I know about the dry ball club; but is there a no ball club?!?

[SgtMaj65]

Guess I’m not in as many clubs as some of ya’ll, just the dry-ball club, forgot my balls club and the broken-wood-ramrod-through-my-thumb club. A heavy brass range rod cured the latter, but I seem to dry ball more than I should. I think I may have contracted dry-ball syndrome (DBS) over my MANY years in black powder.

 

[Elkeater]

Do we have any song writers around here? I for sure am not but I see a need for a little ditty starting with: Powder patch ball

 

[tenngun]

Let's see....,

There's the,
"Went hunting/target shooting; left the rifle behind the front door" club.
"Went hunting/target shooting; left the ball/powder/both at the house" club
"Brought .530 ball for the .50 caliber rifle" club, and its sister organization, "Brought .490 ball for the .54" club
"The dry ball" club
"Went hunting/target shooting and lost the vehicle keys in the woods; wait there they are hanging from the ignition in the locked vehicle" club
"I left the life-vest back at the house, officer" club
"There was a flint in the lock jaws when I walked into the woods" club

Probably a few more out there...

LD

I took my newest rifle out to sight in, adjustable powder measure, check, different patch thickness, check file to take down front sight.... nope, chasing hammer to move sight ... nope

 

[Eutycus]

Why do "WE" do the sheepish looking around to see if anyone saw us?

 

[SgtMaj65]

Why do "WE" do the sheepish looking around to see if anyone saw us?

Yep!!

 

[Blogman]

I just laugh and keep going unless the situation permits.

 

[springfield art]

I just joined the "Shot my ramrod" Club. I feel your pain.

I, too, admit that I once shot a ramrod out of a repro Springfield Civil War musket; can't imagine how it happened, but everyone sooner or later makes a muzzleloading mistake...

 

[Mean Gene]

It's EASY to forget stuff when it comes to muzzleloading guns, there are many items needed and there are almost as many steps to follow when loading.
In my case I loose track of what step I'm on if someone is talking to me.

 

[Sunkmanitu Tanka]

All of the above (except the broken-ramrod-club)...The one time I accidentally shot my ramrod away I even scored an "X" with it (and cut the target in two!) ....I then also joined the "should-have-seen-the-look-on their-face" club, along with everybody present there!

 

[cositrike]

I just joined the "Shot my ramrod" Club. I feel your pain.

Hi Andy. I hope that wasn’t our.45” lol

 

[TexiKan]

Been there, done that. But a specific incident some of us witnessed resulted in a new camp name for one of our fellow club members.

We were watching some friends shoot at a long distance range at a nearby rendezvous. Our friend, using a flintlock, was shooting and eventually he became concerned if he was hitting anything. He checked his barrel and discovered a ball down it and figured he had dry loaded and proceeds to pull the ball. After pulling it, he checks the barrel and lo and behold, there was another ball! He pulls it, too. Checks again. ONE MORE! We were amazed and surprised he pull out three balls. I called him "Three Balls Jack" and the name has stuck!

 

[wiksmo]

I went to my first BP shoot last weekend hosted by FOML (Ft. Osage Muzzleloaders), located south of KC. Heard several of the fellows there mention membership in some of this thread's clubs.

After shooting my first-ever ten round balls, I'm not a member of the FOML yet, or any BP club. Would like to join the FOML. One more shoot with them, and I'll be up for membership....hopefully in early August.

I definitely would prefer holding off on any other club membership for as looong as possible. Still with so many opportunities out there, I can see the possibility of joining you folks.....someday. Good to learn about the clubs and especially what it takes to join them!

 

[dave951]

No Ball Club- reenactors
Dry Ball Club- I've managed to not qualify so far.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Wlksmo, these clubs we are talking about have no membership waiting periods. Memberships are unanticipated, often a surprise, are given at all levels of expertise, and always a learning experience. We all belong to some of those clubs and our membership initiation rites make for the basis of some great recollections.

Forgot about my membership in the shot a hole in the roof of the firing range.
There is also the ran a dry patch down a fired barrel and the ramrod got stuck. (Then the sub club of the brass threads on the jag broke and it had to [be shot out, or pulled the breech plug to drive out]).

 

[Eutycus]

Not to mention fees are minimal or next to nothing. Well in our price range anyway.

 

[Kansas Jake]

Gee Grenadier, I had forgotten about my membership to the shoot out the jag club.

 

[wiksmo]

Yes, I understood what all the "clubs" were about, Grenadier. Probably erred in talking about my literal membership process for the FOML club in KC. I need to stick more closely to the theme of an MLF thread, and curb my tendency to "wander."

BTW, I did enjoy many of the recollections, which were shared.

Wlksmo, these clubs we are talking about have no membership waiting periods. Memberships are unanticipated, often a surprise, are given at all levels of expertise, and always a learning experience. We all belong to some of those clubs and our membership initiation rites make for the basis of some great recollections.

Forgot about my membership in the shot a hole in the roof of the firing range.
There is also the ran a dry patch down a fired barrel and the ramrod got stuck. (Then the sub club of the brass threads on the jag broke and it had to [be shot out, or pulled the breech plug to drive out]).

 

[45man]

Great post to read! I will not admit how many times I forgot powder but it lead me to making a better ball puller that does not expand the ball and make it tighter.
A friend shot the ramrod and it the funniest thing ever. Shot into a flock of ducks it would take many.
Another friend cut the shot out of a shot shell and stuffed an arrow in the barrel. He thought he could hunt deer with it.
We will cuss with mistakes but to laugh is much better and I love the easy going humor here.
Reminds me of the time we hunted pheasants where guns were a trip to the court house. My friend gave me a weapon. it was a golf club and he said to throw it. I jumped a bird and threw it, killed it clean. Looked like a ramrod as it spun.

 

[azmntman]

Ram rods spin?

 

[Blogman]

Ram rods spin?

No! Just no! Don't put thoughts in my head, I have enough things bumbling around that shouldn't be.
I bought a batch of ol' rammers last year at the LGS... No,no,no,no,no,nno.
*sigh* to late, gonna try soon