replacement ramrod

[Melton Kidd]

Several people refered to Ramin. What is Ramin?This is a new wood to me. I have always used hickory for ramrods.

 

[jtmattison]

It's very flexible plastic. My new GM barrel came with one. I hate it. It's like a wet noodle. Totally useless.

HD

 

[nw_hunter]

Actually Ramin is a hardwood. It's imported from Southeast Asia.It's white in color and stains well.

 

[Melton Kidd]

Thanks huntindog. I have never used this type but have seen it, just didnt know the name.

 

[jtmattison]

Actually Ramin is a hardwood. It's imported from Southeast Asia.It's white in color and stains well.

Somebody needs to tell the manufacturers this because mine says ramin and it's a piece o'junk.

HD

 

[jtmattison]

TOTW carries a lot of ramin rods.

Maybe I'll replace mine with a real one.

HD

 

[roundball]

It's very flexible plastic. My new GM barrel came with one. I hate it. It's like a wet noodle. Totally useless.
HD

I found some alternative uses for them...cutting the ends off of one 3/8" rod to epoxy the cut off ends into wooden balls to make short starters. And one I've set up with a wooden ball screwed onto one end and a patch retriever on the other.
But as "regular" ramrods, I think they're a joke.

I've accumulated a number of GM drop-in barrels over the years now and when I think back over the various incidental problems getting some drop-ins to actually drop-in, and the drilling & tapping problem recall, then the helicoil "fix" attempt, the practically worthless vent liners, the switch to the cheap ramrods, etc...I wonder if we're seeing the level of attention and quality being given to the drop-in segment of their business dwindling away so significantly that it's a sign that they're headed towards discontinuing that segment altogether...

 

[juancho]

I just replaced mine with ramin i bougth from Rona. I used to use ramin to make arrows and they lasted longer than any other including aluminun.
The key is to look for a very straight grain on the dowells.You can find maybe 2 out of a dozen.

 

[gacitizen]

TVM sells the ramin rod with tips mounted for only a couple dollars.

Ten dollars shipping though....

 

[Protrucker]

The only ramin I've ever had, my wife got at the grocery store. Crush it up, add boiling water, wait a few minutes & you have a pretty good soup for lunch.
Oh wait.....that was Ramen, not Ramin! :grin:

 

[lizz]

I have also used ramin for arrows. They tend to have alot of grain run out. For a ramrods I prefer hickory. Doc

 

[MSW]

ramin is, technically, a hardwood. it comes (like a lot of other cheap-o stuff) from southeast asia (i think- somewhere in that neck of the woods) and it is commonly found in the dowel section of the hardware store. since there is a fair chance that the stuff has grain runout, if you break it under pressure, and your still pushing on it when you're trying to run a ball down the bore, you will jab your hand with the busted part. (i was, inexplicably, wearing gloves and didn't bleed too much). so that cured me of the hardware store ramrod deal- now i use hickory. i don't care that it's p/c or not; it works and if you buy a bunch at one ime, you'l not spend too much.

here in southeast VT, it'll cost you at least four hundred bucks to walk into the ER, get x-rayed, have the films read, get some sutures and put up with some smug, Volvo driving, tofu sucking, self rightous, organic greentea swilling pinko [insert tirade here] tell you that you should leave bambi alone in the woods... after contemplating that ugly scene, i'll stick with hickory.

 

[roundball]

"...i don't care that it's p/c or not..."

Happens to be my view as well...function first then the rest...solid brass or super strong tubular brass rods for me...don't want to run the risk of getting hurt or having a hunt ruined, etc...plus...there is no power like the power I get from a solid 3/8" brass ramrod, both seating and pulling a ball.

 

[playfarmers]

MSW said: here in southeast VT, it'll cost you at least four hundred bucks to walk into the ER, get x-rayed, have the films read, get some sutures and put up with some smug, Volvo driving, tofu sucking, self rightous, organic greentea swilling pinko [insert tirade here] tell you that you should leave bambi alone in the woods... after contemplating that ugly scene, i'll stick with hickory.[/quote]

:rotf: You made my day!!!!!!!!

 

[jercon]

I have used alot of TOTW Ramin for short staters and Ramrods .the stuff is tough and don't seem to ever ware out.