my first dry ball

[Slake]

I went shooting with friend today and dry balled for the first time. I couldn't believe I did it! I have ball puller in box and used it with success after messing around with different ramrods and cursing the threads on each. It made me wonder about adding one of those CO2 dischargers to my collection. The ball puller worked alright after I got the right combination but it was kinda painful. Seems to me one of those CO2 things woulda blown it right out. I've never used one, but I've seen them used and they look slick.
Then a wee bit later friend dry balled and we went through the whole ball puller ordeal again! Man! What a bunch of dummies!

 

[Rebel]

I hear they work good, have never tried one myself. I just pull the nipple on a cap gun and add a few grains, or force a few grains through the vent hole on a flinter, and fire the ball out. Easier than trying to pull it with a screw type puller. Ohh, welcome to the club of them what has. :grin:

 

[soggy]

:grin: Been there; done that. :redface: The CO2 discharger is the way to go. Our club keeps one on hand and charged at rendezvous. It's safer and quicker if you have a lot of shooters standing around. Also they come in handy if you've spent the day hunting and want to unload quietly and not have to go through the cleaning procedure.
My $.02 worth
Soggy

 

[***Sean***]

I have had to pull 3 so far. :redface: I have a T handle on my range rod. After I thread the puller into the ball. I put the T handle on the ground and stand on it. Then I pull up on the gun. Works pretty good. Can get a good grip on the gun. I have heard it helps to run a few wet patches down the bore before you attempt to pull. Might try that if I ever dry ball again

 

[Bill Bryan]

Like they say there are two kinds. Them that has and them that will. The club where I shoot has "V" notched steel brackets bolted up at the eave so that your T-Handle range rod can be hooked and you can pull the dry ball out. I wish that I could say I've never had to use them.

The other choice is to remove your vent liner or nipple and drop in a a few grains of 4f powder. That will get it out.

 

[roundball]

As a general[url] suggestion...in[/url] case there's nothing convenient at the trange to hook a T-handle into or if you don't have a T-handle, etc, something cheap and handy to have in a range box is a piece of that non-slip rubber typically found at archery shops to use in pulling arrows out of a target butt.

It's just a flat limp piece of non-slip rubber about 1/8" x 4" x 6" size...lay it in your hand and grab the arrow...(or ramrod)...it increases the gripping ability & your pulling power so arrows (ramrods) slide right out.

 

[Otter]

:grin: Been there; done that. :redface: The CO2 discharger is the way to go. Our club keeps one on hand and charged at rendezvous. It's safer and quicker if you have a lot of shooters standing around. Also they come in handy if you've spent the day hunting and want to unload quietly and not have to go through the cleaning procedure.
My $.02 worth
Soggy

I agree with Soggy 100%. Get a CO2 discharger. I use mine to unload the gun without discharging it and also to occassionaly just clear the fire channel. It is much safer especially at a shoot where there are a bunch of shooters. There are adapters for flinters available but I don't have one nor have I used one. I've not had a dry ball episode I created, but I've only been shooting ML's for 20 years, I know my time is not only coming but is probably overdue.

 

[Goldhunter]

Agree 100%!! I've had to pull two balls. not fun. One was so stuck that I had to use one of those flexible plastic rods, park the truck tire one it, and pull it that way. :shake: I also use my CO2 discharger at the end of everyday on the ML hunt. This way I can start each day with a fresh charge without having to shoot do a lot of cleaning the night before. Just pop it out and run a patch to make sure all is well.

 

[ronrryan]

If you put some water or water-based cleaner down on the dryball and let it sit a bit, the ball is then pretty easy to pull (if somewhat messy). Just a tip from experience, and advice from oldtimers, Ron in Fla. (Best to plug the vent, of course)

 

[Slake]

ya know I didn't even think of that! We pulled both absolutely dry! Wow. I do have a T Handle which makes it much easier. We did the old tug of war he held T I held rifle all the while I told pilgrim friend about the wonderful little CO2 device I don't own {yet}

 

Although I've never used one of those CO2 jobbers, I've talked with people who have and they've worked very successfully. Assuming you're using a percussion rifle, another good item with which I,ve had real good success with is aa Nipple Charger. It's a small flask with a plunger in the end. You fill it with 4F put it over your nipple, push down a couple of times, put your primer on the nipple and you're ready to go. It's yet to fail me!

 

[TFoley]

I guess most of us have done it at one time or another, whether we like to admit it or not. I did it with a Whitworth bullet many years ago, an felt such complete patootie that I have never done it since.

Last year, while I was range-officering the long range at our club, a guy came waltzing over from the short range and asked if I had a minute or two to spare. On the way back over he told that the other guy on the range with him, shooting a Ruger Old Army, had a bit of a problem keeping the powder in the chambers, and wanted my advice. Racking my brain as to what he might mean, I arrived to see the guy, looking very puzzled, standing with the revolver in a safe direction with a quantity of loose powder on the bench underneath his arm. 'I've not got any wads or anything' he noted sadly, 'and didn't want to try using lube over the end of the chamber as I'm worried about getting it mixed up with the powder'.

Yup, you guessed it. He had loaded all six chambers with the ball, followed closely by the powder, which then mostly fell out as he raised the weapon...

It only took ten minutes or so to take out the nipples and gently punch the balls out with a thin rod - but for sure it was the longest ten minutes of his life.

tac

 

[xbowman]

I have a piece of round stock metal that is drilled out to slide over the ramrod. It won't go past the T-handle and after screwing into the ball, just tap the ball out. No pulling involved. Works great.

 

[Bob Riegl]

:v Hey all I can say is, Welcome to the most exclusive club in Muzzleloading---" The Dry-Baller's Guild. " Your name will be immediately inscribed in the roll call--as soon as the derrick gets it out of the underground safe. Pasquenel--Curator :rotf:

 

[Marc Adamchek]

Where can you get one of those CO2 chargers I've heard so much of? Also, ballpark estimate of cost? Many Thanks - MArc

 

[Old Ironsights]

Among other places, Cabelas. About $15 with adapters to fit #11 & Musket. Other adapters are available. Flinters are SOL... unless you have a removable breech :grin:

I win. :v

 

[Rebel]

Actually, they make an adaptor for flinters too, so,

I win. :grin:

 

[jderrick]

Well, I've not dry balled. Yet. The fact I haven't done it is no mark of skill or smarts, just newbie-ness, I suppose.

But I could recite my other screwups if not worried the Internet might run out of 0's and 1's.

 

[graybeard]

As several posters have pointed out, everyone does it sooner or later. :redface: I was shooting at my club shoot today and one of our veteran blackpowder men did it with a flintlock. :shocked2: The club has a co2 discharger and it works fine on a flinter, you just need an adaptor that looks like the needles you use to put air in a football. graybeard

 

[Forster]

Pasquenel the "Curator"
Please enter my name on your prestigeous list of dry ballers. I went a number of years before I dry-balled then I dry-balled twice in one day. Yes I purchased a Co2 discharger too. I have lost count as to how many times I have done it??? Stoney