Gamechaser
40 Cal
I don't know if there is already a thread on this or not but I will take a shot at anyway. Can you use a hickory sapling for a ramrod
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Ramrod question
- Thread starter Gamechaser
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ohio ramrod
75 Cal.
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Of course you can. If you can get it thin enough you will have a ramrod with no or little "runout" that people get making ramrods from dowel rods.It would be a strong rod less likely to break.
Gamechaser
40 Cal
I used the butt end of The Twig and whittled it down to roughly 5/16. But in doing so I noticed a little bit of softness in the center is there a way to seal this off so it does not rot or break
Phil Coffins
69 Cal.
Use a larger limb and split it into quarters, then use one and avoid the core.
Gamechaser
40 Cal
Ok,I have never done anything like this before. I know there'll be shrinkage, but I scraped all of the bark and trimmed to fit
A question like this always prompts me to give a safety warning. You can make your own ramrods from scratch. That is how wiping sticks were made back in the day.
However, wood, even hickory can split along the grain with knife edge sharpness. This can be highly dangerous and injurious to whoever is to have that happen. There is a proper way to use a ramrod but that is an often ignored thing. Personally, my choices of ramrod are: Delrin, especially in the field where help would not be available; stainless steel or brass at the range; hickory for pc events and being super careful how I use it.
However, wood, even hickory can split along the grain with knife edge sharpness. This can be highly dangerous and injurious to whoever is to have that happen. There is a proper way to use a ramrod but that is an often ignored thing. Personally, my choices of ramrod are: Delrin, especially in the field where help would not be available; stainless steel or brass at the range; hickory for pc events and being super careful how I use it.
Gamechaser
40 Cal
I myself have had ramrod's break and it was because of the grain run out but I did not know if the whole sapling would be safer
Gamechaser
40 Cal
Being 32 cal and the rod being close to 5/16, whats the chances of breaking?
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that question is kind of like asking "what are the chances of me waking up tomorrow".
if the sapling is properly cured, split and processed like Phil suggested, it should be as resilient as any "store bought". just use it correctly and it will be good. i make my tiny bore sticks from willow and never shoot a combo of patch and ball that takes more than the thumb and forefinger.
Gamechaser
40 Cal
Excellent point
Much depends on how you handle it.
Gamechaser
40 Cal
True, I'm not one to go crazy pushing a ball home
Gamechaser
40 Cal
When splitting hickory, do you dry it first or split then let dry
Erwan
45 Cal.
Just, that's the reason for maybe more than 70% of all the ramrod broken : handled too high is frequently the first reason of breaking...
Personally, I have a wood ram on all my rifles (in fiber for one), but at the range (I can carry this with all the niamaniama) the long and the short are in inox...
hanshi
Cannon
A rod made from a hickory stem rather than split off a log should also be a bit more flexible. Regardless, care must always be taken with any wood rod. I seat prb by doing it at about 4" grabs from the muzzle. And I do load tight prb with the wood, underbarrel rod probably 95% of the time. I know if the wood rod does well at the range that it would also work in the bush.
