Traditional Muzzleloading Association

Shooting Traditional Firearms and Weapons => General Interest => Topic started by: No Powder on January 04, 2024, 09:56:25 AM

Title: What's too much?
Post by: No Powder on January 04, 2024, 09:56:25 AM
Most of my ram rods stick out past the end of my muzzle about 1"-1 1/2"  while in the thimbles,  with the jag on. They will be carried like this while hunting, so they are shot in this way also. Plus this seems to be a comfortable length to perform any duties it needs to do. And don't forget, the longer they are, the easier they will be to find when you you shoot them out of your gun. But can they stick out too far, and start causing accuracy issues?
Title: Re: What's too much?
Post by: Butler Ford 40 on January 04, 2024, 10:17:28 AM
All of mine are flush with the muzzle, at least that way they don't get hung up on the honeysuckle and multiflora roses and break off.
Title: Re: What's too much?
Post by: BEAVERMAN on January 04, 2024, 10:29:29 AM
Mine are flush also, I think that every rifle and TG that I have owned or bought to resell and built have all been flush, same with the pistols.
Title: Re: What's too much?
Post by: KDubs on January 04, 2024, 01:25:17 PM
My Fowler carries it jag on the RR. Sticks out 1" or so.
 Flush on my woodsrunner w/o the jag simply because that's how the kit came.
 I can't imagine one too long, within reason ,would effect accuracy .
Kevin
Title: Re: What's too much?
Post by: Bigsmoke on January 04, 2024, 02:13:53 PM
I agree with Kevin, why would it affect accuracy?
For your reading pleasure, I suggest you Google "would a ramrod extending past the muzzle affect accuracy?"  It's amazing how many responses you will find to that question.
Personally, I think it looks kind of silly and I don't believe I would ever have a muzzleloader set up that way.  I much rather prefer a brass range rod and seldom ever use the undergun rod.

John (Bigsmoke)
Title: Re: What's too much?
Post by: BEAVERMAN on January 04, 2024, 02:40:25 PM
I agree with Kevin, why would it affect accuracy?
For your reading pleasure, I suggest you Google "would a ramrod extending past the muzzle affect accuracy?"  It's amazing how many responses you will find to that question.
Personally, I think it looks kind of silly and I don't believe I would ever have a muzzleloader set up that way.  I much rather prefer a brass range rod and seldom ever use the undergun rod.

John (Bigsmoke)

I agree with John, the only time I use the guns RR is IF I need to reload while hunting, that's only happened once in 25 years.
Title: Re: What's too much?
Post by: No Powder on January 04, 2024, 04:45:49 PM
I know, No Powder thinking is a bad thing. But anyway, I thought the excessive amount sticking  out , would deflect the pressure coming out of the barrel, into the patched ball. Which would cause the ball to become too unstable to correct itself.
Title: Re: What's too much?
Post by: No Powder on January 04, 2024, 04:54:38 PM
By the way Jim, I'm a little curious as to why you have never had to reload your gun in 25 years of hunting?
Title: Re: What's too much?
Post by: rollingb on January 04, 2024, 08:14:22 PM
By the way Jim, I'm a little curious as to why you have never had to reload your gun in 25 years of hunting?

One shot, one kill!  :bl th up  :)
Title: Re: What's too much?
Post by: Hank in WV on January 04, 2024, 10:30:14 PM
Or he never even got a shot   :bigsmile:
Title: Re: What's too much?
Post by: BEAVERMAN on January 04, 2024, 10:44:48 PM
By the way Jim, I'm a little curious as to why you have never had to reload your gun in 25 years of hunting?

I'm a Marine, I don't miss! :yessir: :luff: :luff:, and if you believe that I have a bridge for sale cheap! actually if you re read my post I've had to do it ONCE, doesn't mean that I've shot at an animal every year! not that lucky!
Title: Re: What's too much?
Post by: BEAVERMAN on January 04, 2024, 10:45:29 PM
Or he never even got a shot   :bigsmile:

Thats more like it! I may have said I'm a hunter, never said I was a good hunter!
Title: Re: What's too much?
Post by: The Miner '49er on January 05, 2024, 12:43:35 AM
My guess is that a ramrod protruding far enough beyond the muzzle for a buzzard to perch on it would negatively affect accuracy. Especially if the buzzard was there when the trigger was pulled.   :bigsmile:  Anything less than that wouldn't make a hill of beans difference.  I doubt that Daniel Boone ever gave a moment's thought to ramrod length, lead ball weight or sprue orientation, patch thickness or shape or size, or the grade of his flint. IMHO, such 21st century concerns are much ado about nothing. Just load it, shoot it, and have fun with it. Sometimes I tend to overthink things. This past summer my wife and I were at an event where a guy was wearing a tee shirt that said "wait a minute, let me overthink this." My wife is still trying to find one for me!   :luff: Don't sweat the small stuff.
Title: Re: What's too much?
Post by: Winter Hawk on January 07, 2024, 02:17:38 PM
I was looking at the new RR I made for the Hodgepodge rifle; without a jag it sticks out about an inch beyond the muzzle.  Thinking to cut that back so it doesn't catch in the brush.  On the other hand, I'm not in the brush that much so maybe it's a moot point.  It does give me a better handle when I withdraw it, and no, I don't have a range rod as that would just be something else to carry when I go shooting.

~Kees~
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Title: Re: What's too much?
Post by: waksupi on January 11, 2024, 03:15:56 PM
When I would build my own guns, I drilled the ramrod holes an extra inch, then have them flush at the muzzle.
Title: Re: What's too much?
Post by: Ohio Joe on January 11, 2024, 05:22:10 PM
I usually went about 1/2 to 5/8 inch deeper, and finished them flush at the muzzle.  :shake