What a jerk!!!

:rotf: Do not feel bad any of you! You are now Buckskinners and riflemen the rest are just shooters. A 36 cal brass ram rod packs one hell of a recoil BTDT.

 

[Smokestick]

I bet many a Civil War soldier was killed by a flying ramrod.

 

[patch knife]

I also used to wonder how anyone could shoot thier ramrod , until I did it myself . I had been shooting muzzleloaders for twenty years , before I shot my ramrod . It can happen to anyone , all it takes is for some numnutz to come up to you while you're loading and ask you something such as ; Say is that a muzzleloader you're shooting ? oblivious to the fact that you can barely hear them because you're wearing hearing protection . You say , "huh ?" numnutz says again , is that a muzzleloader you're shooting ? You say , yup . Numnutz says , what kind ? You say CVA . Seeing that you're not much of a conversasonalist , numnutz finally leaves . You then aim your rifle and shoot your ramrod through your target . :rotf:

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

I once saw a guy at the range who had drilled a hole through the end of the ramrod and put a short lanyard on it which then went around his wrist. I thought it was kind of dumb, but asked him, and he said that it was to prevent him from leaving the ramrod in the barrel.

It did make sense to me, but I probably wouldn't do it myself. Knock on wood, I've not launched any ramrods... YET! I think it's one of those events like 'dry ballin'... more like a matter of WHEN than IF... Just glad no one was injured...

Regards, and shoot safely, or maybe I should say load safely...?
WV_Hillbilly

 

[Treerat]

I was shooting at a local range several years ago and had just loaded when the all clear call came. I left the ram rod in so I could remember it was loaded while I checked my target. Next target I joined the smokepole archery club. I'll second the comment that those things kick. :shocked2:

 

[roundball]

I bet many a Civil War soldier was killed by a flying ramrod.

Exactly...and I've read that's why re-enactors aren't allowed to use ramrods
:shocked2:

 

I once saw a guy at the range who had drilled a hole through the end of the ramrod and put a short lanyard on it which then went around his wrist. I thought it was kind of dumb, but asked him, and he said that it was to prevent him from leaving the ramrod in the barrel.

It did make sense to me, but I probably wouldn't do it myself. Knock on wood, I've not launched any ramrods... YET! I think it's one of those events like 'dry ballin'... more like a matter of WHEN than IF... Just glad no one was injured...

Regards, and shoot safely, or maybe I should say load safely...?
WV_Hillbilly

Now that would take the cake. If he ever shoots his rammer down range he'll follow it. :rotf:

 

[charcloth]

Hello All.

I know one of those guys (except he's not really a jerk) who shot two ramrods in a month! Some of you folks in Alaska, California and Texas (T.A.B.)would know this fine gentleman as "LE PUKE"!

A great guy and all but he shot his ramrod on the rifle trail at the pacific nationals this year. Bad thing is, he jerked with the extra recoil, his ramrod hit a young pine tree and was deflected to impact the target which was some 50 yards away!

At our next club shoot LE PUKE shot his carefully crafted replacement rod downrange!

Charcloth

 

Roundball is exactally correct, in reinacting no ramrods, no wadding. Barrels are pinged at inspection prior to a battle engagement, that is a rammer is bounced off the breech to make sure there is no load, and pouches are inspected to make sure there is no ball or shot in them. All for safety, and even in fireing the barrels are elevated for extra measure, and no fireing closer than 30 yards. And last, the skirmish is planned out so everyone knows what's going on. Bill

 

[Wart]

Oh, how I remember when this happened to me. A hickory ramrod tipped with a 62 cal. jag - this on top of 60 grains of 2f and a 600 round ball. I was doing a woods walk, got to talking when I should of been keeping my mind on what I was doing.
There I was taking careful aim, boom, crash and me going back about two feet in my tracks. What the heck happened, then it hit me .... Gaylord Folker, I shot the ramrod out. Carried that black and blue mark on my shoulder for a couple weeks. I was lucky, no one got hurt - didn't hurt the barrel and learnt a very important lesson.
Your not alone for sure my friend - this only has happened once, I hope I never do it again but sometimes I wonder seeing how I have dry balled, double balled several times since.
Formula for me now: powder, patch, ball, prick and prime :shocked2:

 

[Cruzatte]

I have an "Oh for dumb" story to tell on myself, too. You know those little brass tips on the Treso short starters? Well the one on my short starter must have been a tad loose. Because when I pulled the starter out of the barrel, the brass tip was missing. I stuck my ramrod down the barrel, and sure enough, it hit something that didn't feel like a patched ball. Aparently the brass tip had gotten snagged on the cloth patch, and had pulled off as I removed the short starter. What could I do? I had a full charge of powder down bore, and a patched ball about six inches down bore with this little brass tip on top of the whole thing.

