Help with stuck bullet

[Carbon 6]

3. I Put my brain to work and made a new tool to help get a bullet puller started (see pic)....which I never got a chance to use...YET

NO! NO! NO!.
Throw that away before you give yourself another big headache. That jag has brass threads. They snap off right at the base.

 

[Griz44Mag]

Griz, when I do use a range rod it has a brass bore guide also there is no T handle it has a 5in. knurled straight handle it also has a hole bored through the end of the handle for attaching a piece of 1/4 in. rope through if needed.

I have one really long rod that has the wood handle with the fancy wire wrap on it.
But I always take the T handled brass rod for range shooting. The T handle is something that once you get used to it - you just gotta have it!

 

[Griz44Mag]

View attachment 45602

NO! NO! NO!.
Throw that away before you give yourself another big headache. That jag has brass threads. They snap off right at the base.

I have always heard that and when I can I get the jags with the steel threads. That said, I do still have some jags with brass studs but I use those for loading and wiping. When I gotta pull something I use the TOTW screw pullers with the brass collar and steel threads.

 

[Greg Blackburn]

LOL, that's one thing I have not done in 50 years. My kids and grandkids have never seen me without a beard.
I do have my grandfathers straight razor, which he got from his father. It has to be as old as yours if not older.
It's plain jane with no makers marks and has a hickory handle. It does not fold like most I have seen.

My father never saw his father use one. All of mine are either ebay.com buys or from Vintage Straight Razors

I did use a guy in Portland (Portland Razor Company) for sharpening and repairs but with the rioting up there, I won't chance it getting stolen. The owner is adamant that's not a risk but I just don't see how. A friend in NC has agreed to show me how to sharpen them, which would save me a lot of money.

At one time, in one German city alone, there were some 800 independent straight razor makers. My favorite is my Crown and Sword razor, I am thinking from the 1920's (most razors were not dated). It's 13/16 of an inch from cutting edge to spine, which I think is the right size for me. This is also the razor that I have cut myself worst with, 3 stitches on left ring finger. I'm still not sure how I managed that. After stopping the bleeding, I cleaned off the blood, restropped, and completed the shave. I reasoned "if the original owner did this, he'd finish his shave." I felt that was important.

Most women love a beard but my GF hates facial hair. My mother was like that. They say you "marry a girl like your mom." Maybe Dr. Freud was right.

 

[Griz44Mag]

My father never saw his father use one. All of mine are either ebay.com buys or from Vintage Straight Razors

I did use a guy in Portland (Portland Razor Company) for sharpening and repairs but with the rioting up there, I won't chance it getting stolen. The owner is adamant that's not a risk but I just don't see how. A friend in NC has agreed to show me how to sharpen them, which would save me a lot of money.

At one time, in one German city alone, there were some 800 independent straight razor makers. My favorite is my Crown and Sword razor, I am thinking from the 1920's (most razors were not dated). It's 13/16 of an inch from cutting edge to spine, which I think is the right size for me. This is also the razor that I have cut myself worst with, 3 stitches on left ring finger. I'm still not sure how I managed that. After stopping the bleeding, I cleaned off the blood, restropped, and completed the shave. I reasoned "if the original owner did this, he'd finish his shave." I felt that was important.

Most women love a beard but my GF hates facial hair. My mother was like that. They say you "marry a girl like your mom." Maybe Dr. Freud was right.

LOL,, My wife is the one that talked me into growing one in the first place.
We were very young when we got married - both of us teenagers. I went to work (electrician) at age 16, by the time I was 19 I was running a small crew. My wife thought it would be good for me to grow a beard that would make me look older and maybe I wouldn't have as many issues with the older guys on the job that could not understand how they were a crewmember and that teenager was the foreman running the job. I liked it, she liked it and now 50+ years later - it's still here.

 

[toot]

I should invest in bullet pullers and a steel "T" range rod. Been muzzleloading since 1994 and never a stuck ball.

remember NEVER SAY NEVER! it will bite you in your A$$!

 

[Eric Krewson]

This is the ramrod puller that was mentioned. I got one after I sent a ball over a 8 points back at 10 yards when I touched the set trigger with a very cold finger. He had been chasing does all morning and was as lust crazed as any buck I have ever seen, he didn't run off. While reloading in a hurry I didn't trim off enough patching and the excess cloth snagged my ramrod and I couldn't get it out. I struggled with it for at least 5 minutes while the buck rubbed a tree in front of me, I couldn't get a good grip on the ramrod to pull it. He casually walked off a few seconds before I got the ramrod back out of the barrel.

I keep one of these in my bag now while hunting, never used it but it is there.

 

[Jimbrynn]

Yeah, I hear ya about the brass threads on that jag...good point. I guess my thinking was I would only use this device to get a small hole drilled in the bullet to help the bullet puller engage better...basically put this on the end of the rod, spin the rod with my fingers to just create that starting hole like you find on some hollow point mini balls and power belt bullets, but you make a VERY good point.

 

[mooman76]

Yeah, I hear ya about the brass threads on that jag...good point. I guess my thinking was I would only use this device to get a small hole drilled in the bullet to help the bullet puller engage better...basically put this on the end of the rod, spin the rod with my fingers to just create that starting hole like you find on some hollow point mini balls and power belt bullets, but you make a VERY good point.

Actually a good idea. Brass should work fine for that. Doesn't take much to just drill a hole in soft lead.

