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Keeping ramrods supple?

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For the most recent discussion, see here. In short, get a rod without grain run-out and use it....
 
I make my ramrods out of straight grained hickory from Dunlaps. No run out. I have ruined two by accidentally shooting them down range. So I guess my answer is I keep mine supple by not shooting them out of the barrel. :rotf: Never had a problem while loading. :grin:

Dave
 
:eek:ff Not very accurate. Next time I will try 3" fletches instead of 5" with a lighter broadhead. :rotf: Knock on wood as I have yet to dry ball. Caught myself a few times so have come close.

Dave
 
Grasp your rod close to the muzzle. Unless you have an iron musket rod and the looser load used in military don’t try to push in one long stroke. A wood rod can bend and break. Grasp close run down in short stokes and you will not break a rod.
 
Oh how often do I see shooters both at the range where I shoot, and on Youtube pushing the ball/patch down bore with one or two long strokes! A very bad habit indeed, and one guaranteed to break every straight grained hickory ramrod you have. Ask me how I know.
 
I get that ALL the time when I try to introduce a new shooter to the wonders of BP. I even caught one big fat guy hanging on both the muzzle AND the rod applying pressure to both at the same time. Since wrists are notoriously fragile, I stopped him right away before he busted it. A simple "sorry" wouldn't have fixed a busted wrist!

Odds are also about 100% that they will short seat the ball too. That's why I ALWAYS grab the rod once they're done seating the ball and give the ball a couple of thumps. Just to feel if it's fully seated.
 
tenngun said:
Grasp your rod close to the muzzle. Unless you have an iron musket rod and the looser load used in military don’t try to push in one long stroke. A wood rod can bend and break. Grasp close run down in short stokes and you will not break a rod.

Actually, when the first iron ramrods were issued, the wood ramrod was preferred. The iron ramrods would bend and the wood ramrods did not.
 
I don't keep them "supple".

I think it's mostly been shown a myth. The whole soaking them in this or that is largely a myth. Get some good straight grained hickory rods and use PROPER TECHNIQUE and you should be good to go friend.
 
I keep mine sanded and oiled, I think ( THINK, not prove) that smooth finished wood is less likely to pick up stuff that can scrape the muzzle. It doesn’t make them bend better or more supple. After cleaning I oil my stock and when done oil my rod.
 
Question? Can you use a modified ramrod like you were thinking can you use it during the archery season? If so how do you explain using your muzzleloading bow to the game warden. 😀 Art
 
Cruzatte said:
Oh how often do I see shooters both at the range where I shoot, and on Youtube pushing the ball/patch down bore with one or two long strokes! A very bad habit indeed, and one guaranteed to break every straight grained hickory ramrod you have. Ask me how I know.

When I started with this crazy avocation I was fortunate to have some of the greatest ml shooters in the country as my mentors. I lived near Friendship and was at the range almost every weekend with them. However, as fine people as they were and as great shooters as they were, they were still human and subject to occasionally being wrong. :doh: I had more than one of them teach me to seat the ball with one long, single stroke of the ramrod. I did that for many years and still have to consciously think to not grab the rod up high when I am loading. Still, you will see, particularly on the heavy bench and slug gun lines, guys loading this way.
 
Art Peltier said:
Question? Can you use a modified ramrod like you were thinking can you use it during the archery season? If so how do you explain using your muzzleloading bow to the game warden. 😀 Art

No!.....A gun fires a projectile....That projectile can be anything, even an arrow, but it's still a gun.

A bow fires an arrow.

You hunt with a bow or a gun.....The projectiles are irrelevant until you get into projectile restrictions.

Check the definitions section of your hunting regulations.
 
I saw someone on a YouTube video who pushed the gun up against a tree with the ramrod sticking out of the bore to seat the ball. :shocked2:

Wish I were making that up. Unbelievable what some think is correct and safe.
 
all my rods get constant wipedowns with my "clean-ish" oil rag, which is lightly impregnated with a long term mix of BP soot, crisco, wax, lemon oil, Rem oil, WD-40, 3-In-1, and Olive spray oil.

Supple? I dunno......clean......yep
 
Smokey Plainsman said:
I saw someone on a YouTube video who pushed the gun up against a tree with the ramrod sticking out of the bore to seat the ball. :shocked2:

Wish I were making that up. Unbelievable what some think is correct and safe.

That's actually a good idea, if the ball stops short due to powder fouling....Ruining your ramrod is cheaper than ringing a barrel or blowing it up.

I've also used the reverse....I've tied my ramrod to a tree to remove it when stuck at the bottom.
 
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