrels are much longer the weight could become a problem.

There are tubular brass rods available also.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I buy straight grained hickory rods, and inspect them when they arrive. I've yet to get a factory rod that didn't break...well OK my last factory gun was a Pedersoli, and I didn't give it the chance but replaced the rod it came with when it arrived.

LD

 

[zimmerstutzen]

And be careful of those fiberglass replacement ram rods. I got one from TC. Within weeks I was spending more time picking fiberglass splinters out of my hand than shooting. wears the muzzle worse than metal too.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Haven't used anything but wood since I sold my Bess. That had a one-piece steel rod.

I have the original impregnated wood rammer on my 1982ish Renegade and my flintlocks both have tapered hickory rammers. And I don't use range rods - just the one in the thimbles.

I also use wood arrows for deer hunting and all my stumping and practice (every day). If you're breaking ram-rods you're probably not doing something the right way, or not starting with a good piece of wood.

 

[Tinker2]

There are tubular brass rods available also.

I have made ramrods with tubular brass rods too.
Lined them with aluminum rod, won’t kink easily http://www.ksmetals.com/



William Alexander

 

[Spikebuck]

Pricey...but here's another option:
http://www.periodramrod.com/

 

[Black Hand]

I've broken one rammer at the junction between wood and the tapered threaded end (a natural weak point). Other than this single occurrence, I've used wooden rammers for nearly 20 years without a problem.

I'm with Stumpkiller - probably had a bad blank (grain run-out) to start.

Easy to make your own from a piece of lumber store hickory, a plane, scraper and some sandpaper. Pick a board where the grain runs parallel to the board edges, split/cut the board and go from there - minimizes grain issues.

 

[MSW]

Glad to hear you weren't hurt. I use the delrin stuff, and if the HC/PC folks want to yell at me, i'll ignore them along with a bunch of folks to whom I pay little or no attention.

Keep calm and [strike]carry on[/strike] make good smoke!! :grin:

 

[faste350]

all i use is wood for all of my shooting. i do use a synthetic rod for cleaning. never had a problem with a good hickory rod.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Easy to make your own from a piece of lumber store hickory, a plane, scraper and some sandpaper. Pick a board where the grain runs parallel to the board edges, split/cut the board and go from there - minimizes grain issues.

Few have the woodworking experience or skill to do that and end up with a safe rod.

Safety trumps pc all the way. Go synthetic as much as possible.

 

[Black Hand]

Easy to make your own from a piece of lumber store hickory, a plane, scraper and some sandpaper. Pick a board where the grain runs parallel to the board edges, split/cut the board and go from there - minimizes grain issues.

Few have the woodworking experience or skill to do that and end up with a safe rod.

Safety trumps pc all the way. Go synthetic as much as possible.

I think you are selling others short by far. If you can shoot a muzzleloader without removing a limb, you are likely qualified to make a rammer...
After all, it really is only a glorified stick.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Let's face it.....Some rods are more prone to breakage, like small calibers, grain run-out, poor wood etc.....
And some people are more prone to breaking a ramrod.....

Shoot whatever make you happy.....but if it's not wood, steel or brass.....it not traditional. And I've never seen a wooden ramrod on a modern inline.... :haha:

It's just part of the fun..... :grin:

 

[bpd303]

I know you are experienced, so I won't lecture. :grin:
When shooting at home or on the range, I always use one of several range rods I have. When I used to hunt, I just used the hickory rods I make from blanks I get from Mike @ Flintlocks Inc. I always inspect my wood rods thoroughly and have found just one with a crack starting. Cut that one down to use in pistols.

 

[hanshi]

In the last 50 years I've broken only two wood rods and they were the ones that came with the guns. Even in my Crockett which came with a thin wood rod, the little rod was still in fine shape when I sold the rifle after some 13 + or - years. Some guns still have their original rods but I do tend to replace them with hickory. At the range I use mostly a metal range rod and just occasionally the wood one. In the woods and fields I use the wood, underbarrel rod. I try to be as safe and careful as I can. Good luck, all.

 

[longcruise]

I agree. I make arrow shafts with the method described by black hand and would say it's pretty simple. I would make up some hickory rods with the same equipment I use for the shafts but like said earlier, I live in a hickory desert.

 

[Brokennock]

Glad you weren't skewered. What about those "Virtually Indestructible Ram-Rods" linked to above? I'm surprised I don't hear more about these when subjects like this come up.

 

[tecum-tha]

Mostly inexperienced shooters and low quality ramrods are the reason for breakage. The virtual indestructable ramrod is a great rod and I have one on nearly all my better rifles. Not a fan of plastic and range rods.

 

[AZbpBurner]

If you're a-gruntin' and a-strainin' as though giving birth to a bowling ball, maybe you need a better patch lube that won't get the bore fouled so quickly. Either that, or swab every other round so that you don't have to use excess, rod-breaking force to seat the ball.

And, if you need to use the word 'flexible' in conjunction with your ramrod, you're using your rod all wrong. Flexing while loading causes rods to break easier than even birth-gruntin' them...