ram rod use

[smylee grouch]

With all the talk about ram rods the last week or so I was wondering how most use their rods. Do you pull it out of the thimbles and use the end that was in the bottom of the hole to ram your ball down or do you pull the rod out, reverse it and use the end that was at the end of the muzzle to ram the ball down?

[Pukka Bundook]

I reverse mine Smylee, as I made the other end thinner for a tow worm to attach.

With a shotgun/fowling piece you have to reverse them, and that's what I started with many moons ago.   Got to be a habit!

Also, if a rod is that thick at the far end, (no taper) it screws up the architecture of the stock...  A rammer thick at the muzzle end and well tapered won't bind either, and is V strong for starting a load.

Best regards,
R.

[Candle Snuffer]

With all the talk about ram rods the last week or so I was wondering how most use their rods. Do you pull it out of the thimbles and use the end that was in the bottom of the hole to ram your ball down or do you pull the rod out, reverse it and use the end that was at the end of the muzzle to ram the ball down?

This is what I do when loading my rifles and pistols;

pull it out of the thimbles and use the end that was in the bottom of the hole to ram your ball down

Just did this over 20 times yesterday at our Spring Rendezvous club shoot. I don't have a ramrod tip on my ramming end, only on my ramrod end facing the muzzle.

For my smoothbore, I flip the ramrod as I use the brass tamping end for loading.

[WadePatton]

I'm no flipper. I was, but as soon as I saw someone load without flipping the stick, I adopted that style for simplicity and less motion in the woods.

[Sharpsman]

I ain't a 'flipper'!

[Don Steele]

In the woods....I'm a Flipper. 
At the range, my ramrod never sees the thimbles until I'm finished so there's not much added motion in a shooting session.
 

[rich pierce]

Clearly for fowling pieces, flipping was normal practice, because only one end of the rod is suitable for loading wads.

[Mike Brooks]

My rods are tapered. Not flipping ain't going to work. 5/16" on the small end (1/4" on small bores) with a brass threaded end and 7/16" bare wood on the upper end.

[Daryl]

On my rifles no flipping.

With the smoothbore, flip.

My .50 cal. Verner's rod is 1/4" at it's tiny, in the stock end.  I usually carry a range rod with me. This is a rendezvous 'braggin' gun'. If I hunted with it, I would use it's ram rod.

On the other hand, I have a .36 for small game (bunnies here) with a 5/16" rod and for big game, I have a .69. No need to 'tax' the 49" rod on my long, long rifle.

[stubshaft]

I'm with Daryl.  Rifle no flip, smoothies flipped.

[Mauser06]

I flip.  But keep a bigger loading/cleaning jag on the big (muzzle) end...other end I put another threaded cap.  Latest build I tapered 3/8-5/16. Shotgun jag on the big end and threaded cap on the small end.  I'm a hunter. Might not look right. Might not be historically accurate. But when I need to pull a load or clean a bore or whatever needs done, I can do it...


At the range, it stays in the pipes and I use my not historically accurate range rod....

[Tim Ault]

I flip.  But keep a bigger loading/cleaning jag on the big (muzzle) end...other end I put another threaded cap.  Latest build I tapered 3/8-5/16. Shotgun jag on the big end and threaded cap on the small end.  I'm a hunter. Might not look right. Might not be historically accurate. But when I need to pull a load or clean a bore or whatever needs done, I can do it...


At the range, it stays in the pipes and I use my not historically accurate range rod....

  That's how I have mine set up , have the jag in the muzzle end little easier to grip onto pulling it out of the pipes

[Daryl]

I'm with Daryl.  Rifle no flip, smoothies flipped.

BTW- if shooting patched balls from the smoothbore, I do not flip the rod.

[hanshi]

On all my rifles the ends have to have a bit of taper in order to fit in the rr hole and not hopelessly jam.  The front end has a tip that will take jags.  So I always flip, even with smoothbores.