I have one of those ramrod pullers, it works every time, even on really stuck balls.
Here is why I bought one;
I was hunting one morning up in treestand, the bucks were going crazy, chasing does all around me, often within range but they were grunting and chasing at full speed when they passed my stand.
I was hunting with a rifle a dying friend had given me, he had used the rifle in competition a lot and had the set trigger set so light one only had to touch the side of it to make it go off. I was determined to leave everything on the rifle just like it was when he gifted it to me so I hadn't adjusted the trigger. The rifle has a Roller lock and Bill Large barrel, tack driver.
![](https://i.ibb.co/TbxRGM7/biffs-gun-at-the-range.jpg)
Later in the morning the 8 point that had done the bulk of the chasing came sauntering down the ridge toward me, completely out of his mind with lust, eyes rolling and slobbering while swinging his head side to side.
He stopped broadside in front of me at 8 yards, as I lowered my gun on him my cold finger touched the side of the trigger without my knowledge, BOOM, right over his back.
He was so lust crazed he didn't even react, he turned, walked about 15 yards away and started horning a bush while I frantically reloaded. In with the powder, in with the patch strip and ball and a smack with the long end of a ball starter. I pushed the ball too far down the barrel and had about an extra inch of tag ends on my patch when I cut it. The buck is still working over the bush.
I ram everything home and try to pull my ramrod out, the extra patching has it stuck tightly. The buck is still working over the bush.
I twist, I pull, I even think about shooting my ramrod at the buck. Nothing will get the ramrod unstuck. The buck is still working over the bush.
I finally feel the ramrod start to move, the buck starts easing toward a pine thicket still oblivious to my presence. I finally get the ramrod out but it pulls the ball out as well. I reload another ball correctly, prime and raise my gun to the buck. He is now about 30 yards away and offering only a Texas heart shot, I let him walk away, dang.
I now have a super duper rod puller in my bag, I have used it when I dry balled but have never had to use it in a hunting situation again, I learned my lesson about short starting a ball.
I went home and adjusted the trigger on my gun to the point you actually have to pull it, a little.