 

[SPQR70AD]

View attachment 45602

NO! NO! NO!.
Throw that away before you give yourself another big headache. That jag has brass threads. They snap off right at the base.

also I think the drill bit would snap first

 

[Griz44Mag]

Yeah, I hear ya about the brass threads on that jag...good point. I guess my thinking was I would only use this device to get a small hole drilled in the bullet to help the bullet puller engage better...basically put this on the end of the rod, spin the rod with my fingers to just create that starting hole like you find on some hollow point mini balls and power belt bullets, but you make a VERY good point.

Pure lead is pretty soft. With a little pressure I have never had any issues getting the screw into a ball. The points in this TOTW screws are pretty sharp and will start a hole easily. The key is to have the screw in the center of the bore and ball. That's what the brass skirt on the puller does for you.

 

[Centurion]

O last week we were on the range and the double rifle was getting a little tough to load so i “helped”. Of course, i was demonstrating for Bwana Wife how to not do stupid things on the range. Now, a good student listens and observes quietly, but not Mickey. I was laying down the short starter and reaching for the ramrod when she conversationally observed, “you didn’t load any powder first”. Now all this was a clever teaching moment for her on how to pull the nipple and trickle powder in order to “remove” the dryball. You have to set up a a “problem” in order to demonstrate the solution. She’s a suspicious sort, that one, but i was inclined to overlook the entire matter for the sake of Learning.

Lesson #2 to follow...

don

 

[renegadehunter]

I agree with Grizz44Mag.
The puller I have EASILY starts into lead. The one I have has the brass ring to center it in the bore and the screw threads portion looks very much like a sheet rock screw, only closer together threads. Twisting the ramrod starts it with only very slight downward pressure being required.

Jimbrynn, you won't need to predrill a hole once you get a decent puller. Looking at the one you had, well I could see why you'd think it was needed.

I pull loads quite often. If I go hunting and don't shoot, and I end up hunting in some wet weather or the end of the season comes, I'll just pull the load rather than shoot it out and have to do a full cleaning. Pulling it from a never fouled bore is super easy. One thing I didn't see mentioned, or perhaps missed, is it is much better when pulling a stubborn projectile to make the ram rod stationary and then pull on the rifle/barrel. I have a milk crate that I use. It has small holes in the bottom. I thread the puller into the projectile, stick the other end of the ram rod through one of the milk crate holes, screw on a palm saver (much bigger than the milk crate holes), and then stand on the milk crate and pull up on the rifle. You can have a stubborn one that feels like you need Hercules to pull on the ram rod for you, but when you pull on the rifle it comes right out.

 

[flntlokr]

Assuming your ramrod has a metal tip, if you drop it down the barrel can you not simply hear the difference in sound between a loaded and unloaded gun when the tip hits the bottom?

yes you can. with experience.

 

[Intosomthin]

I still like the put powder behind it n load a tight patch ball on top, 2 balls not a biggie to fire as long as bottomed out

 

[Grenadier1758]

Last I heard, the OP figured out that by putting a small charge under the nipple he actually blew the ball out. It took two pages, 34 posts and an endoscope to determine that the ball was gone. I think we can end this thread. At least until the next person gets a ball stuck at the breech.

 

[Intosomthin]

Yup grenadier, he confirmed he has actually fired his gun, we have alll dun it...bar none

 

[toot]

This is the ramrod puller that was mentioned. I got one after I sent a ball over a 8 points back at 10 yards when I touched the set trigger with a very cold finger. He had been chasing does all morning and was as lust crazed as any buck I have ever seen, he didn't run off. While reloading in a hurry I didn't trim off enough patching and the excess cloth snagged my ramrod and I couldn't get it out. I struggled with it for at least 5 minutes while the buck rubbed a tree in front of me, I couldn't get a good grip on the ramrod to pull it. He casually walked off a few seconds before I got the ramrod back out of the barrel.

I keep one of these in my bag now while hunting, never used it but it is there.

View attachment 45615

that is a rely great tool. I have had one of them for 23 yrs and for one can tell you that it rely works.

 

[user 13896]

I'm late to this thread and not going to read all 4 pages. If no one else has suggested, and if all else fails, take the barrell off, unscrew the breech plug and drive the stuck ball out with a rod and a BFH.

 

[Centurion]

Lesson #2 - on the range last week, shot a great target with Bwana Wife’s Express rifle after getting the rear sight filed down and i moved back to 35 yards. I decided to swab out the bores first.

Here’s where inattention struck: the weapon was on it’s left side on the table. I load left first and the right, every time. So i ran a wet patch down the left barrel, followed by a dry patch down the right barrel. Surrounded by a cloud of doom, i began to tug and then jerk on the range rod i’d built 20+ years ago with the screw-on tips.

Hint: Always pin your ramrod ends.

I even tried running a ball puller down into the base of the tip but couldn’t get the screw to take a bite into the brass. Sigh. So out comes the nipple and in goes a trickle of powder. Took two tries but when the tip/jag/patch projectile left, that .54 jag was whistling “Farewell, Amanda” through the grooves!

Or maybe i imagined that... so then i was out of time and the 35 yard target is as yet unperforated, a condition i will remedy yet today.

P.S. had a Traditions ramrod fail yesterday - brand new, pressed-on and unpinned tip. Had to pull the nipple, trickle and shoot that one too, but i got the jag back. Flared out the rod tip like the skirt of a minie ball.

Pin your rod tips, and have a smokey day!

don