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Well it happened, broke my first ramrod.......

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Sidney Smith

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Been shooting muzzle loaders for at least 25 or 27 years now. Never snapped a ramrod, until yesterday. Yesterday was the opener of our rifle deer season. I was loading the rifle at my truck before heading into the woods. I always do this to avoid undue noise and movement at my stand. Had seated the ball, then put my nylon palm saver over the rod, and pushed down to insure the ball was fully seated on the powder, when it happened, SNAP, the last 2 1/2 inches or so of the rod broke. I didn't realize then but it scraped my ring finger and slightly cut it. No big issue there though. Fortunately I had just enough rod sticking out that I was able to remove it. But it came out tight if something had slightly jammed it in the bore. I thought at first the ball had pulled off the powder, so I shoved the rod home. Mistake. Now I couldn't pull it out at all. So, to the tool box I went and had to use a pair of needle nose pliers to grip the stub of wood sticking out. With a slight twist, I got the rod out and proceeded to hunt with the gun. Didn't get a shot at a deer but was concerned something was down in the bore (as in a piece of the broken rod). So when I got home, I took a light and shined it down the bore(yes I know not a good idea to look down a loaded bore, but I had to know). Sure enough a sliver of the rod was in there sitting on the ball. It wouldn't just dump out, so I pulled the ball and hoped it wouldn't get stuck. Luckily the screw of the puller split the piece of wood, thus allowing most of it to fall out when I had the muzzle pointed at the floor. I pulled the ball anyway and the rest of the slivers of wood came out with it. Re installed a fresh ball, and patch, and the gun is ready to hunt with tomorrow. Only issue now is I have to use my range rod as the primary ram rod until I can make a new rod(have new parts on order). The range rod has a ball on one end so it can't be placed in ramrod pipes on the gun. Lesson learned. Next time and from now on, the range rod is going in the truck on my hunts Had I had it with me yesterday I could have simply pulled the ball right there and reloaded and would not have had to worry.
 
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Been shooting muzzle loaders for at least 25 or 27 years now. Never snapped a ramrod, until yesterday. Yesterday was the opener of our rifle deer season. I was loading the rifle at my truck before heading into the woods. I always do this to avoid undue noise and movement at my stand. Had seated the ball, then put my nylon palm saver over the rod, and pushed down to insure the ball was fully seated on the powder, when it happened, SNAP, the last 2 1/2 inches or so of the rod broke. I didn't realize then but it scraped my ring finger and slightly cut it. No big issue there though. Fortunately I had just enough rod sticking out that I was able to remove it. But it came out tight if something had slightly jammed it in the bore. I thought at first the ball had pulled off the powder, so I shoved the rod home. Mistake. Now I couldn't pull it out at all. So, to the tool box I went and had to use a pair of needle nose pliers to grip the stub of wood sticking out. With a slight twist, I got the rod out and proceeded to hunt with the gun. Didn't get a shot at a deer but was concerned something was down in the bore (as in a piece of the broken rod). So when I got home, I took a light and shined it down the bore(yes I know not a good idea to look down a loaded bore, but I had to know). Sure enough a sliver of the rod was in there sitting on the ball. It wouldn't just dump out, so I pulled the ball and hoped it wouldn't get stuck. Luckily the screw of the puller split the piece of wood, thus allowing most of it to fall out when I had the muzzle pointed at the floor. I pulled the ball anyway and the rest of the slivers of wood came out with it. Re installed a fresh ball, and patch, and the gun is ready to hunt with tomorrow. Only issue now is I have to use my range rod as the primary ram rod until I can make a new rod(have new parts on order). The range rod has a ball on one end so it can't be placed in ramrod pipes on the gun. Lesson learned. Next time and from now on, the range rod is going in the truck on my hunts Had I had it with me yesterday I could have simply pulled the ball right there and reloaded and would not have had to worry.
It's a real pain in the rump when that happens and is the reason I like an easy loading combination!
 
The original wooden ramrod that came with my TC Hawken snapped off in my hand. I always push the rod about 6-7" at a time, it wasn't that I put a huge bow in it. I had about a foot of it in the barrel and when I moved my hand up and gripped the rod, it snapped off in my hand. I wasn't even pushing at the time, so no injuries occured. I discovered that the rod had a pin knot where it broke. How it held together as long as it did was amazing to me. Fortunately, I was just kind of "stump shooting" at the time, so no hunt was ruined. I do have a range rod, but I was just kind of out for a walk with the rifle at the time, so the range rod was at home.
 
