Short starter ideas????

[mazo kid]

As others have said, you can make a short startr out of most any material you can work. I made this one many years ago, don't use it too much now since coning most of my muzzles. It does come in handy just for punching the ball out of a block,tho.

 

[whiskey]

If you get your barrel coned, you won't have to carry or mess with a short starter. I was a little nervous when I got it done to my expensive straight shooting flintlock but it did not effect the accuracy at all and I can actually use thicker, tighter patches and still press the ball in with my thumb. It really is a good way to go.

 

[omarick1948]

Just broke the ball on my short starter :cursing: and would like to know if anyone has some good ideas for replacement balls, something different?

Get rid of the short-starter all together. One less thing to carry, and your ramrod serves the same function anyway.....

Agree 100%! Ditch the short starter -- and the loading block.

:hmm: ...I don't think he was asking about "To use or not to use"! He is asking for suggestions about replacing the wood ball on his broken short starter!..... :wink:

 

[roundball]

www.OctoberCountry.com has a few different sizes and shapes of wooden balls, knobs, etc that can be epoxied onto the end of any kind of shaft...I have some of each, they're all excellent as far as I'm concerned and I've used various ones with short pieces of old wooden ramrods to make light weight short starters for different hunting pouches.

They also make a strong 2" hardwood ball with a 10/32" bold already positioned through it and I use those on the ends of various range rods. I also carry one of the smooth wooden balls with the imbedded 10/32" bolt through it in my hunting pouch.

I originally bought into the T-handle approach but quickly figured if I ever DID have the rare accidental discharge with my hand/fingers folded over the T-handle, it would probably rip my fingers off. So I only use smooth round balls on the ends of rangerods and ramrods...no T-handles, no antlers, etc...in the belief that there would be a better chance of my hand/fingers sliding off the smooth ball as it went up past with less or no serious injury.