Cheap Strong Ram Rod

no,i didnt ask a question.i just thought of a cheap strong ramrod to use.the fiberglass is coated just like the t/c ones.i dont have $1000. rifles.i have a cva panther and a jukar spain that a guy gave me.it was a kit with parts missing.it was fun to build.

who's to say your right and i'm wrong.i dont think your smarter than the the people that make gun products.do a search for ramrods and most of them are fiberglass.

Some guys have metal range rods, but you gotta have the bore guide for them too, for the purpose of protecting the edge of the bore.

After seeing Chuck Dixon bend a hickory rod in half, to prove they dont normally split and take a trek through the palm of a hand, its all I have. Both cut to fit the guns, and as a 48" range rod.

jdkerstetter said:

Hmmm.....How many ramrods would one have to make to make millions of dollars???? :hmm: I better get busy.

Look, you asked the question. The others here are trying to educate you....or prevent somebody else reading from making the same mistake.

Enjoy, J.D.

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Actually, the original post wasn’t a question, it was a statement.
However the reaction of the original poster when, not some, but all, replies took the position that fiberglass was a bad idea is disconcerting.

N1YDP said:

no,i didnt ask a question.

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N1YDP said:

how can fiberglass hurt steel?

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:hmm:

You don't have to have a $1000 to rate the proper rod.

Not spending a little more because you own less expensive guns is akin to not changing the oil in an old car.

Anybody can make good rods from hickory or even buy complete ones. Used properly in a hand over hand method they will never break.

Bullfrog pointed out that Derlin blanks can be bought at Track of the Wolf for $15. The same outfit sells ones finished with threaded ends for $20.

Enjoy, J.D.

thats one thing about fiberglass,it dont snap off to a spear!

N1YDP said:

who's to say your right and i'm wrong.i dont think your smarter than the the people that make gun products.do a search for ramrods and most of them are fiberglass.

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N1YDP, let me give you a little advise. I have been shooting muzzleloaders since 1968. I ruined my first rifle due to ignorance. Back then I didn’t know any of the local black powder shooters. I had to learn everything the hard way. Even with all the years of muzzleloader shooting I have now, I still learn things on this board almost daily.
Sometimes there are subjects that are not cut and dried, and there can be a gray area for divergent opinions being right or wrong.
Fiberglass ramrods ain’t one of ”˜em.
Instead of sarcasms when everyone - not just someone, but everyone - disagrees with you, try accepting that there are several hundred years (at least) of experience at your fingertips and they might be trying to help you avoid some of their mistakes.

N1YDP said:

who's to say your right and i'm wrong.

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The testing has been done. Muzzl Blasts' archives probably still has it available if you google it up.

i dont think your smarter than the the people that make gun products.

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That's your preogative. I build guns and have studied them extensively. You don't have to take my word for it, but I would like to point out that mass producers are looking at their bottom line and not necessarily the good of the consumer. Then there's the fact that they sell better ones as accessories.

do a search for ramrods and most of them are fiberglass.

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No, they're not. Check out the better muzzleloading parts suppliers. Enjoy, J.D.

N1YDP said:

who's to say your right and i'm wrong.i dont think your smarter than the the people that make gun products.do a search for ramrods and most of them are fiberglass.

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Companies make products to get your money. Quite often, they use materials that are cost effective for them, not what is best for the consumer.

The collective knowlwgde of this forum is worth concidering. They aren't trying to sell you anything - they just happen to be the guys in the field using the stuff on a daily basis.

Based on some of your other questions, it may be worth your while to search and read what has been posted here in the past.

We're all still learning, but some members here started learning before others were born. :wink:

N1YDP said:

thats one thing about fiberglass,it dont snap off to a spear!

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Oh, but they do. And when they do they impart thousands of little invisible spinters that burn and remain painful for a very long time. Ask me how I know? :redface:

Just trust us, don't use fiberglass. :shake: Enjoy, J.D.

jdkerstetter said:

N1YDP said:

thats one thing about fiberglass,it dont snap off to a spear!

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Oh, but they do. And when they do they impart thousands of little invisible spinters that burn and remain painful for a very long time. Ask me how I know? :redface:

Just trust us, don't use fiberglass. :shake: Enjoy, J.D.

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Shhh... Sometimes experience is the best teacher. :grin:

i'm not the one that started the sarcasum.read the first two replies.these rods that i am talking about are not like the driveway markers with the long stands.next time your in tractor supply take a look at them,they are gray 48"long
$1.29 each.maybe there not fiberglass.they are alot sronger than the wooden and plastic ones i got with my guns.i'm sorry,but i dont like people
insinuating i'm stupid.

