Throwing your Ramrod onto the ball

[exMember]

Tried this out today but first I loaded it normally and with my upper body weight, leaned into the ramrod as usual to compress the powder. This works out roughly to around 70lbs of pressure on top of the ball.

The only mark on the face of the ball is from my short starter.

Next I did that mumbo jumbo where you see guys using their ramrods and throwing them down on top of the ball to seat it. The old theory is that if the ramrod bounced, the ball was fully seated. I've tested this (Some years ago) with a ball 3/4 of the way down the barrel, completely aware it was no where close to being seated and guess what? It bounced! Where this theory came up, we'll never know.

Bouncing the ramrod to seat the ball consistently on the powder charge certainly is unattainable because there's not enough weight in the ramrod to seat a patched ball, nor is there any consistency because you are throwing it down the barrel with an unknown, inconsistent pressure with your hand.

In the end, all we did was look funny doing it!

And in end, all we did was turn a round ball, into an off balanced semi wad cutter ball. Here's the same picture, only color adjusted to show the damage.

 

[patocazador]

I found that I get the most consistent results with my .45 flintlock by dropping the rod from ~6" to seat the ball. When I used more pressure like I use with a percussion gun, the powder would compress and I got inconsistent ignition.

"Works for me."

 

[lighthorseman]

The best measure is a mark on the rod where the ball is seated, as well as where it is empty.....I do it on my ramrod as well as my wiping stick.

 

[exMember]

Bob, that would have to be an awful loose fitting ball for the ramrod to seat on the powder to any degree.

I plan on doing more testing later on with the Ultimate Range rod and mark it along the way for any movement.

 

[patocazador]

Jon, I seat to the witness mark and stop. Then I raise the rod 6" and drop it to make sure the ball is on the powder but not compressing it.  No hangfires or other problems when I do it that way.

 

[Muley Hunter]

I've always just put my shoulder on the ramrod. Probably not the safest way to do it, but it's consistent.

I'd see someone bouncing the ramrod and cringe. Black powder can fire with impact and it always bothered me.

 

[Hanshi]

"Throwing your ramrod" thread

For some reason the site wouldn't give me the option of a simple "REPLY" but DID give me the option of a new thread.  Sorry about this but it's the only way I was allowed to respond.

Anyway, I seat prb by pushing the ramrod a few inches at a time until I feel a slight "crunch" of the ball on powder.  I do this every time for consistency.  I'll admit to gently "tapping" the rod on the ball once in a while but I never throw the rod or put my weight on it.

 

[exMember]

Thats odd! Is there a box at the bottom of the thread for a quick reply area?

 

[Hanshi]

No, there was not.  Oddly, after starting a new thread one did appear next to the "topic" button.  :Questuon:

 

[exMember]

Most likely a glitch. No biggy!

 

[Hanshi]

Yeah, that was my thinking, too.

 

[Hilljack1]

Consistency is the key to good shooting with BP as we all know....I look at the mechanics and pressing down on the rod with firm pressure and not jarring the load with throwing the ramrod on top of the load...Not saying the method doesn't work, but could have questionable results...in the matter of a hunter or plinker the changes may not be noticeable...Where the difference will probably be seen is the methods that people use if they are competitors, and most of these do not bounce their rods on top of the load...And they will be looking for small points or X's...With myself I like to press the ball down on the load with firm pressure...Thanks for reading my thoughts and opinions....

YMHS
Hilljack

 

[Sharpsman]

With some black powder brands they perform best with being slightly compressed!

 

[Muley Hunter]

Compressed yes. Hammered no.

I'll repeat it. Black powder can be fired from impact.

 

[Okie Hog]

i have hundreds of Civil War battle field pickup bullets.  About 20 percent of the noses are bashed from being whanged with  ramrods.  So much for the Minie bullets being easy to load.