Ramrod for loading in the field...

[Sidney Smith]

I agree, I've never busted a wooden rod in any of my guns. lightly tap the round with a downward thrust, no swaggering etc. I've never had a stuck ball or busted rod.

The only reason why I'd use a synthetic rod to be honest is to keep my wooden rods.... pretty.

Never say never friend. It took me 25 years to break mine.

 

[oldwood]

Splitear............I've never had a customer damage a wood ramrod , if a short starter is used , and proper technique is used ramming the short started ball onto the powder. Once the ball is short started , grip the ramrod 6" or so above the muzzle , and with short strokes push the ball down onto the powder.
Years ago at shoots , I too saw guys slamming their ramrod down the loaded bore especially on short barreled factory production guns w/metal rods. All that b/s isn't necessary. Some "experts" say all that pounding on the powder charge can even crush the upper area of the powder charge. If a shooter is doing the pounding procedure , he should make sure he pounds the charge the same number of strokes,or he might ever so slightly alter the granulation of the powder. In loading a muzzle loading gun , its consistency of repetition. Simply , once an accurate load is found , if you repeat the steps that got you to the good load , accuracy is the result...........oldwood

 

[BallBoy]

My ramrod will bounce lightly off a properly seated PRB against powder.
If they ball is not seated probably it doesn’t bounce the same. so I have a little more space to move my PRB next to the powder or to meet the line on the rod. Just what I do to be repeated, habitually consistent in my loading process.

 

[FishDFly]

"Why do shooters bounce the rod repeatedly? They saw someone do it. No good reason."

You answered your own question.

Now the fight will begin for the umpteen time.

 

[Ames]

Well, if you put a mark on the rod you would know when it is all the way down, wouldn't you?
I've never developed a knack for interpreting a ram rods bounce off a lead ball, seated or not. Never got any good at thumping watermelons either.

 

[FlinterNick]

"Why do shooters bounce the rod repeatedly? They saw someone do it. No good reason."

You answered your own question.

Now the fight will begin for the umpteen time.

Slamming the ramrod is a reinactor’s habit, they normally do it as part of a military drill. It has no real practical use in the field with a wooden rod.

 

[watopeka]

Well for me i bought a 3 piece aluminum shotgun rod to carry with me just in case , it’s and weight about nothing , safe better then sorry and it could mess up a beautiful day of hunting
later and good luck

 

[Sidney Smith]

"Why do shooters bounce the rod repeatedly? They saw someone do it. No good reason."

You answered your own question.

Now the fight will begin for the umpteen time.

They bounce the ramrod for the same reason a person smacks a pack of smokes in their hand before they open the pack. Because they were told it does something. In reality, there's no logical reason to do either, much less smoke at all.

 

[gle3105]

Newbie question here. I took a muzzleloading course this past winter, and I distinctly remember the instructor saying that you should avoid using the stock ramrod for loading whenever possible, and use a range rod.

Now, does this advice apply when in the field (I would think not)? Should I get an aftermarket ramrod for hunting?

Splitear,
Not knowing what front end loader you’re feeding or bullet type I can only advise what I do.

First off I do recommend a ball starter.
Most barrels I’ve encountered are a bit choked near the muzzle due to lapping .Ball starter will help get past that squeeze point.
I never had an issue with my sidelock ramrods.

However when hunting per your question
I very much favor ASG’s collapsing ramrod.
I keep it in my back pack as a back up.
Would be a bummer to be 7 miles in and 8~11 k up and break or lose a ramrod.

BTW I spend more time hunting than paper punching. Both are enjoyable .

Hope this reply is helpful .

 

[Flinty Scot]

I carry a flexible range rod and a heavy, sectioned, brass cleaning rod (for drawing problem balls), but use my gun's rod for most loading, to build muscle memory (as mine fails).

I've broken a couple of wooden rods - species indeterminate, but probably stained hardware birch dowels - (one twisted off as I tried to free it from a used rifle I'd just gotten) & a used rod, which I'm pretty sure is hickory, (which I got at a trade show barrel because it was the right size & I wanted a spare). The birch sheared along run-out grain, as described before, except the twist off- it just shattered.

The "hickory" had ring marks etched near the butt (which I hadn't noticed until I'd cleaned and polished it.. Early on, I was cautious using it,, half expecting it to break but came to trust it - until loading into an unwiped bore, late in a session. It cracked at the ring. Didn't shear and didn't follow the grain, just fractured at the line.

I used a Delrin range rod until I could get a good (beautifuly stright-grained) blank from Log Cabin.

 

[Tanglefoot]

It's a personal decision like so many of them, but as Zonie so accurately described, there's a safety issue also. Hickory ramrods are traditional, authentic, and functional but you really need to do some prep work and be aware of the issues. I use hickory rods for all my shooting, but I do have a set of steel range/shop rods that a buddy made and gave me and I do use them for pulling stuck loads, etc. and for major cleaning jobs (sometimes).

