Shooting a ramrod out of the barrel..?

[1861colt]

Oops

 

[1861colt]

In reference to shooting a ramrod, here is a quote from my distant cousin George Frederick Ruxton book Life in the Far West where he dispatched a wolf that decided he was his next meal. "Without dreaming that the rifle would go off, I put a cap on the useless barrel, and,... snap--ph-i-zz--bang-- went the charge of damp powder, much to my astonishment, igniting the stick which remained in the barrel, and driving it like a fiery comet against the ribs of the beast (wolf), who, yelling with pain, darted into the prairie at the top of his speed, his singed hair smoking as he ran."

 

[1861colt]

Oops. (Can't erase post)

 

[TFoley]

I remember reading in the memoirs of a soldier from Napoleonic times that when first in action a body of new troops would send a number of ramrods towards the French.

In that case, anything was better than nothing.

 

[Yewbender]

I haven’t yet but see it happen 2 times. One was a steel rod never to be found and the other was wood which was in pieces. Both guys stated the gun had a lil extra kick after the shot.

 

[tdoyka]

PA Flintlock Hunter Shoots Ramrod at Deer - YouTube

 

[MN284]

An early episode of Sharpes' Rifles, the sergeant being charged by two French dragoons shoots the first, reloads his Baker rifle, and as the second dragoon is almost on top of him shoots the ramrod to kill him.

 

[Acorn Mush]

One time about 35 years ago I was next to a shooter who did it. He commented that he believed he had shot his ramrod and lo and behold, it was nowhere to be found. It was a wood rod from a T/C Hawken. After the range closed for the day I helped him look for it. As I recall all we found was one of the rod ends. The Range Officer told him "Now you and Charlton Heston have something in common. He did the same thing while learning to shoot a muzzleloader prior to filming The Mountain Men." Somehow I don't think it made the fellow feel any better.