Double ended rod

[DuncNZ]

I watch guys shooting using the rod on the rifle , they pull it out , wave it about and finally get the ramming end into the muzzle , ram the ball home, remove the rod then wave it about again finally getting it into the ramrod pipes and seated home . If the rod is close to bore size it is easier to have brass fittings on each end , when the rod is withdrawn ,it is grabbed by the hand at the bottom , no turning/waving needed , the ball is rammed and the rod withdrawn and replaced in the pipes no waving required . The fitting on the ramming end can be a cupped ramrod end and the fitting on the other end can be a covered screw for patch or ball pulling . I have one rifle where that works , all the others are tapered rods or have big heads .

 

[Rifleman1776]

I'm not what the point of yer post is. But, a ram rod can be made to your own specifications with brass that fits from either end. Or not.

 

[Flintlock]

I will wave my rod around as I see fit. Focus on shooting and less on others rods.

 

[david w]

I made rod that has a tip on one end with 8-32 threads, and the other end has a tip with 10-32 threads.

 

[hanshi]

In my guns only one end of the ramrods fit into the stock. And that end has to be tapered in order to fit. So I pull & flip.

 

[UndeadPoet]

Yeah, it does seem like, unless you have a fairly stout ramrod, and you have custom inlet your ramrod channel for it to fit, you won’t have a large enough end in the channel to seat the charge without flipping it.

 

[DuncNZ]

If you hunt in thick rain forest ( Jungle), as I do ,and you need to reload in a hurry , , turning a rod to get the tip down the barrel , and replacing it can be a problem , with the rod catching on overhead branches and other plant life .

 

[UndeadPoet]

If you hunt in thick rain forest ( Jungle), as I do ,and you need to reload in a hurry , , turning a rod to get the tip down the barrel , and replacing it can be a problem , with the rod catching on overhead branches and other plant life .

Fair dues. I can certainly understand that.

 

[hawkeye2]

I bought a rifle from a friend (he had built) and it has a cupped and threaded end on both ends of the ramrod. I think it's a great idea, no flipping. I don't know if it allowed me to get off a few extra rounds in the cut-the-stake team event but I would like to think it did.

 

[Bighorserider]

At the range I use a range rod. For guns I build I put a tip matching the furniture threaded 10-32 on one end of the rod and one of a different color threaded 8-32 on the other end.

 

[Billy Boy]

I made rod that has a tip on one end with 8-32 threads, and the other end has a tip with 10-32 threads.

I drill and tap both ends, one #8, the other #10, have always done it that way,
its handy.

 

[ord sgt]

At the range, the ram rod stays in the thimbles. I have a dedicated range rod. It is used for loading and on occasion, for cleaning the barrel. The ram rod under the barrel is just for show.

 

[Twowithone]

Should the rod have brass on both ends

 

[FishDFly]

Yes

 

[Sam squanch]

“ he was waving his rod…..”

 

[French Colonial]

99% of the rods in my guns have a bigger cupped end that is at the muzzle when inserted in the gun, so naturally I flip it when loading.

I am not going to use the small end to load and possibly damage the soft lead ball, YMMV.

 

[Eric Krewson]

Everyone does it differently, there is no right or wrong. I leave a jag on my ramrods, if I have time after I take a shot in the woods, I like to wipe my bore before I reload and start blood trailing a deer.

I cut sharp downward facing grooves in my ramrods with a three-corner file to give me a solid purchase of my ramrod when my fingers are unintentionally covered with patch lube.

 

[longcruise]

I do it sort of like Eric does. My onboard rods have a 10 - 32 rod tip on both ends. Rods are sized so that a jag screwed on exactly matches the muzzle. That way when I'm hunting or doing a trail walk i can wipe the bore if needed and can also use a loading block without needing to work around a rod extending beyond the muzzle. There's a handle in the shooting bag with a metal extension that has a 10x32 threaded end that can become a "range rod" type of handle for backcountry trips where the rifle may be fired and cleaned multiple times over the course of the trip. I also have an alternate brass or steel rod for hunts where everything is carried in so that a broken rod doesn't disable the gun. However, those kinds of hunts are probably behind me now but..... maybe!

 

[ronaldrothb49]

Being a competition shooter I wipe between every shot. On the target range I use a range rod. If I am shooting primitive matches that require you to use the ramrod then it will have a cleaning jag on it so I can still wipe the barrel after every shot. If you are making your ramrods near bore size your rifles are going to be rather fat and clunky looking. If you are using a straight ramrod what difference does it make which end you load with? The ramrod tip is only their to hold the accessories.