 

[jager43478]

Newbie question here. I took a muzzleloading course this past winter, and I distinctly remember the instructor saying that you should avoid using the stock ramrod for loading whenever possible, and use a range rod.

Now, does this advice apply when in the field (I would think not)? Should I get an aftermarket ramrod for hunting?

Each rod has a purpose. A range rod can be used for loading, cleaning and pulling a ball provided u have the right attachments. Also, make sure you have a muzzle protector. The wood rod is for field use only mainly just for loading it may have provisions on one end for a cleaning jag.

 

[Crow-Feather]

I use a brass or aluminum range rod when at the range or when loading my first load at camp or truck when hunting. I use the standard hickory ramrod for any subsequent shots when hunting. I have only cracked one hickory ramrod, and that was in a sub-zero primitive biathlon when I got a ball stuck halfway in a dirty bore (6th shot). It was so dry and cold that there was no moisture in the fouling and I got excited and did not spit patch after three shots, as I normally do. Fortunately, I was at the last station and someone behind me handed me a good stout brass range rod so I could ram it home and get the shot off. I missed, of course.

I now have aluminum under-barrel rods that I install in the pipes when I am going "deep" and will be too far from the camp or truck to solve a problem. Very little weight for their strength. I started with a brass under-barrel rod, but it threw off the balance of the rifle. That's now my range rod. Great for long strings on the line.

Why do shooters bounce the rod repeatedly? They saw someone do it. No good reason.

ADK BIGFOOT

Packing the powder by bouncing the WOODEN rod appears to put the same amount of pressure on the powder and helps with accuracy. Not needed with METAL rods.

 

[flntlokr]

I am not one to ram the ball to the point of needing range rod in the field. Just remember to grasp the rod close to the muzzle and not 3 feet up from the muzzle when seating the bullet, that said I never figured why, and I see old experienced shooters do it, just keep bouncing the ram rod off the seated bullet. Is this some kind of ritual or habit?
I make ram rods out of hickory splits , said before, however I see they make dowel rods out of synthetic material something like decking boards and I am tempted to try one of those.

bouncing the rod proves that the ball is firmly seated. if not, the rod won't bounce. doesn't have to be a violent throw, just a bit better than letting it slide. if it doesn't bounce, push harder. usually not necessary until after a few shots, when a bit of fouling might build.

 

[FishDFly]

bouncing the rod proves that the ball is firmly seated. if not, the rod won't bounce. doesn't have to be a violent throw, just a bit better than letting it slide. if it doesn't bounce, push harder. usually not necessary until after a few shots, when a bit of fouling might build.

Simply, bunk.

Show me a line shooter does such and wins.

 

[tenngun]

I’ve seen some guys throw a rod down, with force repeatedly.
I let the rod fall a few inches. I was told early on that that a ball that wasn’t down would not bounce, but a ball seated would.
I don’t know if it’s true or not. I can feel a ball down, and though I don’t mark my rod I know when I have it all the way in.
But.....
I feel right when I watch the rod bounce.
Three cuts in your pie crust. One to let the steam out two more cause mama did it that way.

 

[tenngun]

It's a personal decision like so many of them, but as Zonie so accurately described, there's a safety issue also. Hickory ramrods are traditional, authentic, and functional but you really need to do some prep work and be aware of the issues. I use hickory rods for all my shooting, but I do have a set of steel range/shop rods that a buddy made and gave me and I do use them for pulling stuck loads, etc. and for major cleaning jobs (sometimes).

Having an extra ‘wiping stick‘ was HC, and a ramrod hung on your shooting bag is also hc. I think it was the Austrian military rifle that didn’t have a provision to carry a rod at all and it was carried on the bag

 

[JCKelly]

Why, Oh WHY would someone shooting a 200 year old design of rifle want to use a hunk of plastic for loading? PLASTIC?!?!
sawyer04 said it: I make ram rods out of hickory splits Click on his comment and read what comes up.
That is HICKORY, which is tough So long as you pay attention to the grain.
Not oak - hard and strong. But NOT tough.
Learn something about wood, at least.

 

[FishDFly]

Why, Oh WHY would someone shooting a 200 year old design of rifle want to use a hunk of plastic for loading? PLASTIC?!?!

Safety!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[arcticap]

Newbie question here. I took a muzzleloading course this past winter, and I distinctly remember the instructor saying that you should avoid using the stock ramrod for loading whenever possible, and use a range rod.

Now, does this advice apply when in the field (I would think not)? Should I get an aftermarket ramrod for hunting?

Look up "collapsible ramrods" on youtube.
Some have shock cords while others are threaded.
A threaded one is the G3 by Spinjag.
But they're all fairly expensive.

What comes in really handy when using a thin ramrod is called an "arrow puller" which is basically a hunk of rubber with a slit in it that locks onto the rod like a vice grip, so it won't slip through your fingers.
They don't cost much, Allen makes one for under $6 that will fit into a possibles bag.
Just Google "arrow puller." and they're sold by Home Depot with free shipping to the local store.