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Range Rod Question

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Joined
Apr 22, 2007
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Location
Smithville MO
I guess this first question is best answered by those shooters who wipe between shots at the range and use a dedicated range rod. Do you guys load with the jag on the rod. Second Do you keep the jag on your permanent rod you keep on the gun when hunting. As of now my "Gun Rod" is fit to the barrel with the jag installed. Any opinions on this?
 
Do you guys load with the jag on the rod.
Yes, the jag is concave on the bottom and designed to use for loading also.
Don't use those cheap cabelas or brass pro jags that are all brass, the jag needs to have a steel threaded shank.

Second Do you keep the jag on your permanent rod you keep on the gun when hunting.

Yes my rifle rod on my gun also has a jag attached to it. I wipe between shots when in the field.

I use this style jag.


images
 
Yes. I keep the jag on my range rod all the time. For most of my guns, I just have the brass tip on the guns' field rods, though some have a jag, some just a wooden-ended rod. Most of my guns have NEVER been loaded with a field rod. Reason; practice and informal "shoots" are at (formal) ranges, and that is 95%+ of my shooting. Bringing a range rod along isn't a big deal.

The brass jag I carry in the PB (along with spare flints and other less-needed items) can be threaded in to the end of the field rod if needed.

The reasons I don't leave it on the field rod is several-fold;
1.) A clean smooth brass tip looks better.
2.) A clean or bare end is more historically accurate for the period of guns I mostly use.
3.) My tipped RR is the full (internal) length of my barrel already, so with a charge, I don't need the extra length the jag would lend, and I don't want it sticking out past my muzzle. If I ever have to pull a ball in the field, I want all the RR I can get to twist the ball-puller screw in to the ball.
4.) On recoil, the RR typically moves forward just a bit. The jag might snag on the end plate of the MC and want to dislodge it.
5.) I NEVER use a field rod for cleaning, and the jag part is mostly for retaining cleaning (or swabbing) patches. I don't swab between shots in the field.
 
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I guess this first question is best answered by those shooters who wipe between shots at the range and use a dedicated range rod. Do you guys load with the jag on the rod. Second Do you keep the jag on your permanent rod you keep on the gun when hunting. As of now my "Gun Rod" is fit to the barrel with the jag installed. Any opinions on this?
Yes to both questions, but also depends on the rifle I am shooting. Some do not have the jag on the rifle's RR. When I shoot competition my wood (never liked metal) range rod has a jag on one end and a scrapper on the other.
Flintlocklar
 
My "range rod" has a cleaning jag affixed permanently on one end. The other end usually has a screw-in patch worm on it but could be changed if needed. I usually do all my wiping and cleaning chores with his rod. It lives in a PVC tube with caps covered by leather. My "gun rod" as you call it has brass ends pinned and epoxied to the rod. one end is straight and threaded and fits into the forestock. The other end has a non-threaded flared end that fits a round ball. I do all my loading of the gun with this rod. On a hunt, I have different rod ends in a small tin in the possibles bag I can use to wipe the bore, retrieve a slipped patch, or maybe (God forbid) try to pull a dry ball. Did I just type that last part? Ugh!
 
I load with the guns wood rod most of the time even at the range, and always in the woods. Except for hunting I carry my long, metal range rods with me in case I have to pull a prb; I once twisted a wood rod in half trying to use it to pull out a prb. The metal rods have both a muzzle protector and a correct size jag at all times. I don't wipe between shots so this isn't an issue.
 
While I don't wipe between shots with minies, I do have a dedicated 58cal range rod with jag permanently attached. The previous owner of the gun made it and did a rather good job of it so it's now a permanent item in my kit when I'm doing load development.
 
I wipe between every shot. Dedicated rod in the field, range rod at range. Separate jags for both so I don't have to switch. No doubt steel is stronger than brass but I have dozens of various tips with brass threads. In 50 years at this game I have never broken a jag off. Brass is fine.
 
I have an all brass, range rod. It has a machined handle that I can swap over to change it to a T-grip if I need the extra sturdy hold. It has the jag on it for whatever rifle I've taken to the range.

My field rod does not accept a jag. It has a small, pierced portion like the eye of a needle on it's back end, and I can and do put a cleaning patch through that if I need to swab between shots in the field (especially on small game rifle), or to wipe and apply a bit of oil to prevent rust, as when on a trek, or at an event.

It's been my experience that one should Never attach the jag to the field rod if that jag then protrudes beyond the muzzle. This leaves something to snag on the brush, etc and is a good way to weaken or snap the rod where the wood meets the metal tip. Wood rods change with the humidity, and they change over time, and the pleasantly snug wood rod can become the slightly too loose wood rod. That extra bit of weight from the brass jag can cause the rod to slide forward a few inches almost guaranteeing to get it snapped off by accident.

LD
 
I don't wipe between shots, but I use the same range rod as my cleaning rod when at home. It has the concave jag end and unscrewed to reveal a ball puller screw. It's a Cabelas rod with the all brass jag and it's never given me problems. But I don't use it to pull balls only to load and for cleaning.

When hunting I use a wooden rod that just has a concave tip.
 
I guess this first question is best answered by those shooters who wipe between shots at the range and use a dedicated range rod. Do you guys load with the jag on the rod[?]
Yes, otherwise I'd be screwing and unscrewing the jag, a potential situation custom made for me to lose jags.
 
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