Let's talk ram rods.

Painkillers

Painkillers

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I have several black powder muzzle loaders, percussion lock Hawkens, and I am now the proud owner of a Kibler Woodsrunner flinter (fancy maple, w/ relief carving).

These guns all came with a wooden dowel ram rod, but I don't trust them. I've heard of guys soaking them in turpentine for months to harden them, but i just don't trust them.

What are the alternatives, and where does a guy locate all the bibs and bobs to build them? I'd also be interested in building a few range rods. What's best there, brass or bronze?

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.who's going to tell him about his hat?
 
Have been shooting flint for nigh on 50 years and have never broken a ramrod. In my opinion, the trick is to choose a hickory (traditional) or ash stick that has the grain running straight from end to end. Might be other suitable species, but have no experience with them. If the grain runs diagonally across the stick, it is an accident waiting to happen. Soaking the ramrod in kerosene is supposed to make it more limber. Have tried it and found it to not make much, if any, difference.
When loading with a ramrod, don't grasp the ramrod way up toward the end. Grasp it a a few inches, perhaps 6" to 8", up and seat the ball that far, grasp further up and continue. I find that easier and just as quick, as well as being safer.
My preference is steel, plain old cold rolled 1018 (mild steel), for range rods. Don't use hot rolled because the surface is inconsistent and covered in scale. Brass is heavier, more prone to breakage and, since it is somewhat soft, grit can become embedded in it and scratch the bore. Ditto for those floppy plastic and fiberglass rods. Whatever you use for a range rod, use a muzzle protector.
The Woodsrunner is a nice gun. I am sure you will enjoy it. Look the ramrod over carefully. I have assembled a few Kibler kits and one arrived with the grain running diagonally across the ramrod. Contacted Kiblers and they immediately sent out a replacement. Cannot beat their customer service.
 
I use delrin rods - think I got the last batch from Grainger - come in 48" lengths, easy to work with.
Your threaded tip - you can make with a lathe easy enough, but if not you will need to order from a USA supply or find a donor somewhere.

If you do make one or more - drill a hole through one end and feed a leather strip or length of paracord - large enough to lop over a hook or branch or something ... you will thank me ;)
No need to soak it, needs to be oiled well for sure, but soaking does not seem to help with anything,

Nothing wrong with the wooden ones, they did just fine for several hundred years ... but as noted, Hickory or Ash only.
You can get Hickory dowels form USA - never had any luck in Canada, you have to get a block and make the rod yourself.
 
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sean69 said:
I use delrin rods - think I got the last batch from Grainger - come in 48" lengths, easy to work with.
Your threaded tip - you can make with a lathe easy enough, but if not you will need to order from a USA supply or find a donor somewhere.

If you do make one or more - drill a hole through one end and feed a leather strip or length of paracord - large enough to lop over a hook or branch or something ... you will thank me ;)
No need to soak it, needs to be oiled well for sure, but soaking does not seem to help with anything,

Nothing wrong with the wooden ones, they did just fine for several hundred years ... but as noted, Hickory or Ash only.
You can get Hickory dowels form USA - never had any luck in Canada, you have to get a block and make the rod yourself.
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I carry a small tin with jags, worms, mops etc., in it. Amongst all these 'tools', sits an unfired ball with patch tightly wrapped (partially impregnated) in it. This ball has a curious hole bore nearly through it. ;) I keep it as a reminder.

It's true that there are two types of black powder shooter. Those who have dry balled, and those that will dry ball. I'm in the former cohort, and would have appreciated a paracord loop on my rod that day. Great tip!

Any thoughts on fiberglass rods?
 
Is the SxS loaded with ball or shot? More likely to be shot. If shot, just about any screw should pull the wads and loosen the powder column. Put the screw a couple of cleaning patches to keep it more or less centred in the barrel and protect the bore. Bought three old fowlers from a dealer a couple of years ago. Total of four barrels. Three were loaded:( Always check!
 
Painkillers said:
It's true that there are two types of black powder shooter. Those who have dry balled, and those that will dry ball. I'm in the former cohort, and would have appreciated a paracord loop on my rod that day. Great tip!

Any thoughts on fiberglass rods?
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A patch can get quite stuck too if you wipe between shots ... eliminates the need to bug someone to hang onto the rod while you yoink on the gun.... I usually start with "careful - it's loaded" at that point ,, hahha. also if you hunt alone - mighty handy.

Fibreglass - never tried it, never needed to - delrin is cheap easy to work with and is basically unbreakable - I can bend my rods into a circle.. still more than rigid enough to seat a ball...
 
I have heard that fiberglass rods are abrasive.
Always shot more smoothbore than rifled, so pulling an unfired charge was no big deal. Unload that way at the end of the day.
Unloaded a HBC northwest gun once. Shooter had torn the top corner of a page of newspaper for wadding. "The Free Press" Nov. 13, 1924. Loaded as a shotgun, #5 shot. Powder was clean and dry. Also unloaded an Allen & Thurber boxlock. Charge of white beans over the powder and wad. And there was an 8ga double, one barrel loaded. Yes, be careful with ml guns.
 
B_noser said:
Is the SxS loaded with ball or shot? More likely to be shot. If shot, just about any screw should pull the wads and loosen the powder column. Put the screw a couple of cleaning patches to keep it more or less centred in the barrel and protect the bore. Bought three old fowlers from a dealer a couple of years ago. Total of four barrels. Three were loaded:( Always check!
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Well sheeeitt, now i gotta see if i lost the tap and die set in the move…

Thanks.


