Range Rod advice

[ctshep97]

what are thoughts on range rods. one piece or 3 or 4 pieces. aluminum or stainless steel or brass. round handle or t handle. so many to choose from.

 

[doubleset]

I've used (and currently have) both 1-piece and 3-piece (for .32 and .50). The 3-piece is somewhat more portable, but I often leave mine together. I don't think (and have never seen any hints of) differences in strength between the 1- and the 3-piece. I use brass. I wouldn't use steel in a ML barrel, and I just think brass is better/safer than aluminum. But I don't think there's much edge there, and I just really like brass.

My .50 cal. rod has a straight (not T) aluminum handle on it. The .32 has a round wood ball. I prefer the ball handle.

 

[Erwan]

For me : aluminum one piece with golf ball (I have three like that)...

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

what are thoughts on range rods. one piece or 3 or 4 pieces. aluminum or stainless steel or brass. round handle or t handle. so many to choose from.

I have been shooting since the 70's. All my range ramrods are wood. I load and clean with wood. When I get home and use the bucket of water, I have a shotgun aluminum cleaning rod.
Larry

 

[Ponderosaman]

I have the TOW steel one piece with the wooden inline handle. Works great. Very sturdy, has brass guide, makes loading a breeze.

 

[Jim]

Mine are fiberglass with a “slip-on” T handle.
I found the permanently attached T-handle liked to catch on everything as I went from house to car, car to firing line, back to car, then back to house. A four-inch hunk of “closet pole” with a half-inch divot in the middle, works just fine as a T-handle.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Mine is a 4 foot polymer 3/8 thick rod that you can bend 180 degrees.
It has threads on both ends.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I have several, brass, stainless steel and Delrin. Like them all. One piece only for me.

 

[david w]

One piece, here. Round handle.

 

[Carpd]

I also use the TOW Creedmoor rod with a brass muzzle protector and it has worked well in my .45 cal paper patch bullet rifle because it is stout. For my .54 cal round ball Chambers Lancaster flintlock I use one of the ubiquitous centerfire rods because it it much less of a challenge to clean and I needed a longer rod.

I saw on their website that the Rice Barrel Co has range rods for $20 in 2 lengths. I've never used one, but at that price it might be worth a try? RICE MUZZLE LOADING BARREL COMPANY. Scroll to the bottom. I am not sure on the shipping cost.

 

[Whitworth]

Uncle Sam's surplus .50 BMG cleaning rod. Multi piece, it will work on the longest rifle and can be shortened for carbines. The end section is slotted and threaded for jags, brushes, etc.

 

[hanshi]

My two primary rods are ss with round nob handles. I also have a three piece aluminum, several fiberglass, and the afore mentioned .50BMG rod. However, I normally load with the wood underbarrel rod at the range and in the bush.

 

[TreeMan]

I two solid brass rods with muzzle protectors I got from October Country for rifles and shotgun. They have a wood handle. They make beautiful Ram rods. I prefer a solid ramrod in case I need to pull a dry ball. I prefer the brass better than steel or wood rods. They will make them in any diameter and length.
https://www.octobercountry.com/bench-ramrod-with-wood-handle-3-8-diameter-36-long/

 

[nhmoose]

1 piece, stainless with bore protector.

 

[Brokennock]

Okay, I'm sorry but I can't help but wonder what is going on here.
The o.p. has been here since 2012, has 9 topics and only 14 posts.
Of those 9 topics,,, this is the 3rd one asking about range rods.
????
The last two were both in 2015. 7 years to digest the info or test the rods from those questions and we are back to the drawing board?
Not to mention there have been a few other range rod topics posted in the time to study up on.

Maybe one just finds it entertaining to get folks who purport to be dedicated to traditional muzzleloaders to advocate using a .50 BMG cleaning rod in said traditional guns?

 

[DuncNZ]

1 piece stainless steel with a bore guide .I use one for each caliber .
Pool balls make interesting rod handles , plastic screwdriver or chisel handles are a better grip ,
I don't like T handles but they do have their uses on a ball pulling rod they are easier to get behind a post or somesuch , in any case the handle should be firmly attached to the rod , soldered pinned glued or screwed .
mine are all screwed and epoxy glued on, the jags are screwed and soldered on , I don't want a rod coming apart or worse still the jag coming off at the bottom of the barrel .

 

[Gkarp429]

I like the weight of solid brass. Especially when loading double shotguns with vacuum tight cards.

 

[Ponderosaman]

Okay, I'm sorry but I can't help but wonder what is going on here.
The o.p. has been here since 2012, has 9 topics and only 14 posts.
Of those 9 topics,,, this is the 3rd one asking about range rods.
????
The last two were both in 2015. 7 years to digest the info or test the rods from those questions and we are back to the drawing board?
Not to mention there have been a few other range rod topics posted in the time to study up on.

Maybe one just finds it entertaining to get folks who purport to be dedicated to traditional muzzleloaders to advocate using a .50 BMG cleaning rod in said traditional guns?

What’s more curious is the conversation continues as if you never said anything.

 

[doubleset]

Also, with a brass rod you don't run the risk of causing sparks, as with something like steel on steel. Safety first.

 

[kyron4]

Okay, I'm sorry but I can't help but wonder what is going on here.
The o.p. has been here since 2012, has 9 topics and only 14 posts.
Of those 9 topics,,, this is the 3rd one asking about range rods.
????
The last two were both in 2015. 7 years to digest the info or test the rods from those questions and we are back to the drawing board?
Not to mention there have been a few other range rod topics posted in the time to study up on.

Maybe one just finds it entertaining to get folks who purport to be dedicated to traditional muzzleloaders to advocate using a .50 BMG cleaning rod in said traditional guns?

At least he didn't ask how to remove a stuck ball .