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Urban Coyote

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Field ramrod is intended to mean the rod that stays with your gun, not an accessory range rod.

My first muzzleloader, T/C Hawken, came with a wood rod, assumed hickory, having glued on brass ends, not pinned. I don't recall it lasting very long, straight grain hickory with a glued and pinned end replaced it. Later the hickory was unnecessarily replaced by a T/C resin impregnated rod that remains in use. My Crockett. 32 came with an aluminum ram rod that never really got a good workout due to an accessory range rod. Most of my muzzleloaders have straight grain hickory except for a couple other T/C models with their resin impregnated rod.

I've seen ramrod made of brass round stock, a material called Derlin, steel in the case of some muskets, wood (assumed hickory), aluminum and composites unknown to me. Some of the composite rods seemed overly flexible, I'm unable to recall what materials were used, it might have been Derlin.

What material field rod do you favor? If you use straight grain hickory how do you maintain it? (I wipe hickory rods clean and dry then rub a light coat of Jojoba oil into the wood.)
 
I made a ebony ramrod for a big English rifle. I think it an excellent material for a ramrod. And only cost $150 for the piece of wood I made it from. It works for that type of rifle but would look a bit odd on a colonial American rifle.
 
French Colonial said:
Lets, take inventory..
Hickory
Hickory
Hickory
Hickory
Hickory
Hickory
Hickory
Hickory
Hickory
Hickory

You get the idea
Click to expand...
Yes, spend good money and get a good hickory ramrod, not some hardware store dowel because it's a few bucks cheaper. Pin the ends, wipe it clean and oil it after use. They will last a good number of years.
 
I have gone to hickory for all. For one lengthy backcountry hunt I made up a brass rod to assure that a broken rod wouldn't be a problem.

I have this dowel cutter for making arrow shafts but it makes a hickory rod as well. I watch constantly at the big box stores for straight grain hickory stock. It makes a good rod. I know, supposed to split it out and all that but I've found that with straight grain and minimal runout the rod is near indestructible.

05J6005-dowel-cutter-1-2-inch-f-43.jpg
 
I sold and used Delrin rods for years. It is unbreakable. In the field, a broken wood, or synthetic, rod can do serious injury. Back in the day, dying a slow, agonizing death from what we may now call fairly minor injuries, was common. I ain't that pc. I am willing to forgo pc for safety anytime. So, my recommendation is: Delrin.
 
Rifleman1776 said:
I sold and used Delrin rods for years. It is unbreakable. In the field, a broken wood, or synthetic, rod can do serious injury. Back in the day, dying a slow, agonizing death from what we may now call fairly minor injuries, was common. I ain't that pc. I am willing to forgo pc for safety anytime. So, my recommendation is: Delrin.
Click to expand...


I acquired a delrin rod with a rifle purchase and it is light and seems unbreakable but it's too dang flexible for me.
 
I just made an aluminum field ramrod for my Cabela's Hawken yesterday. I made it a bit longer than the 29" barrel and drilled and tapped both ends to accept 10-32 accessories, using my 7x14 lathe. It's made from a 3/8" aluminum rod I bought at Lowe's or Home Depot and had laying around my shop. After drilling and tapping I sanded it to 220 grit so that it's smooth but not shiny.


field-rod2.jpg



I might add a few shallow grooved on this end for a better grip.

field-rod3.jpg
 
Hickory , but make sure it is a tight fit and won't come loose . A mate of mine was goat shooting last week and the rod on his Hawken came part way out of the rod pipes , snagged on a bush and snapped in half .Now he uses a Delrin rod for hunting and a hickory one, I had spare, for show .
 
Rifleman1776 said:
I sold and used Delrin rods for years. It is unbreakable. In the field, a broken wood, or synthetic, rod can do serious injury. Back in the day, dying a slow, agonizing death from what we may now call fairly minor injuries, was common. I ain't that pc. I am willing to forgo pc for safety anytime. So, my recommendation is: Delrin.
Click to expand...
I would like to see one documented case of ANYONE dying or being injured by a ramrod before say about 1830 or so.

Not saying it did not happen, just have never read about it.

I have a hickory ramrod in my .32 rifle that is 30 plus years old and still works fine. I think modern shooters ask to much with to tight ball and patch combinations and trying to seat the ball with one long stroke instead of several small ones.
 
Urban Coyote said:
Field ramrod is intended to mean the rod that stays with your gun, not an accessory range rod.

My first muzzleloader, T/C Hawken, came with a wood rod, assumed hickory, having glued on brass ends, not pinned. I don't recall it lasting very long, straight grain hickory with a glued and pinned end replaced it. Later the hickory was unnecessarily replaced by a T/C resin impregnated rod that remains in use. My Crockett. 32 came with an aluminum ram rod that never really got a good workout due to an accessory range rod. Most of my muzzleloaders have straight grain hickory except for a couple other T/C models with their resin impregnated rod.

I've seen ramrod made of brass round stock, a material called Derlin, steel in the case of some muskets, wood (assumed hickory), aluminum and composites unknown to me. Some of the composite rods seemed overly flexible, I'm unable to recall what materials were used, it might have been Derlin.

What material field rod do you favor? If you use straight grain hickory how do you maintain it? (I wipe hickory rods clean and dry then rub a light coat of Jojoba oil into the wood.)
Click to expand...
I use a brass ramrod. the only thing I do before using it is to make sure the jag is not loose. I had a jag break off in the barrel once while cleaning my rifle . As far as aluminum I wouldn;t use it. It is to soft for my liking . I threaded the end of my rod and leave a cleaning jag attached permanantly. Never had a problem.
 
French Colonial said:
I would like to see one documented case of ANYONE dying or being injured by a ramrod before say about 1830 or so.

Not saying it did not happen, just have never read about it.
Click to expand...
French, this is an oft repeated thread subject here. In the past several members have told stories of their being injured by broken/split hickory rods. As for back in the day, those so injured may have died slow agonizing deaths before they were able to post the experience online. Just go ahead and break a hickory rod deliberately. You will see for yourself how sharp and pointy the ends can be. That is very real danger, especially if in the woods alone. OTOH, you could suffer such and injury and die a slow, agonizing death yerself. That would be real pc.
 
I currently need to replace 2 hickory ramrods broke in the field. Same cause for each one. I forgot to bring a cleaning jag along and got stuck loads. Trying to beat them down and "crack" Will replace them with hickory.
 
DuncNZ said:
Hickory , but make sure it is a tight fit and won't come loose . A mate of mine was goat shooting last week and the rod on his Hawken came part way out of the rod pipes , snagged on a bush and snapped in half .Now he uses a Delrin rod for hunting and a hickory one, I had spare, for show .
Click to expand...
I had a similar experience while hunting with the jag on the rod. I was waking a game trail through a growth of young quakies with the rifle over my shoulder. Unbeknownst to me the jag caught on a limb and was left hanging there. Didn't notice until back in camp. I'd roamed a lot of territory so had no idea where to look. Next day I walked that trail again and found it hanging in the tree.
 

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