Don't use wood ramrods!

[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.

Strongly disagree. Based on some of the questions posted on this forum, I believe some ml shooters should never be allowed near anything sharp or what goes "bang". That is why stuff that comes packaged in plastic packages for mls sells so well in discount stores. A ram rod is not a "glorified stick". It is a specialized tool for a specific job. These days we expect to live past age 45 and plan to come out of the woods on our own feet at the end of the day. Take yer muzzle gun into the mountains in the fall on yer own. We will look for yer bones in the spring. I like 'authentic' but choose life. Respectfully, Bro, ye gave bad advice. :nono:

Hey - if you don't want to use a wooden rod, that is up to you. But to say that NO ONE should use (or make) a wooden rod, even though evidence shows that the great majority can and have used wooden rods for decades with no problem, is a bit much.

If you have no desire to have the experiences that our forefathers had (Yes, even the uncomfortable ones), then stay home. There are others that do this just to see what the actual experience was like. Yes, I've been cold, wet, hot, snowed upon, blown about, assailed by insects AND shot all my guns with WOODEN rammers...but quite frankly, my life has not been in danger from ANY of these.

 

[coloradoclyde]

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.

:shocked2: ..Um...aren't you the guy that makes wooden cleaning jags? :hmm:

 

[54ball]

Hey - if you don't want to use a wooden rod, that is up to you. But to say that NO ONE should use (or make) a wooden rod, even though evidence shows that the great majority can and have used wooden rods for decades with no problem, is a bit much.

My sentiment as well.

Safety trumps pc all the way.

OK..We all should use, Nerf or Air Hogs longrifles, correct?

Metal rods, and those limp unbreakable synthetics can actually reenforce poor loading habits. They have their place but IMHO should be used as if it were wood. Wooden rods take care, take a special technique in loading.

If your loads require a pile driver to seat or if one must load a gun like Sylvester the Cat then one of the unbreakables may be the best option to use exclusively.

I resent the insulation that since I use wood I must be stupid or somewhat less than enlightened.

 

[nwtradegun]

here is one that wont break http://www.periodramrod.com/

 

[coloradoclyde]

Metal rods, and those limp unbreakable synthetics can actually reenforce poor loading habits

Excellent point... :hatsoff:


Yes, using a wooden ramrod requires more education and diligence than an unbreakable rod....but then, using a muzzleloader requires more of the same than using a modern firearm.

Embrace muzzleloaders for what they are, and not what you want them to be....... :2

 

[pab1]

Anything used improperly can be dangerous. A local guy wanted to fire his grandfathers muzzleloader in his memory after he had passed away. I don't know all the details but I don't think he knew anything about muzzleloading. He wound up with a serious injury when the gun blew up. I'm sure to him muzzleloaders are dangerous and should not be used.

I also saw first hand the results of a Jolly Rancher stick candy that was made into a weapon by an inmate and used to stab another inmate. The victim nearly died. That does not make Jolly Ranchers dangerous.

I'm not trying to make light of anyone injured by poor quality and/or improper use of wooden ramrods. Just wanting to point out that anything used improperly can be dangerous. A quality wooden ramrod used properly is not dangerous. Used improperly any ramrod (or anything) can be dangerous.

 

[CrackStock]

well I contacted that guy on the 'bay who makes brass rods

Not too worried about HC/PC, the rifle I lug around is a T/C Hawken.....

Cynthialee,

If you are mostly shooting at a range, you might consider a stainless steel range rod with ball or angled handle and a bore guide. This protects your muzzle and is quite convenient. I keep a range rod for the range and a hickory rod for woods walks.

Good luck!

CS

 

[Stumpkiller]

The thread title is "Don't use wood ramrods!"

Perhaps if it had been "I don't feel secure with wood ramrods" or "I have failed at wood rammers!" it may not have received the same negative attention.

It would be like one titled "Don't use lead projectiles!" getting through without drawing heat.

Choke up on them when forcing the ball down. If you have to pound on it - then either figure out a better load or, in that case, switch to a rod that can handle the abuse.

 

[pa woods roamer]

Started out shooting Black Powder with an old CVA Two piece stock Capgun. One Relay was to shoot Your Gun using the Ramrod as a rest. I tried to stick the wood ramrod in the ground and it broke in two with the jagged sharp end stuck in my hand !Very painful Lesson learned....

 

[coloradoclyde]

Very painful Lesson learned....

Of course!... Don't stick your ramrod into the ground.... :slap: :nono: :haha:

 

[bpd303]

Can't believe someone hasn't mentioned soaking the wood ram rods in kerosene, to make them unbreakable. :haha:

 

[longcruise]

I think somebody did! :haha:

I can't believe the mountain that has been made of this mole Hill. :rotf:

 

[coloradoclyde]

I think somebody did! :haha:

I can't believe the mountain that has been made of this mole Hill. :rotf:

Takes a lot of gravel to make a smooth road.... :haha:

 

[azmntman]

I would not say Cynthia is an amateur in any way, (i been at this 43 years and I haven't shot a mountian lion with a revolver? :shocked2: ). Stuff happens? I broke but one, on a new pedersoli .45 flinter. FIRST damn ball ever seated in it! I believe I tried to load with my hand too far up the rod but there I was with a brand new gun in the woods with a ball half loaded and no other rod. Now I take a spare shooting and have one at camp hunting.

If nothing else from this thread we should all remember to periodically check our ram rods for damage.

 

[Claude Mathis]

Choke up on them when forcing the ball down.

How many times have we seen someone grab the rod as high as possible and try to drive the ball down in one, forceful stroke? It looks impressive in the movies, but it's a good way to break a long, thin wooden rod. :wink:

 

[Rifleman1776]

Can't believe someone hasn't mentioned soaking the wood ram rods in kerosene, to make them unbreakable. :haha:

Sorry, gotta disagree. That "flexible" with a kero soak lasts only until the kero dries out which is very quickly. I have soaked wood rods in lemon oil to get that flexy thing. Dunno if it really did any good but it made me feel like I was doing something good. :wink:

 

[Snakebite]

The thread title is "Don't use wood ramrods!"

Perhaps if it had been "I don't feel secure with wood ramrods" or "I have failed at wood rammers!" it may not have received the same negative attention.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[hanshi]

A friend soaked all my hickory rods in Kerosene for a few weeks. I can't say they are flexible - I don't dare try to see if they will break - but it hasn't hurt them in any way. Even the smell went away after only a couple of days.

 

[cynthialee]

I stand with my assessment. Simple wood rods, are for me, a danger that are easily mitigated. I will still use the small ones I have with my pistols as I tend to not use a tight ball/patch combo, and they are for targets in the back yard.

But come payday I am buying the brass rod for my hunting iron. Yep it will add some weight. That is both good and bad. I am cool with that.

Old rod, fouled bore, very tight ball/patch, me trying to shoot as fast as I can had me grabbing the rod too far up on it than I should have and normally do when shooting. It all added up to a broken rod. Under normal ideal conditions this would never have happened. But in a simulated drill where I was reloading rapidly due to a 'miss', allot of horse sense went out the window due to the adrenalin and heat of the moment.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

One of the reasons I took to muzzleloading was that it doesn't require a billion dollar machine and 3 phd's to make my own gear. There are folks who can tackle making a ram rod from a hickory split and those who might cut themselves while trying to prepare patches. I spent a couple winter evenings reading some articles and then made a powder horn. Same for any muzzleloading endeavor. If you think you can't, the task is already lost.

All that said, a good stout range rod with muzzle protector is best for the target range. Whatever the material.