Claude said:

Shhh... Sometimes experience is the best teacher. :grin:

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Yep. One thing that 20 years in the service tought me though, is to let the experience of others prevent you, or somebody else in this case, from making the same mistake twice....especially when pain is involved.

Enjoy, J.D.

N1YDP said:

,they are gray 48"long $1.29 each.maybe there not fiberglass.

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So, you really don't know what they are?

i'm sorry,but i dont like people insinuating i'm stupid.

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Nobody said you were stupid. I think they were suggesting that you don't know much about ramrods. That's a fair assessment.

Since you joined, you've asked:
"can you use a round ball without a patch"
"how do you measure pillow ticking thickness"
"how do you cut ticking"
"how big should you make them"
"what can you lube them with"

I seriously doubt you should be the one to suggest what people should be using for a ramrod. (considering that you probably read it somewhere and have no personal experience) IMHO

jdkerstetter said:

Claude said:

Shhh... Sometimes experience is the best teacher. :grin:

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Yep. One thing that 20 years in the service taught me though, is to let the experience of others prevent you, or somebody else in this case, from making the same mistake twice....especially when pain is involved.

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This is off-topic, but my Son, who is 21 now, had to learn some things the hard way. It can be painful to watch, but sometimes, as long as there's no danger involved, that's all that works.

N1YDP said:

....$1.29 each.maybe there not fiberglass.they are alot sronger than the wooden and plastic ones i got with my guns.

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Ken, I see you're point, but if they are fiberglass or even if they might be it's not worth the risk. Even if coated, the abrasive effects of using as a ramrod will wear that off.

To recap, the silica that the glass is made of is harder than steel and will wear your barrel at the muzzle. If a guide is used the bowing of the rod in the bore will wear the spots inside the bore and can cause loose spots.

Barrels are expensive and you are better off spending the $20 or so to prevent replacing one or putting up with the aggravation of a worn bore.

To expound on what Jack said, for what it's worth, I don't believe most posters were calling you stupid either. At the very most they were insinuating that you were ignorant.

There's no shame in being ignorant as it is only the lack of knowledge. You can learn. Stupid people can't.

One who may have accused you of doing something stupid doesn't mean he was calling you stupid. We've all done stuping things.

Takes a big man to apologize. Kudos to you. Enjoy, J.D.

"go to tractor supply and get fiberglass poles for eletric fence.they are 3/8 round and i think 4ft long for about $1.50.turn the ends down for the jags to fit and epoxy them on."

Oh, Lord no!!! Fiberglass rods will work but not those rods. :td: I have worked with them and they will fill your hands with glass fibers when you handle them. :cursing: They do not have a smooth finish on the outside like the rods that are made specifically for ramrods. I put up a bunch of fiberglass electric fence poles and at the end of the day, I thought my hands were on fire. It took several days for the fibers to work out of my hands. I'm glad that most of the time I was wearing leather work gloves. I only removed my gloves when I was opening bundles of the rods. If you want a fiber glass rod, buy one that is made specifically as a ramrod. They have a nice smooth finish on the outside that have the glass fibers sealed up inside the rod. My personal preference is a steel or brass rod with a muzzle protector as a range rod. I leave my wooden rod in the rifle thimbles for appearance and use it only for wiping the bore, notfor seating a ball. Fiberglass, synthetics or metal rods made specifically for ramrods are not all that expensive. Do not try to use a wooden dowel from a hardware store as a cheap ramrod. They all have a lot of runout and can very easily break and leave a nasty spear point to ram into your hand or arm. Never take the cheap route if it means giving up any bit of safety.

do you know what they are?untill you do you should
should keep your opinion.and i guess this forum is not like other forums where you can ask questions and not get rediculd for asking.so now,who is giving sarcasum?

madjp said:

Well how about the brass ones?

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OH! This got by unanswered. Caught up in the fray, I'd guess.

I don't mind a stiff brass range rod. Like any other wiping stick, it needs to be kept clean so grit doesn't get embedded and abrade your bore.

I don't like 'em as a dedicated rammer on the gun. But for pulling a ball, which I am adverse to do with my wooden rammers, they are better than handy.

I don't want one that has flex, with it being almost bore size the ideal. J.M.H.O. Enjoy, J.D.

Thank you sir. Question. Why brass ok aluminum bad?