No idea if its ball or shot, its an antique so it could be in there from 100 years back. Ill let you know when i get it out though.
 
I use brass rods. I buy them from metal supplier in Burnside , Dartmouth. Usually 4 ft which gives me enough to also make a short starter. I have the taps and dies to thread them. Handles are deer antler which I thread the rod and antler then apply epoxy. Never had one come apart. Jags I make on my lathe so any size can be easily done.
 
I use 1/4" steel rod cold Finnish from the steel shop or wherever you can find it...
I thread for 1/4"-20 thread and make up some fitting jags and brush adapters.
I have found a pex to copper pipe fitting works great for a muzzle protector.

I usually just put a bend to it, 90° a couple of inches for a good enough grip to ram, also the bend makes a good sinch around when I need to pull a load and such.. straight dont grip as easily.

For my whitworth, I made the same but straight, put old screwdriver handles as the handles, also in different colors to help off hand when Im Loading and cleaning...

I've added a few pics as to the kit I used to make ram tips and the adapters ect..
I can't add pics to a PM??? Wtf
 

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I have had good luck with hickory, ash and ramin wooden ramrods...avoid birch as it commonly has the diagonal grain. I have used various fiberglass rods ( electric fence posts, driveway snow markers, etc) and the delrin but found the delrin rods too floppy, even though they work well. Just be sure to use a muzzle protctor at the range where most shots are fired.
 
The reason wood rods (dowel) are the way they are is because they are turned rather than split like back in the day. A split rod will have straight grain (by the simple function of splitting) and turning ignores grain structure causing diagonal grain. I personally only use wood, have never had or used a “range rod” other than for cleaning at the end of the day (and they are also wood). I think I’ve broken 2 rods in the years I have been shooting muzzle loaders. I am a traditionalist in that I always load from the possibles bag, and always use the rod on the rifle as if I was out hunting. When hunting with the flint, I also carry, load and shoot from the bag same as at the range. I don’t use speed loaders or loading blocks or pre measured charges. While I realize that these things ARE very much traditional, I don’t use them. If you plan to go steel or brass, keep in mind the added weight to your gun unless you plan to leave a wood rod on the gun for show and load exclusively with a range rod .
 
mckutzy said:
I use 1/4" steel rod cold Finnish from the steel shop or wherever you can find it...
I thread for 1/4"-20 thread and make up some fitting jags and brush adapters.
I have found a pex to copper pipe fitting works great for a muzzle protector.

I usually just put a bend to it, 90° a couple of inches for a good enough grip to ram, also the bend makes a good sinch around when I need to pull a load and such.. straight dont grip as easily.

For my whitworth, I made the same but straight, put old screwdriver handles as the handles, also in different colors to help off hand when Im Loading and cleaning...

I've added a few pics as to the kit I used to make ram tips and the adapters ect..
I can't add pics to a PM??? Wtf
Click to expand...
I appreciate the effort. i'm a visual guy and the pics helped.
 
Painkillers said:
I have several black powder muzzle loaders, percussion lock Hawkens, and I am now the proud owner of a Kibler Woodsrunner flinter (fancy maple, w/ relief carving).

These guns all came with a wooden dowel ram rod, but I don't trust them. I've heard of guys soaking them in turpentine for months to harden them, but i just don't trust them.

What are the alternatives, and where does a guy locate all the bibs and bobs to build them? I'd also be interested in building a few range rods. What's best there, brass or bronze?

.
.
.
.
.who's going to tell him about his hat?
Click to expand...
I've shot muzzle loaders for 50 years and NEVER had a wooden ram rod fail, except once and I don't really know if it failed. I was talking and loading and looking around and blabbering and loading and shooting. The NEXT time I was ready to load, I couldn't find my ramrod and never saw that one again. I replaced it with a fiberglass one.

I've got a ball stuck, halfway loaded. I've had TC Maxi balls stuck half way down. Took the gun with the rod on the load and "pushed" and pounded that rod until it was seated and NEVER had a ram rod fail from any of that.

I don't worry about anything about a ramrod any more other than losing one.
 
B_noser said:
Wouldn't be the first ramrod launched downrange.
Saw a friend launch his steel Bess ramrod at a target. Had quite the kick. Never did find that ramrod.
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are you familiar with the pfeilstortch, or “arrow stork”? They came back to europe from africa after migrating with african arrows in their necks, providing evidence for the migration theory.


Now I’m just imagining one going the other way with a flintlock musket rod in it and some local african scientists taking furious notes.
 
Painkillers said:
These guns all came with a wooden dowel ram rod, but I don't trust them.
Click to expand...
Why? What horrors would befall you if a range / trail rod broke?

FWIW I made several trail rods out of basic / generic wood dowel from Home Depot. Never broke one. It is probably all in how you use the rod. Go straight in and they will never break. Twist the thing around in an arc as you ram and maybe it will break. 🤷‍♂️


Painkillers said:
'd also be interested in building a few range rods. What's best there, brass or bronze?
Click to expand...
A solid bronze rod would be both expensive and friggen heavy. I would def NOT want to have to carry such a contraption around.

This all strikes as making a mountain out of a molehill, based on some intangible, " don't trust it" which is based upon nothing but feewings. There s absolutely nothing wrong with a wood dowel range rod and the world won't end if you break one. 🤷‍♂️

You are going to spend all kinds of money and effort and time solving a completely non-existent problem. Have fun with that.
 
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