Learned a lesson today.

[Admin]

When using a wooden ramrod be sure your metal end pieces are firmly on it! :shock:

I took my Hawken this morning prepared to do a little shooting. I followed my normal routine and snapped 3 caps before swabbing the barrel with solvent/dry patches. I noted I had forgot my nipple pick but a nearby grass stem worked pretty well in that capacity. I poured my powder and tilted the rifle to knock the powder under the nipple then pushed the little ball down snug in it's prelubed patch. At that point things turned sour. I removed the ramrod from the barrel and noticed something missing. The ramrod tip was still on the ball! I tried at the range to remove it but was un successful. :evil:

So I resigned myself to wasting a good shooting day to try and get the tip out. I tried a ball puller to no avail when finally I thought about adding tape to the ramrod and pushing down the tip-less end. Well it worked! rayer:

I learned my lesson today. NO MORE WOOD RAMRODS! :lol:

 

[n8dawg6]

my old CVA had a skinny wooden ramrod that split the first time i cleaned it. fortunately it split as i was pulling the patch out, not as i was pushing it in. if it had split as i was pushing the patch down the barrel, i probably would have been impaled on the ramrod and rapidly bled to death. T/C makes a much more substantial wooden ramrod than CVA . . . but it's still wood!

 

[sabinajiles]

When using a wooden ramrod be sure your metal end pieces are firmly on it! :shock: <snip>I learned my lesson today. NO MORE WOOD RAMRODS! :lol:

Better yet, get yourself a heavy duty range rod to use while at the range, and for cleaning, and save your rifle's ramrod for use only for hunting.

 

[Admin]

When using a wooden ramrod be sure your metal end pieces are firmly on it! :shock: <snip>I learned my lesson today. NO MORE WOOD RAMRODS! :lol:

Better yet, get yourself a heavy duty range rod to use while at the range, and for cleaning, and save your rifle's ramrod for use only for hunting.

I've got one. That's what has the jag for swabbing. I use the ramrod that I use in the field at the range so I get the loading pressure consistent. I duplicate field loading to the nth degree while at the range. I'm just extra picky about things like that. I won't even use a short starter at the range if I don't use it in the field. Call me paranoid, superstitious or whatever. :lol:

 

[IndianaHunter]

We seem to have issues with ramrods don't we!

 

[Admin]

We seem to have issues with ramrods don't we!

LOL! At least I brought my range rod with me when I went to Indiana. You'd have been up a creek otherwise! :lol: Although it was ironic that you found your section AFTER it was needed. :lol:

 

[cayuga]

As nice as wooden ramrods look.. I agree, the new metal or synthetic ones are much better. Also make sure the ends are pinned. I just picked up one from Wal Mart called, "Flint River" and it's 31 inches long. Real nice and on sale for $4.00 how could you pass on that.

By the way how did the rifle shoot?

 

[Admin]

As nice as wooden ramrods look.. I agree, the new metal or synthetic ones are much better. Also make sure the ends are pinned. I just picked up one from Wal Mart called, "Flint River" and it's 31 inches long. Real nice and on sale for $4.00 how could you pass on that.

By the way how did the rifle shoot?

It did it on the first shot so I never got to fire it. I didn't want to risk damaging the rifle by firing it out. I couldn't get it out at the range. :evil:

 

[Loggy]

I had a RR End come loose on both a wooden & syn rod. I used a slow cure 2 part epoxy to replace & they are likely stronger than rod itself now.

 

[toytruck]

Patrick,
Was your ramrod made by T/C? If so they are under the full lifetime warranty. You might call them to see if you could get a synthetic or aluminum one instead if that is the case.

I shot the end off my System One synthetic ramrod since it was a couple of inches longer than the Encore ramrod. Never had that happen before, the rod wasn't in the way of the bore, must have been a weak rod or the concussion of the shot. I killed the buck too!

I called T/C and they said all their products have the lifetime warranty and to send it back for replacement. I also sent them a .45 extended jag that I broke at the range last summer.

Just waiting now to see what they send back.

 

[Admin]

I got it secondhand. The barrel (and ramrod) were both cut down. I did not notice that the ramrod wasn't pinned. It fit fairly snug and hadn't popped off yet.