I haven't been on here long, but I've been shooting muzzle loaders a long time. 40 plus years.
Reading a different post, a tangent comment about "throwing the rod" was discussed. Funny thing is, that's how I've always finished ramming, I raise the ramrod (wood) a few inches, and toss it down onto the ball until it bounces. It's not done with much force, and just a light wooden ramrod. I'm not sure when I started doing this, or why. I kind of think I glommed onto it myself, realizing that when it bounces it's seated and compressed. Maybe uncle Jebediah showed me at those early mountain turkey shoots. Maybe I read it in a 70s buckskinner article. However, it became a deeply set habit, I've done it for decades.
Researching this site, I see posts going back in time about this. I see several people did it in the past. I also see several people that say you should NOT do it. (I also blow down the muzzle after a shot, but that's for a different post).
The reasons to do it that I always felt were:
1. Consistent, standardized compression. To me, just pushing the rod and feeling the crush of the last few milimeters always makes me wonder if it would be the same each load. As fouling increases, the pressure needed to move the patched ball down the barrel increases. Often there are tight spots, and you just get a different feel every few shots. At least I do. I felt that when the powder is tight enough to bounce the rod, it's the same. Yes, I mark my ramrod too.
2. Habit. I can't think of any other reasons. But I've always done it.
Reasons I've read here to not do it are:
1. You can wear down your bore rifling. Really? With a wood rod? Hasn't happened to any of my rifles.
2. You compress the powder. That's a good thing for accuracy, at least in Black Powder Cartridge Rifle shooting. I also compress in my cap and ball Colts.
3. You can "crush the powder". I don't believe this one. People have pulled black powder loads from compressed cartridges and there is no breaking of the grains. What I think happens is the charcoal/wood can be compressed and doesn't break unless you really smash it. In BPCR it's common to compress a load by several 1/16ths.
4. You might set off the load. I don't think so, but I know other people hammer on the end of the rod after it's seated with a block or their hand. What's the difference, in PSI for how I do it?
Anyone out there still "throw the rod?" I didn't know this was a named technique, I just did it. I suppose I could do some accuracy testing doing it, and not doing it.