The range rod has a ball on one end so it can't be placed in ramrod pipes on the gun. Lesson learned. Next time and from now on, the range rod is going in the truck on my hunts Had I had it with me yesterday I could have simply pulled the ball right there and reloaded and would not have had to worry.


...until you need to load a second kill shot. Wont work if you have to go back to a range rod in the truck.
I keep a half dozen new hickory rod blanks in a closet, taped to a 1x2. If I ever need to make one in a hurry its right there.
Just trying to keep my bases covered for the unexpected.
 
SNAP, the last 2 1/2 inches or so of the rod broke.

As Buzzard II says, get delrin rods. I have replaced almost all of my ramrods with delrin or fiberglass before they broke because I had a similar situation as you had many years ago.

Authentic is fine if you don't mind things like this happening. I like venison too much to take a chance.
 
All of the rifles I use for hunting have a derlin or some other un-breakable ram rod in the thimbles. I keep the original wooden ones at home to use on the range where I always have a range rod to use. The wood rod is just for show, I seldom use them for hunting or shoots unless PC is required.
 
My range rod is delrin. My ball puller rod is stainless steel with a T handle. I've always used the wooden rod (its the rod that came with the kit 20 years ago), when hunting. I like the traditional aspect of this particular gun (a TVM kit I built ), so I will continue to use a wooden rod while hunting. I always load on a clean barrel, and the one time I had to give a deer a coup de grace shot, it still loaded just fine. I normally only use the rod one time a season, two times max. I've never used this rod at the range. That rod has had many loads placed in the barrel with it though. I just figure its age and a little over zealous use by me caused it to fail. I have always used the palm saver as the final push once the ball is on the powder to insure a good fit, and I've always grab the rod maybe six inches from the muzzle, not way up high.

I've got two more blanks on the way with tips. I'll make two rods, and keep one at home as a spare, but the range rod will still be in the truck behind the seat from now on,
 
Never put your palm over a bore that is loaded. It is a sure way to lose that palm.

Your hand, or some part of it goes over the bore each and every time the gun is loaded. I don't see why putting my palm over the bore is putting my hand in any more danger. Slim chance of the gun going off with open frizzen and cock in down position.
 
I've broken rods by tripping over them when they slid out of the thimbles, and I've broken rods by gripping too high, and by ramming too fast (because I also grabbed it high and wasn't pushing straight down. I also shut one in a car door once, and I shot one out.
And I broke a rod using a palm saver.
Just like you did.

I finally got smart and bought a bunch of blanks.

Modern guns just aren't as exciting and fun. :D
 
As Buzzard II says, get delrin rods. I have replaced almost all of my ramrods with delrin or fiberglass before they broke because I had a similar situation as you had many years ago.

Authentic is fine if you don't mind things like this happening. I like venison too much to take a chance.
Thanks for the suggestion about "Delrin rods" I've used fiberglass for my hunting rifles for years but they are too short for my rifles so I need some extra long ones. I notice TOW shows out of stock, and Amazon as well. These are the only two reliable sources that ship North of the 49th. If anyone knows a source of 48 in. rods that still has stock I would appreciate your feedback. Thanks in advance.
 
I carry mine (Range rod )hunting in a scabbard made from a deer hide over my shoulder 45 to 62 cal next to my backpack . I hate dryball/broken rod/lost patch while hunting ,just like target killing /Ed
 
Not P/C, but I made up rods from XX75 Easton arrows for hunting rods. Real tough and the inserts for broadheads are threaded and can accept jags/pullers etc..... I epoxy and pin the inserts. I made up a t-handle that threads into the rod and also acts as a short starter.
 
I have made brass ramrods from tubing I got at Ace. 2 sizes of tubing that fit tightly inside each other, solder a cleaning jag on one end and a piece of a brass rod inside the tube on the other end, then tap the rod for 10x32.
 
The stainless rod i have I made from a piece of solid 3/8 rod from the hardware store. It was hard to drill at the time as I did not have the drill press then, but I did a decent enough job of it. Tapped both ends 10/32, and installed a T handle on one end and whatever tip I need at the time, ball puller, patch worm, breech plug scraper, or brush. This is my go to ball puller rod as I know its not going to pull a tip off on a stubborn ball. All in all, it probably cost me about $3.00 to make.
 
A friend of mine had the end pull off his T/C fiberglass range rod. It looked as though the end was not glued on very well. I hand an end pop off a wooden rod as well. Glue failure again on and end I had forgot to pin. I make my own rods from 3/8" hickory with brass ends. The ends are roughed up well on the inside and glued on with JB Weld then pinned with brass rod. It would require the wood itself to shear off to leave an end in the gun, which is not likely. Possible, maybe, but not likely.
 
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