ramrod extensions interfere with accuracy?

[Marcruger]

Hey JB,   It was someone back in your department one time that told me all of NC's forests except the Joyce Kilmer Forest had been cut at least once by 1900.  Some of those old photos of the mountains clear cut with horrible erosion look pretty nasty.   Lots of rickety old logging railroads clinging precariously to slopes.  It was a different time for sure.  God Bless,   Marc

[Daryl]

At one time, with replacement ram rods, I used ferules on both ends, one with 8x32 and the other end 10x32 threads.

[Timberdog]

This is an old thread so I intend to get the last word…saw this on Facebook. Old TN rifle with another old time idiot that used a long ramrod… they just didn’t know any better back then (when they had to depend on their gun). Glad we know better…and are more efficient and effective!! 🤣

[Daryl]

Why, that ramroot's too long, everybody know that.

[flinchrocket]

I hate it when the ramroots to long.

[Timberdog]

C’mon guys don’t make me feel like I’m at home…I wanted last word!! 🤣

[Clark Badgett]

This subject seems to have ruffled some feathers. 
I would still like to see some evidence of this extra long rammer phenom showing that it occurred before the the cartridge gun era, and deep into the era at that.

[Daryl]

Hmmm - what does the ctg. gun era have to do with long rods?

Are you saying that this one only got the long rod added after the ctg. gun era commensed?



What would today, constitute proof they were made that way - prior to "photography" (ctg. gun era).

[bob in the woods]

It is my opinion that a over long ram rod only makes sense if the end has been sharpened ...sort of a built in spear kind of thing 

[Shopdog]

Round here folks always used to call em "fishing rifles" cause, you fish with em.  Can't feel any action on the hook if you don't have a long enuf ramrod.

[mountainman70]

Man, you guys have made my evenings a joy by reading all this. Best regards to all yall . Dave 

[john bohan]

mabey the guys in the old pictures weren't walking around doing there shooting from a mowed path and wanted something to get hold of quickly,least they loose some hair.

[flinchrocket]

mabey the guys in the old pictures weren't walking around doing there shooting from a mowed path and wanted something to get hold of quickly,least they loose some hair.

I would say your right about that.

[Clark Badgett]

Come on Daryl.  Photography extends back into the end of the flint era. I’ve looked at a great many photographs of southern folks with guns and evidence of extended rammers are excruciatingly hard to find before photos that can easily be dated post 1880s. Once the real danger passed, they invented the easily grabbed yet snag-o-matic rammer.

[Daryl]

I hunted Eastern bush (South Western Ontario) for about 13 years. Yes - the long rods would to oft times caught in cedar bush
but would work OK in the hardwoods, where there was not much underbrush.
So - maybe they are a "late" thingie?

[Clark Badgett]

So - maybe they are a "late" thingie?

At least from the posted imagery I’ve seen, that is the conclusion I would come too. I’ve yet to see a pre-war (CW) image that shows this phenomenon.

[snapper]

Shopdog

Those are quite the fishing shoes!

Fleener

[Jeff Murray]

The collection of non military muzzleloaders in the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody shows ramrods mostly equal to barrel length.  There are a few with RR's longer than the barrel, likely an inch or so.  There is also a Henry & Son Trade rifle in 38 caliber that has a ramrod that is 2 to 3 inches shorter than the barrel.  Based on all the wisdom shared above, that must mean that the owner had really long fingers, shot really heavy loads, or part of the ramrod got chewed off by a bear who was not happy being shot with a lowly 38 caliber rifle.

[Clark Badgett]

Rammers shorter than the barrel was not exactly unheard of. Some French Fusils had this feature. In regard to that .38 I would guess that rammer might have snapped off, and unless you saw the full rammer in the display, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was simply displayed with as much rammer as it has left just sitting in the pipes.

[Curtis]

Round here folks always used to call em "fishing rifles" cause, you fish with em.  Can't feel any action on the hook if you don't have a long enuf ramrod.

Now that just made me LAUGH!!!!  Love the shoes too!


Curtis

[Marcruger]

Did anyone even notice the fish shoes?  That right there is funny….I don’t care who you are. 😂

[mountainman70]

Yep, seen em right off!! Just waitin to see whichn of yall said sompin first. You guys do not dis appoint.lol
Gotta be da shoozz. Have a wunnerful day,Dave 

[mountainman70]

Say, do yall suppose ol bro curly about to win the prize for longest running thread? Seems he should get a piece of raisin pie for all this fun an a goin on. Best regards, Dave

[wmrike]

Ken's comment about the small bores needing a little more rod-reach to be functional is a good one.

I rather think that all this worry about a lot of exposed rod catching on brush is a 20th century thing - wait, 21st century.  Time flies.  In the time most of these original rifles were built, the landscape was draped in virgin forest.  I've not encountered much "brush" in the bona fide virgin woods I have walked.

I let the rod on my most recent rifle protrude 1.25".  I kind of like the look, but it certainly does get a scorching out there.  What do we call that - self-shortening?

[Daryl]

Ken's comment about the small bores needing a little more rod-reach to be functional is a good one.

Why is that, if the rod channel is deep enough?
The rod for my .36 is bore length and it does just fine because by the time I get the 35 to 40gr. charge in it and the patched ball, the rod sticks up
about 1 1/2" above the muzzle.
That is all or even more than is needed for loading and to see if it's loaded & it does not protrude beyond the muzzle when it's in the pipes, in fact
the front end is below the end of the muzzle when fully seated in the rifle for carrying.