I said my prayers, pushed the brass tip, ball, patch, and all down the barrel, stepped up to the firing line, primed and fired. Those little brass tips make the most interesting whizzing sound as they fly down range. I don't think I'll do that again.:shake:

Cruzatte

 

[Wes/Tex]

Don't knock yourself out, seen it many times. haven't done it myself but still believe there ae only two kinds of muzzleloaders...one's who've shot away their ramrods and one's who will! :rotf:

On an interesting note, many years ago a friend did it at a shoot. He missed with the ball but got a 6 with the wooden ramrod. We butted heads a bit and decided to give it to him. I mean, how could we not!!????

 

[musketman]

And this jerk thought he knew everything there was about shooting saftey!
What a JERK!!
I happened to see the JERK again this morning.
He was in the mirror when I was shaveing :redface:
You can NEVER be to careful :winking:
Even us OLD PRO'S can screw up!
:redface: Willy

I would not use the word "Jerk", how about "Lucky"...

Glad you made it through the event unscaved, ramrods and guns can be replaced, human life comes at a higher price...

Not to minimize your ordeal, you are not the first to do this and most likely, not the last, it is easy to get comfortable enough in our loading routine to think ahead of where we really are...

 

[pathfinderifh]

When I was with a large conservation club here in Michigan, I taught a lot of Muzzleloading classes,and when we went to the range to do some live firing, I of course, being the "expert" proceded to load my Mountain rifle in front of @ 75 fine folks, Take carefull aim down range, all the while stressing the importance of saftey at all times, and letting her fly. Thought to myself,"Self, that kicked pretty hard,You didn't double load,did you?" Thats when on of the students possed the question about the purpose of leaving the ramrod in the barrel while your shooting. :redface: Smart aleck kid.

Pathfinder

 

[Halftail]

Smart aleck kid

:rotf:

 

About 25 years ago a friend and I were shooting on line together at a rondezvous and were talking and joshing and having a great time. Anyway, I rear up on my hind legs and fire my .40 cal. Tennessee rifle and the ball hit the target about a foot too low. And it made a small phutt sound. Well, I looked at Dean and he said," Ya short started her hoss." Well I was :redface: but swabbed her out and reloaded and shot again and everything was fine. Dean fired his .58 Hawken and turned and walked back to the side of the cabin away from the firing line and I says," Through shootin' already?" He had a look like this :redface: on his face and wouldn't answer me. But, he quit laughing at me at the same time. Well, after I got through shooting this series of targets and swabbed her out some more, I fell back to the cabin and noticed the rammer was not in the thimbles of his Hawken. I says," Where's your ramrod Dean?" He didn't say a thing, just points down range :rotf: We both busted up and made a pact that day. When we're on the firing line we don't talk to each other while we're there. That experience taught us both that the campfire is a good place to tell your lies and have a good laugh. :thumbsup:

 

[MikeChapin]

I have seen this done more than a few times and most were experienced shooters. The old stake cut and pinecone timed events used to produce at least one ramrod down range. I guess that's why you don't see these events very often anymore.

The one time it impressed me was at a shoot in the Black Hills. A friend of mine was up and he fired. The ball hit short of the backboard a few feet. He got a puzzled look on his face and went back to reload. I was shooting next and was ready to fire when I heard him cussing. He had shot his ramrod. Another friend and I went down after the shoot to see what happened. The ramrod had hit the backboard, reenforced rubber belting, and broke. Half of it had gone through the belting and was sticking in the berm on the other side.

If it could go through that belting at about 70 yards it lends credence to the old Hollywood scene of the good guy desperatly shooting the bad guy with the ramrod.

 

[brubincam]

you should of had a lot of dowel rods and let everyone shoot one... :rotf:

 

[OTHERN]

I also am a member of the Loyal Order of Long Arrows. BOTH times(20 yrs apart)I was by myself, so really had no excuse, except that MY mind was wandering and not with me. In addition, both times I reloaded and short started the ball and reached for the ramrod before I realized what had happened. Both times I thought I had double loaded powder. In both cases I did not have an extra rod to finish loading with. Had to drive home and then pull the load.

Othern

 

[ol vern]

There are them that has and them that hasen't --
Yet! :rotf: