SavageT asked me to describe the ramrod I use. Well, here it is. This is for those of us who are seriously into field efficiency and BP shooting. It's a bit wordy and you need the services of a local lathe guy - but it's worth the trouble. Take it from a hunter who has broken his wood one in the hunting camp and has had to watch his buds go off and take deer. I stayed back and cooked. I replaced it with another wooden one and got tired of trying to pull the shot with too little leverage - no grip point, slick hands from lube. Also, the puller came off in the bore. Same goes for fiberglass. There were other problems but it goes on and on so I'll get to it...
No replacement rod I have ever tried can stand up to this system. I call it a system because it is a tool kit for all things having to do with the bore.
1. Most of us have 3/8ths" rod ferrules. Buy a 3/8" breakdown shotgun rod.
2. Assemble it and stick it in the bore handle end first. Mark it about 1/2" above the crown, or, 1/2" longer than the bore. Check to find out how long you want it by slipping it in the ferrules and seeing how much it's proud of the muzzle. You may want to re-mark. My rods ride about 1/2" longer than the barrel.
3. Cut it at the mark and have a lathe man thread that extra 1/2" and also make a jag with interior threads to match the rod. Have a hole drilled in the end so you can insert a 1" sheetrock screw thru the back side for a puller. Nothing grips better than a sheetrock screw. Drill a hole perpendicular big enough to stick a piece of metal dowel thru to turn the jag. If there are store-bought threaded jags out there - use them instead of having them made. I made mine because I can.
4. Now the handle end: On the lathe, have a handle made with threads that match the ones already on the rod. It need be no bigger than a cigarette pack. Stay with aluminum for weight. Mine is a disk about 2-1/2" dia. It can be any shape so ong as you can stand on it in order to pull the rifle off the load or hook it in a tree branch or under a bumper or something. Use common sense.
Throw the plastic handle away - it may fail in freezing weather.
5. Again on the lathe: make a muzzle protector to fit inside the bore but one that will slide easily over the rod. The first one I made was a funnel shape - no good - slips around too much. Make it so it has a sleeve length that will insert into the bore say, about 1/2". Less fumbling that way.
That's it - if you want to take the trouble. A little now saves alot later.
You will have a handle, a sheetrock screw, and a small dowel that will all fit in a very small kit. The rod/jag lives on the rifle. Or, you can break it down and put it in your range kit if you like the wood one for looks.
I have one of these things for both my GPR and Tennessee Mountain Rifle. It's been about 17 years now and I've pulled a few loads from the bore. In fact, I've pulled a few from other guys' guns, too. They went back to shooting instead of heading to the parking lot.
The wood rods have never been out of the gun rack since. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, they say. Personally, I think they look fine, but maybe I'm just used to the grey aluminum look. Besides, my rifles are extremely worn on the outside anyway. They are a little heavier than wood but I like the weight of a muzzle loader because it steadies the off-hand shot.
If there is a store-bought system out there that's better, I haven't heard of it. Hope this helps.
