hickory ram rods

[mudd turtle]

Who or where could one find goood stright hickory ramrods. mudd turtle.

 

[tg]

Your best bet is to get them at an event so you can hand select them for runout, some vendors are selling Ramin wood, I like the hickory beter, the are pretty cheap so you could order several from a vendor and should get some good ones the rest can be cut into shortstarters and sold or traded.They can be straightened over heat or steam, leave a bit of curve to help hold in place if the fit in the pipes is loose.

 

tg is right. It is better to be able to hand select them at a trade fair or a rondevous from a whole batch. Get there early though. Lots of guys have the same idea.They get picked over pretty fast around here.

 

E-mail Dennis Glazner with Gillespie rifleworks. He posts on here occasionally as '6mm'. He usually does mass orders for multiple buyers so he may not have any on hand at the moment. I've picked up a couple dozen from him and they are excellent quality. Dennis is also a fine fellow to do business with and his prices are very fair.

His web page is:[url] http://home.att.net/~t.glazener/wsb/html/view.cgi-home.html-.html[/url]

Sean

 

[Tom Gauldin]

You should take all the previous advice. It is good. However, if you are stuck at home and need one delivered, try [url] http://www.dixiegunworks.com/[/url]

I got a few from them. They take cradit cards via computer. They are reasonably quick on delivery. They been around a long time and have a rep to protect. Might as well get a few fiberglass rods as well. I find them really nice in the shop to do the heavy duty work after a shooting session.

 

[fw707]

Like TG said, the main thing to look for is the runout on the grain. Crooked don't matter.
My cousin splits his out of a block of hickory and then works them down to the right size.They're not always pretty, but you can just about bend them in a half-circle and they won't break. :wink:

 

[frou frou]

What does runout mean?

 

[fw707]

What does runout mean?

It means that the grain doesn't run the full length of the ramrod. It causes the rod to be a lot easier to break along the grain line.
You can break a straight-grained rod if you bend it far enough but a cross-grained rod will break off with a sharp end and puncture your hand if you're putting a lot of pressure on it loading a tight-fitting ball.

 

[frou frou]

Ah ok thanks.

 

[feyx0006]

I have seen a number of sites selling hickory rods. However, they all seem to have 8/32 threads on the back end. This makes little sense to me as every muzzleloading jag I have found has 10/32 threads. I'm seriously considering one of the Virtually Indestructable jobbers advertized on this forum. Are people having good luck w/ these? They sure look nice!

 

[Darkgael]

Try Tennessee Valley Muzzleloading -[url] http://www.avsia.com/tvm/[/url] - for ramrods and 8/32" accessories. You'll have to call them as accessories are not listed on their website.
Pete

 

[MikeC]

TOTW sells eveything you need. I ordered their ramin shafts and love them, no worries about runout and they are strong.

They have all the end fittings from 8/32 to 10/32 and all the accessories for either size thread.

 

[shmrck1]

mudd turtle,
This is just my experience: I ordered
mine from DGW. I ordered 6 of 3 different
diamiters. Of the 18 I ordered I used 12.I am not saying
the other six were defective,I just used what I thought was the best of the lot for my needs.
They were certainly shipped properly and with care.The choice I made was based on grain of the rod.DGW also offers all the neccessary hardware
for a ramrod.
snake-eyes:hmm:

 

[Dphar]

You can't. No matter who you get them from some will be useless for rods more than 10-24" So buy a selection and pick the best one(s).

Dan

 

[brubincam]

get mine at Dixons $11 and change,,,pick your own 8/32 or 10/32... :thumbsup:

 

[xxgrampa]

greetings,

had some good luck at home-depot and lowes. the dowel rods come in lengths to 48". the dia. can be matched to the caliber pretty close. and they have a lot you can pick thru for a good straight grain rod..

been using them for years, have yet to break one..

..ttfn..grampa..

 

[omarick1948]

Watch out for those plain wood dowelslike you mentioned getting at Home Depot. Wood dowels may be a cheap and easily available source, but they are "cross grain cut" and can break and snap easily! Saw a fellow run one almost thru his hand seveal years ago at a B/P shoot!

JUST A FRIENDLY WARNING!

 

[xxgrampa]

yep horner you are rite.

thanks for bringing it up. i forgot to mention about checking for grain straightness.

..ttfn..grampa..