Ramrod alternatives

[flntlokr]

I've been having good luck with oak. Not sure which species it is, red I think. Big box store oak dowels, usually have to look through the entire bin to find 2 or 3 that are suitable with minimal run-out. Going on ten years, no failures yet.

I do more or less the same thing. I usually check through the whole selection of dowels and pick the ones with the longest (or no) run-out of the grain. I pickle them in a tube of Kerosene until I need to make up a new rod, usually several months or more. (I have read, and believe, that the kerosene reacts with the natural resins, and the rods are more tolerant of abuse; I have never totally broken one, but have worn a couple down to the point I didn't feel good using them, and have had a couple of tips break off.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Hazel ?

I have cut green hazel when I have been in a fix. Works well even green.

 

[FlinterNick]

Ash is a perfect wood for ramrods, and preferable, just hard to find a muzzleloader shops. Lately I've seen a lot of Ramin which is good.

 

[tenngun]

what about yew? None grows around here that I know of I don’t know if it grows wild in America at all, but I would think a good bow wood would do everything a ramrod needs.

 

[longcruise]

In any circumstance, Hickory is both harder and more flexible than Oak and has a better grain and is overall the better choice.

If you could ever find it, Ebony would be almost as strong as a fibreglass ramrod.

I agree on the relative merits of oak and hickory but do find that the oak is more than adequate.

I have an ebony board that I won in a postal shoot over 20 years ago. I used one small piece of it on a stock and have been saving it until a special project comes along. Recently I it crossed my mind that I can save it till I'm dead so maybe an ebony stick.

 

[chawbeef]

Thanks for all the replies................................Chawbeef

 

[Stophel]

. Lately I've seen a lot of Ramin which is good.

This, I could not possibly disagree with more. Ramin wood is worse than useless. Horrible splintery manure with an unpleasant tendency to break straight across the grain. It also seems to develop what I can only describe as "grain crush"... which will then break straight across the grain. I would rather use a rod made of tulip poplar or yellow pine than one made of ramin wood.

As for ash, I don't know.... The solid layers of ash is pretty amazing stuff. The porous layers... not so much. Quite weak, in fact. If you could manage to split out an ash ramrod of all summerwood (the dense rings), you'd have something for sure. These layers are generally not that thick, though, and you're probably gonna get springwood (porous rings) in your ramrod, which I would be afraid would be prone to splitting. I haven't tried yet, though.

 

[Stophel]

I've often wondered what wood European gunsmiths used for making their ramrods. They had no hickory, of course. I have yet to see any that appear to be ash, or even elm. Maple? Boxwood? Something else??

 

[Britsmoothy]

I've often wondered what wood European gunsmiths used for making their ramrods. They had no hickory, of course. I have yet to see any that appear to be ash, or even elm. Maple? Boxwood? Something else??

When my 1972 Pedersoli broke recently it looked like beech!
My trade gun was ash.

 

[Ames]

I've often wondered what wood European gunsmiths used for making their ramrods. They had no hickory, of course. I have yet to see any that appear to be ash, or even elm. Maple? Boxwood? Something else??

Well, 250 years ago we had coffee and locks and spices coming in on ships. Wouldn't take much to throw some ash planks on the boat going back.

 

[Walkingeagle]

Well, 250 years ago we had coffee and locks and spices coming in on ships. Wouldn't take much to throw some ash planks on the boat going back.

Very true, but a lot on this site only live by documentation not by reasonable thought.
No offence to anyone, just stating fact.
Walk

 

[Ames]

Yet reasonable thought kept them alive.

 

[Walkingeagle]

Yet reasonable thought kept them alive.

Absolutely!
Walk

 

[Rifleman1776]

I have an ebony board that I won in a postal shoot over 20 years ago. I used one small piece of it on a stock and have been saving it until a special project comes along. Recently I it crossed my mind that I can save it till I'm dead so maybe an ebony stick.

I have a piece of lignum viatae that I have been saving more than 50 years for that 'special' project.

 

[Rifleman1776]

This, I could not possibly disagree with more. Ramin wood is worse than useless. Horrible splintery manure with an unpleasant tendency to break straight across the grain. It also seems to develop what I can only describe as "grain crush"... which will then break straight across the grain. I would rather use a rod made of tulip poplar or yellow pine than one made of ramin wood.

As for ash, I don't know.... The solid layers of ash is pretty amazing stuff. The porous layers... not so much. Quite weak, in fact. If you could manage to split out an ash ramrod of all summerwood (the dense rings), you'd have something for sure. These layers are generally not that thick, though, and you're probably gonna get springwood (porous rings) in your ramrod, which I would be afraid would be prone to splitting. I haven't tried yet, though.

Agree completely. Ramin is wuthuless stuff and dangerous as a ramrod.

 

[billraby]

If you could ever find it, Ebony would be almost as strong as a fibreglass ramrod.

Ebony makes great ramrods and is not that hard to find. But you won't find ebony dowels. Most likely you will have to cut one from a board and make it round yourself. Ebony boards have really scary price tags on them.

 

[longcruise]

I have a doweling setup that is used to make arrow shafts and it also makes nice 3/8" rods. Also great for those 6' atlatl darts. When I find nice straight hickory boards they can be converted to rods in short order.

 

[Stophel]

Very true, but a lot on this site only live by documentation not by reasonable thought.
No offence to anyone, just stating fact.
Walk

Is it too much to ask to be able to go somewhere and have a discussion and not have to put up with this kind of thing? This constant jabbing at those eeevil documentarians is hardly "reasonable", nor "just stating fact". It makes for a less than pleasant internet experience.

 

[tenngun]

We all have some level of HC and lack there of we tolerate. I don’t think Walkingegale was making fun of any one or denigrating any one.
If Bob broke a ramrod out in the tall timber he might make one from any thing he could grab, and not write it down.
However if we’re trying to tell history right it’s nice to have a written example before we do x.
We all choose our path, and all are willing to fudge at some point.
I’ll grab hickory but acknowledge something else may have been used.
And, that brings to mind persimmon, ebony’s American cousin. The dark brown heart is flexible and tough.

 

[Coot]

My understanding is that the best way to make a ramrod is by splitting out the desired length & then rounding it. While perhaps not perfectly straight, there will be no runout & a slightly bent rod will stay in the thimbles even if a loose fit. Sawing a rod out will require a very straight grained piece indeed - and after years carving wood, I can affirm that many pieces that appear to be straight grained are not.