Trouble…

[GoodRabbitPilgrim]

Went out for a shot tonight and got a ball stuck. When I got back I screwed in a ball puller gave it a yank and broke the damned thing. I then realised that I’d used my patch puller instead of the ball puller while i was distracted talking to my wife. I screwed in my ball puller after that and the ball was stuck enough that it then ripped out the end of my range rod. I now have no idea what to do. Any suggestions?

EDIT: just so people can follow, I have 120gr 2F in the barrel, the ball got stuck 6" from the muzzle, it now has a patch worm, ball puller and the end of my range rod stuck in it. What you can see in the poor photo is the end of my range rod.

 

[Old Hawkeye]

Search- "Stuck Ball" & a thousand answers to your question will unfold before your eyes. We average about a thread per week on this subject & the methods to remedy your problem are endless. I predict this thread will go on for at least 4 pages & the recommendations will be repeated ad infinitum. I'm getting the popcorn out right now!

 

[TreeMan]

Yep do a search for stuck ball. A million answers. Easiest way is to remove your nipple and trickle at least 5-10 grains of power into the barrel. Use a wire to force it in there and tap the gun until you get a little power in the barrel. Put the nipple back on and shoot it out. That little amount of powder will not hurt your barrel if the ball isn’t fully seated. You’ll find a dozen different ways that will be way more difficult.

 

[GoodRabbitPilgrim]

Ball is 6" from the muzzle with a full 120gr 2F charge in the bore.

 

[Brokennock]

Ball is 6" from the muzzle with a full 120gr 2F charge in the bore.

If you shoot it out, you need to force it down on top of the powder.

 

[Brokennock]

Went out for a shot tonight and got a ball stuck. When I got back I screwed in a ball puller gave it a yank and broke the damned thing. I then realised that I’d used my patch puller instead of the ball puller while i was distracted talking to my wife. I screwed in my ball puller after that and the ball was stuck enough that it then ripped out the end of my range rod. I now have no idea what to do. Any suggestions?
View attachment 116514

Flintlock or caplock.
If caplock use a grease gun and force it out with grease. There is a detailed post including a video posted here.

Compressed air would be my other method of choice.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Time for a good steel rod near bore size. Put the rod down on solid ground and use the rifes mass and drive the rifle down on the rod.

 

[GoodRabbitPilgrim]

Time for a good steel rod near bore size. Put the rod down on solid ground and use the rifes mass and drive the rifle down on the rod.

My concern is that the patch worm got bent and I'm worried it's sitting against the rifling so I'm not sure how it'll go e.g. blow up or stuff my rifling if I send it off with 120gr powder.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Please don't grease gun it.
Don't make it more complicated than it is.
Please use a good lube next time.

 

[GoodRabbitPilgrim]

Flintlock or caplock.
If caplock use a grease gun and force it out with grease. There is a detailed post including a video posted here.

Compressed air would be my other method of choice.

Caplock.

My range rod is snapped off in there which is what you can see in the pic.

I could try the air compressor but I don't know how I'd get a good enough seal to push it out.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Time for a good steel rod near bore size. Put the rod down on solid ground and use the rifes mass and drive the rifle down on the rod.

 

[GoodRabbitPilgrim]

Please don't grease gun it.
Don't make it more complicated than it is.
Please use a good lube next time.

I just use olive oil and have never had a problem before, though these were a little on the dry side but I still got some oil on my fingers when loading them. It was only my third shot without swabbing and I just couldn't get it down with my ramrod (didn't have my range rod with me as it was a quick duck out shot before dark). Normally that would be no issue, the patches not being properly lubed maybe got me.

 

[Brokennock]

Caplock.

My range rod is snapped off in there which is what you can see in the pic.

I could try the air compressor but I don't know how I'd get a good enough seal to push it out.

Not sure the proper name, but, I have a tip for my air compressor hose that come to a small rubber tip. Held very firmly against the flash hole, it should work.
I'm now assuming this is a flintlock.

If you have a removable touch hole liner a grease fitting could be installed.

 

[Brokennock]

Caplock.

My range rod is snapped off in there which is what you can see in the pic.

I could try the air compressor but I don't know how I'd get a good enough seal to push it out.

Sorry. Missed the caplock notation.
This is one of the few times I disagree with Britsmoothy.
Use the greasegun.
If you watch the posted video, you will see how easy it is, and how little grease it actually uses. Clean up didn't seem as bad as I would have thought.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I just use olive oil and have never had a problem before, though these were a little on the dry side but I still got some oil on my fingers when loading them. It was only my third shot without swabbing and I just couldn't get it down with my ramrod (didn't have my range rod with me as it was a quick duck out shot before dark). Normally that would be no issue, the patches not being properly lubed maybe got me.

If you mix a fat with it to stiffen it you can keep the bore coated in it. That way from shot #1 the fouling has a thin barrier of fat. The olive oil is the carrier. Its limited just on its own.
Have you got a steel rod. Any metal rod near bore size?

 

[Britsmoothy]

All the energy is in side the rifle all ready to help.
Just because the ball got stuck with a normal loading procedure you up the game!
Turn the rifle upside down and utilise the extra inertia on a static rod. Shoot it out gadgets aswell.
Just get it done before we end up with needing a new server and 50kwatt genset!

 

[Brokennock]

Just get it done before we end up with needing a new server and 50kwatt genset!

Lmao

 

[FishDFly]

"Search- "Stuck Ball" & a thousand answers to your question will unfold before your eyes. We average about a thread per week on this subject & the methods to remedy your problem are endless. I predict this thread will go on for at least 4 pages & the recommendations will be repeated ad infinitum. I'm getting the popcorn out right now!"

Yep, well on the way to 4 pages and he is not searching as recommended.

Geez, another one.

 

[Nameless Hunter]

It looks like you have two options at this point: pressurized air or grease gun. Idahoron has a good post on using a grease gun - pump grease in at the nipple, then after the ball is out, use a patched jag to push the grease back out through the nipple.

 

[Brokennock]

"Search- "Stuck Ball" & a thousand answers to your question will unfold before your eyes. We average about a thread per week on this subject & the methods to remedy your problem are endless. I predict this thread will go on for at least 4 pages & the recommendations will be repeated ad infinitum. I'm getting the popcorn out right now!"

Yep, well on the way to 4 pages and he is not searching as recommended.

Geez, another one.

Yeah,
I've given up. I admit defeat.
I tried to start a thread seeking answers as to why people don't use the search feature in hopes of getting it improved if need be, then encouraging it's use.
Maybe we should have just used the survey to suggest removing it.