Hunting WITH or WITHOUT jag installed??

[roundball]

Does anyone hunt with a seating/cleaning jag screwed onto the end of the underbarrel ramrod, with the jag extending out past the muzzle?

Yes / No?

Pros / Cons?

 

[Stumpkiller]

:rotf:

Is it raining in NC?

I never leave the jag on the rammer unless I'm in the process of wiping or cleaning.

IMHO something sticking out past the muzzle is prone to snagging, and a snagged rammer is prone to snap or otherwise hinder my progress. Can't have that. I've got enough problems with 59" of rifle that I don't need to add to it. :rotf:

It's like carrying your toothbrush in your teeth between meals. :winking:

 

[Huntinfool]

Yes Sir I agree with Stumpy I keep mine in a little pocket in the back of my possible bag. Easy to find and easy to screw on after the shot.

As my mentor says all the time no sense in rushing after the shot. I guess he assumes we should never miss. :rotf:

Chuck :thumbsup:

 

[roundball]

Is it raining in NC?

:rotf:
(I'm conducting a few tests)
:winking:

 

[mikee51848]

I thought about doing that, as I like to spit patch between shots, if I have the time. But in practical application, it's probably best to just ram a reload down the barrel and do the cleaning later.

 

[Maestro]

Although I don't do it on my .50 cal. rifle, I've left the jag on the rod of my 20 gauge fowler when bird hunting - with the number of times I'm reloading and with the cards & wads to seat it's just more convenient - hasn't seemed to get in the way.

 

[scott fellows]

i leave a jag on the end of my .62 rod and my .50 rod. so far i have never had a problem in doing so. it seems to come in real handy having it on the .62 rod when small game hunting as quick reloading is a must during pheasant or rabbit hunts. the jag makes seating the wads and over shot cards much easier.
pieman

 

When hunting small game with one of my rifles I generally leave the jag in the ramrod tip. Hunting large game I rarely do. There's more shooting small game hunting so I swab the bore frequently. Rarely does big game require more than one shot.

Vic

 

[Stumpkiller]

I was just at a woods walk Sunday and wiped once in 14 shots fired. After the 10th shot I was getting tempted to use my palm to force the rod down instead of just by fingers and thought it was time to wipe. :grin:

It didn't help my aim much, come to think of it. :haha:

 

[KyFlintlock]

I never had anyone to help me when I got started, so I never took it off. I still hunt with it on to this day. I still have tags on my hunting coat too. :rotf:

oh well, at least I won't lose it!! Cause if I took it off I certainly would!

Good luck
wess

 

[ffffg]

i left of the brass end cap for two reasons.. i didnt want it flashing when pointed at game, and i could resess the jag into the stock so when the jag is on the rod its just under flush with the muzzel end.. works for me.. if i want to wipe i put an extended bottom scraper on the other end so i can pull out tight wiping patches.. .. dave.

 

[Herb]

I frequently build my rifles with cleaning jags installed on the end of the ram rod. But I drill the ramrod hole back to the tang bolt, so the whole rod is about an inch longer than the bore, but flush with the muzzle when installed in the stock. This way I can clean the bore without adding an extension on to the rod. But since I (almost) never swab between shots nor clean in the field or at the bench, the jag did not seem necessary. But it does help get a better grip on the rod to pull it out of the stock. This feature is important in cold weather or for a woman shooter without strong fingers. I like .40 calibers with 3/8" rods, the cleaning jag can go inside the stock if you don't like its looks at the muzzle. And I put caps on both ends of the rod, so a patch puller or ball puller can be screwed onto the other end.

 

[mikee51848]

I was just at a woods walk Sunday and wiped once in 14 shots fired. After the 10th shot I was getting tempted to use my palm to force the rod down instead of just by fingers and thought it was time to wipe. :grin:

It didn't help my aim much, come to think of it. :haha:

I'm sure this topic has ben covered before but I'd never get 10 shots out of my gun without cleaning. After 3 shots, it is way too hard to get the ball down the barrel.
I can see where if hunting small game with a smoothbore, having the jag attached is a good idea.

 

[Deadeye]

Hey Stumpy, Do you only put your teeth in when your going to eat??? IHMO the jag should be on the end of the ramrod all the time. It's part of the total gun. In the olden days they stuck out 4 or 5" sometime. If you don't want it sticking out just shorten your ramrod til the jag fits flush. All my guns, shotguns, rifles, smoothbore, pistols have jags on the ramrods at all times.

 

[ryoung14]

I've tried it; as it fits my bullet seating technique. I always try to seat with a dry patch on the jag. But, like the others, it seemed to me that the extra 'non-apparent' length it added to the muzzle end was an invitation for problems; either through snagging, breakage or loss.

It would probably work OK for hunting from a deer stand where freedom of movement wasn't a big issue. But even then I'd want to have a spare jag in my pocket.
Bob

 

[Norskie]

I use an old ramrod I got off a trade blanket. It has a jag/loader combination with a ball puller under that. Doesn't stick out past the muzzle, so it don't snag.
So, yes, I do hunt with a jag on!

 

[paulvallandigham]

Yes. I have always hunted with the jag in place, sticking out past the muzzle. When I deer hunt, and find a tree to use as a stand, on the ground, I remove the rod and stick in the ground within easy reach. There is less motion to getting the rod out of the ground and down the barrel than if I have to lift it out of the barrel first. When I reload, I use the tree to duck behind, so that My hand motions are not seen. On my first deer, I was able to reload my gun, cap it, and bring it to my shoulder in time to still have a shot at a second deer walking away from me. I chose not to take the shot, as I was sure my first shot had hit where I aimed. It had, and my deer was dead at the bottom of the ravine. My gun has a 39 inch barrel, but I am over 6 feet tall. If I can get through somewhere with brush, tree limbs, and vines, without snagging me, the gun goes through just fine in front of me.

 

[Walks with fire]

My ramrod for my round ball rifles is cupped on one end so you don't need the jag unless you are going to wipe the bore. On other rifles the ramrod does not have that feature and I have found that if I leave the jag attached it hangs up on brush much worse so I don't leave it on those rifles. If I were shooting sabots I don't think it would be a good idea to leave it on because the sabot might open up and hit the jag.

 

[CrackStock]

I sometimes leave a button jag on the end of my smoothbore ramrod.

I generally do not leave my jag on the end of the rifle ramrods. I attach them as needed.

CS

 

[Stumpkiller]

Hey Stumpy, Do you only put your teeth in when your going to eat??? IHMO the jag should be on the end of the ramrod all the time. It's part of the total gun.

Nope. Somtimes I put the good mail-order one in when I take the buggy into town. :winking:

I have one rod that is tapered but has no fitting for a jag. Just one long piece of stained hickory. With that one I have a wire coil I carry in my bag for use with tow. Now that's a rifle rammer for the failthful who firmly believe they will not dry ball during a hunt. :shocked2: