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Question: Steel vs Brass
What would the preference of steel over brass be?
I went with brass as I figured it was a softer metal and less abuse on the barrel.
Is there an advantage of one over the other?
out
i. Use brass myself, I believe it is more forgiving to muzzle
 
Not really. Steel is stronger and maybe less prone to being bent but should be used with a bore guide.
Brass? Looks cool, patinas nicely, no bore guide required.

wm
The brass rod I got from October County came with muzzle protector, kind of awkward but I got used to it pretty quick. Now actually wish I had got one long ago, would have saved me a few scares.
 
out
i. Use brass myself, I believe it is more forgiving to muzzle
The brass rod I got from October County came with muzzle protector, kind of awkward but I got used to it pretty quick. Now actually wish I had got one long ago, would have saved me a few scares.
The trouble with a brass rod is two fold, it is not as rigid as one piece steel and grit can em-bed into it much easier to create a crown saw. The best crown protection is to make a down bore rod guide of brass or Delrin plastic about a inch long and make your loading rod of one piece stainless steel.
 
Well, I load the rifles with the brass-tipped wooden rod under the barrel. I wipe it clean before putting it back, so I don't have to worry about grit. Plus, I am mostly in the back country. And I stop and clean the bore fairly frequently.
I have a fine selection of brass and stainless cleaning rods back at the shop, but I have no desire to carry one in the woods. I suppose it would be fine at the range, along with spotting scopes and bench rests and such.
If I felt the ramrod on the rifle was not up to the job, I would make one that was.
But I am always willing to learn from the experience of others.
 
Learned my lesson on that, breaking the one that came with my gun and stabbing my pinky and palm. The TOW steel one with a wooden handle a brass muzzle guide is so easy to deal with. Never looking back.
 
I use a range rod with a bore protector. Rod is unbreakable. I replace wood ram rod with unbreakable ram rod under gun too. I also carry an old HURST shifter ball in my possibles bag to push a stubbon charge in using the unbreakable ram rod.
 
Personal opinion on my part, based on my past experiences.

Most of the ramrods that come with a rifle are, at best, mediocre. Barely long enough, and the tips are often just glued on. My preference is to cut a metal rod that protrudes about 1/2" when dropped down an empty barrel. Both ends are threaded, so that when I put a loading/cleaning jag on one end, and a "T" handle on the other, it is long enough to grip and load without smashing my knuckles.
 
At the range, I always use a plastic flexible rod. The wood ramrod under the barrel is there for appearances only. For cleaning at the end of the shooting session, I just got a new carbon fiber rod with a bore guide. Interchangeable jags for different calibres.
 
I have a large assortment of rods that I've collected over the years, but a nice brass one is my favorite type. I like to put an antler chunk on for a handle, and with the weight of the brass rod it sure loads easier. Some guys use pretty small balls in their barrels, but I like to do just the opposite and put a ball/patch combo that fits the barrel pretty snug.
 
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