Noting previous discussions, many state that it is difficult to find good hickory ramrods. That combined with the inherent variability between wood rods, lead me to conclude that they will have a higher failure rate than, i.e. Delrin. Hardly an irrational fear for those that don't have access to good hickory ramrods or the ability to correctly measure their worth.
However, for those that know and can grade wood the failure rate will decline.
I do not mean this sarcastically.
River Cane can be used as a ramrod if the properties and capabilities of the material are taken into consideration. There is actually documentation of cane being used in emergencies. (Bakeless Boone bio 1935..likely based on the Draper Papers)
Is river cane ideal? Should it be considered as suitable ramrod material?
No, absolutely not.
What I'm getting at is; no matter what the material that a rammer is made from, the properties and capabilities of that material dictate how it is used. This goes for steel, fiberglass, wood or plastic.
Another factor...
Modern muzzleloading in general is polluted with misinformation. The reason for that is simple.
There are many disciplines of traditional blackpowder shooting with all their specific procedures and doctrines. These doctrines tend to bleed over, mix and become part of the General Doctrine of blackpowder shooting, a General Doctrine that never really existed.
For instance this is what we get from...
19th Century match shooting...
Thin patching...(measuring of patching material)
False muzzles and (short) starters...
Super tight loads...
super tight ball
Range Rammers...(some of these range guns had no ramrod)
Mallets...
Military Training...
Primarily Smoothbore and rifled Muskets...
Loose loads for rapid fire...
Undersized ball...
paper cartridges for rapid fire (and wadding)
Cartridge boxes for quick access...
Iron Rammers for rapid loading (slinging the rod down the bore ) remember three shots per minute minimal..
The rammer, box and cartridge (with loose undersized ball or shot) was a system for rapid fire...
18th and 19th Century hunting and every day (real world) use...
Lower charges...
Thicker patching of linen, buckskin, cotton fabric, sometimes maybe fine wool cloth
Grease or spit..
Smaller sized ball...Early US military riflemen used a double pouch with 2 sized ball, loose ball and under size ball in cartridges for rapid fire. The larger close to bore size ball was used for more accurate shooting.
Smoothbore...
Bare ball and natural fiber wadding, paper wadding, wasp nest wadding and sometimes leaves such as palmetto.
wooden ram rods on both rifle and smooth bore, some being quite trim...
Quite a few original antique guns and rifles ( have seen them in person) appear to have the original or at least a contemporary to their period of use wooden ramrod. These guns and the rod as well show heavy use. Forestock "pommel wear" where the ramrod is exposed because the stock has worn away.....pipes, entry and ramrod pipes nearly worn through...
It take years of constant use to wear a gun like that and the rammers hang in there.
Sam Dale a frontier scout says in 1813..."I had a rifle gun, good for a hundred yards."
Period rifle loadings with wooden rods were "not as tight". They did not have to be. They were not trying for 1/2 groups at 100 yards.
Hunting was different as well. Since there was always the possibility of running into armed men whose intentions may be hostile...the rifle needed to be fairly quick to load, even fouled. What good is rifle that shoots 1/2' groups if it's impossible to load after the 2nd shot?
Game...Lore has the solitary hunter vs the wilderness. Sometimes this may be true but it's more lore than anything. By far most "long hunts" were groups of men with hounds. If the rifle ball did not kill the game, the hounds did or at least bayed the quarry. Crockett shooting 50 bears a season with a .40 caliber rifle...Yeah..but it was short range with the bear treed by 15 hounds. Shooting the treed bear was like shootin a hog. (likely with the same rifle used at hawg killin time)
Using a wooden rammer on a rifle loaded like a Creedmore match rifle is asking for trouble.
Trying to use a wooden rammer, slinging it down the bore like military musket is asking for trouble.
Wooden ramrods were not intended to load super tight match loads nor were they intended to be slung around and pumped like musket rammers.
If we were not interested in the historical aspects of these arms, we would all be shooting ARs, Aks or at least Model 70s.
Someone can use whatever rammer/ ramrod they wish. Good for them in their choice. They all have their uses. What I do not like are fears, misinformation and horror stories being used to justify one's choice at the expense of truth.
Sure many have been injured with wooden rods. They were using them incorrectly ie beyond their capabilities.
