Short starter: Need it or NEED it?

[Smokey]

I know opinions vary about short starters, so I want to avoid a brawl.
Nonetheless, I have to ask whether a short starter is absolutely necessary. 

I want to make sure that I have what I need before heading to the club.
Are they a good tool to have handy just in case that ball. won't. go. down?

[ridjrunr]

I would say yes, good to have until you learn what its like and get used to loading your particualr gun. You can make them cheaply or buy them not expensive. My favorite one was a hand made gift, basically a dowl epoxied into a nice brass door knob.

[Ohio Joe]

I know opinions vary about short starters, so I want to avoid a brawl.
Nonetheless, I have to ask whether a short starter is absolutely necessary. 

I want to make sure that I have what I need before heading to the club.
Are they a good tool to have handy just in case that ball. won't. go. down?

I agree with ridjrunr.

If you need to use a short starter - then use one, and don't worry about it.

I use one because I like a tight fitting patch and ball combination for accuracy and it only takes about 2/3 seconds to use one...

The other options are going smaller diameter ball / and or patch thickness / or a combination of both. I've yet to be on a firing line where I haven't seen them being used. 

[Hanshi]

I shoot tight prb as well, and use a short starter in all rifles.  I could do without one when shooting the smoothbore but still always have one with me.

[Butler Ford 40]

I use on to protect my wood ramrod. With just a little room to get the ball started and to keep the rod straight, knock wood, I've not broken a ramrod yet.

[Winter Hawk]

I have one, but seldom use it any more.  Instead, i use the handle of my knife to push start the ball. then take a short hold on the ramrod to get it going down the bore.  That is actually what I came up with when I started muzzle loading and had not seen nor heard of a ball starter; it worked well for me for 20+ years before I finally bought one. 

It's just like a ball puller.  I have had one since I started this game, and I used it a couple of times before learning that I could just dribble some powder into the touch hole, or pull the nipple and do the same on a percussion gun, and shoot the ball out.  Much easier and puts less strain on the ramrod.

~Kees~

[Ohio Joe]

The "old" coned barrels comes into play here... (Which I believe was common practice way back in the day) - that or use a smaller patch & ball combination.

Back in the day, I believe it was common for the muzzle of the barrel to be coned which aided greatly to starting a patched ball without a short starter. However, todays barrel market was (and has been) flooded in today's world without coned barrels.

One could seek out a gunsmith with the knowledge to cone one's ML barrel, but the short started is a way less expensive route to go. 

[ridjrunr]

The "old" coned barrels comes into play here... (Which I believe was common practice way back in the day) - that or use a smaller patch & ball combination.

Back in the day, I believe it was common for the muzzle of the barrel to be coned which aided greatly to starting a patched ball without a short starter. However, todays barrel market was (and has been) flooded in today's world without coned barrels.

One could seek out a gunsmith with the knowledge to cone one's ML barrel, but the short started is a ways less expensive route to go. 

I agree Joe, Just last night I got a reply from a guy that makes a coning tool to fit from .32-.62 just by screwing in an appropriet jag and hope to ordervthat soon. I believe if done properly it would have no effect on accuracy but would in ease of loading. The tool is 54 bux and precision made.

[Ohio Joe]

The "old" coned barrels comes into play here... (Which I believe was common practice way back in the day) - that or use a smaller patch & ball combination.

Back in the day, I believe it was common for the muzzle of the barrel to be coned which aided greatly to starting a patched ball without a short starter. However, todays barrel market was (and has been) flooded in today's world without coned barrels.

One could seek out a gunsmith with the knowledge to cone one's ML barrel, but the short started is a ways less expensive route to go. 

I agree Joe, Just last night I got a reply from a guy that makes a coning tool to fit from .32-.62 just by screwing in an appropriet jag and hope to ordervthat soon. I believe if done properly it would have no effect on accuracy but would in ease of loading. The tool is 54 bux and precision made.

I watched Mike Bellavue / "Duelist Den" (I think I spelled his name right) on a Youtube video where he coned one of his barrels & if I recall correctly, he didn't have any issues with accuracy - so I would sure think you'd be just fine.

I too have thought about that same tool for many years - but never took the plunge (so to speak) out of the same concerns you have. However, Mike does walk a person through the process, and I see no reason why it wouldn't work. 

Here's the link to that video, if you haven't seen it.

 

[Winter Hawk]

I coned the muzzle of a rifle many years ago, using Joe Woods' tool and it worked very well, with no change in accuracy that I could see.

~Kees~

[Bigsmoke]

I have probably used a short starter for nearly 50 years, it works, and I see no reason to change the way I load a rifle.
If you want to do it differently, that certainly is your choice.
The "right way" to do it is the way that works best for you.

John (Bigsmoke)

[Ohio Joe]

I have probably used a short starter for nearly 50 years, it works, and I see no reason to change the way I load a rifle.
If you want to do it differently, that certainly is your choice.
The "right way" to do it is the way that works best for you.

John (Bigsmoke)

Sound wisdom! 

[Hanshi]

I've never owned a coned barrel nor seen any real need for one.  What I do, however, is to use my thumb and sandpaper to polish the crown, breaking up the sharpness at the start of the lands and smoothing the entry into the bore.  Often patches get cut this way (loading) and not from "burrs" in the bore from firing.  This has enabled me to use tight loads which seat easily and  I don't need to swab until I get home and clean.  When I was younger I just choked up on the ramrod and seated prb without a short starter.  Arthritis forced me to use a short starter.

[Winter Hawk]

Sound wisdom! 

Amen to that!

~Kees~

[Smokey]

Short starter acquired. We'll see if I need, or NEED it when the time comes.
Thanks for the advice, everbody. I appreciate it.