Dow rod question

[OrneryOaf]

I will eventually get a steel one, but I already had oak dowels. The rod under the barrel is really tight and is a pain to get out. It looks good so I'm just gonna leave it.

 

[OrneryOaf]

Lol, while I was posting...UPS hit the door

 

[Carbon 6]

The rod under the barrel is really tight and is a pain to get out.

Chuck It up in a drill and take some sand paper to it. Make it fit proper.

 

[Carbon 6]

Lol, while I was posting...UPS hit the doorView attachment 41017

I'm anticipating your next thread titled, help I've got a brush stuck in the barrel.

Since CVA went into receivership in the early 1990's and the company was forced to sell off it's traditional line of muzzleloaders (now called traditions). I will argue that everything made by CVA today is intended for their modern inline rifles, not traditional side locks.
This includes brushes, bore mops, and fiberglass rods.

 

[mooman76]

I've smoothed down the oak DOWEL and I'm gonna try to find a brass cap for the ball end and I will make a decent hardwood handle for the top.

I used a piece of center fire brass for a tip on mine. 38 if I remember right and ground the rim off.

 

[Carbon 6]

Track of the wolf has everything you need for making ramrods.

 

[OrneryOaf]

Track of the wolf has everything you need for making ramrods.

I loves me some Track of the Wolf....Buffalo arms too

 

[user 34300]

Do not use dowels. Dowels have grain run out. Oak is not as strong as hickory. When it breaks there is a good chance you will spear you hand.

Stick with hickory rods, hopefully split. When you buy hickory ram rod blanks inspect them to be sure they do not have grain runout.

 

[Ames]

Track of the wolf has everything you need for making ramrods.

And last time I bought from them I got a very good deal on a bundle of 6 rods. All straight too!

 

[bradly_tx]

Do not use dowels. Dowels have grain run out. Oak is not as strong as hickory. When it breaks there is a good chance you will spear you hand.

Stick with hickory rods, hopefully split. When you buy hickory ram rod blanks inspect them to be sure they do not have grain runout.

I have oak and hickory, I use oak and hickory. I have a oak dowel in my .32cal now, and have been using it almost daily. Weather it’s a factory hickory ram rod or a home made oak dowel, you can get bad ones. As mention earlier, pay attention to the grain. Dowel rods can and will be ok to use. I prefer to build my own and just carve a cleaning jag in the end, works for me!

 

[Kansas Jake]

I have some maple shoots long and relatively straight. Has anyone ever tried them for a ramrod or wiping stick?

 

[coupe]

I have a 33" barrel on my 54 cal hawken, a 36" oak rod the size of the thimbles does great. I cut a 30-06 case used the base as the ram end and the necked down end silvered a brass plug in the neck drilled and tapped for the jag which leaves a full hand length for loading at the end. the case is epoxied and pinned, that is my range rod. I switched from poplar as they have snapped in my hands twice, don't want to drive home with wooden rods stuck in my body. Can't put it in the thimbles but it is only for the range anyway.