Best Ramrod Material

[Graysmoke]

My Pedersoli SXS shotgun has a fibreglass ramrod. Now thats wonderful for any practical purposes, and I know that it wont break.

But, having said this, I would like to make a wooden ramrod that would look more authentic on the gun.

My question is now, does anyone know what the best wood is to make a ramrod from?

Cheers
- Tom

[tacfoley]

My Pedersoli SXS shotgun has a fibreglass ramrod. Now thats wonderful for any practical purposes, and I know that it wont break.

But, having said this, I would like to make a wooden ramrod that would look more authentic on the gun.

My question is now, does anyone know what the best wood is to make a ramrod from?

Cheers
- Tom

Yes.

I know.

Hickory.

tac

[Graysmoke]

That was my first thought...

But the problem is, trying to find hickory dowels in this country is.... difficult.

I'm straying towards walnut or oak, but im not too sure if their properties are anywhere similar to hickory...

my Alamo rifle has a darker wood ramrod, could be walnut, not sure...

[tacfoley]

That was my first thought...

But the problem is, trying to find hickory dowels in this country is.... difficult.

I'm straying towards walnut or oak, but im not too sure if their properties are anywhere similar to hickory...

my Alamo rifle has a darker wood ramrod, could be walnut, not sure...

Sir - neither walnut nor oak make ramrods, period. They are far too rigid in their structure, which is why they are used to make gun-stocks and furniture.

It's really hickory, or do without. Nothing else comes close.

There IS a trick to make a ramrod out of some kind of a dowel available in UK, but it involves a length of pipe, two end caps, a half-litre of kerosene and about six months.

If it's just for looks, then it doesn't matter, but a working ramrod? That's different. Having seen a fellow shooter push a dowel ramrod through the palm of his hand and out the other side at a rondy, I wouldn't wish that on anybody.*

tac
www.muzzleloadingforum.com

*Except Tony B. Liar

[Graysmoke]

Might stick to my fibreglass one then for now, cheers for the info.

I have some resin based rods which look a bit like wood... I think I might try one if they're the right size, and as for flexibility, you can bend them so one end is 90 degrees with the other end and they show no sign of breaking. (which is weird because I always thought resin was brittle)

[airgunnut]

A friend who shoots a .50 inline rifle cannot stand the standard rod that came on the gun (it went straight in the bin) he was using a plastic coated steel rod, he never pits his hand over the end of the rod, but he (and a few others was looking at the green resin rods (plant sticks) from garden centers to use as ram rods, they come in different diameters, the idea is that the resin rod will shatter and disparate some of the energy before launching what's left of the rod if the charge some how went off

[enfield2band]

I would opt for Ash.

It is strong and flexible and is one of the timbers used for Longbow arrows.

Hickory is an American wood so you might have a didfficult task finding some.

[tacfoley]

Until the advent of the metal ramdrod, the British government imported hickory logs from North America to make ranrods for their muskets - even for service pistols, so hickory would be the stuff to find. However, as suggested, ash is about as neat as you are going to get, it seems.

THESE are the people to supply your ash dowel - http://www.toolsandtimber.co.uk/timber/wooden-dowels/ They make dowels from 5mm up to as big as you can imagine, and in a wide range of lumber.

If you can, make certain that it has no 'loops'. that is to say, exposed elongated grain that comes to a point - THAT will be where the grain separates and breaks out, making it into a painful spike. Practice the correct 'short hold' on the ramrod - this means holding it no more than a foot above the muzzle, as described in the 'Manual of Musketry'. This will minimise flexing, reducing the risk of a painful break.

tac
www.muzzleloadingforum.com

[enfield2band]

Until the advent of the metal ramdrod, the British government imported hickory logs from North America to make ranrods for their muskets - even for service pistols, so hickory would be the stuff to find. However, as suggested, ash is about as neat as you are going to get, it seems.

tac
www.muzzleloadingforum.com

That is an interesting snippet of info, I had not heard of that.

Thanks

[tacfoley]

That is an interesting snippet of info, I had not heard of that.

Thanks

The word 'hickory' is dervied from the native North American Virginia Algonquian 'pocohiquara', a drink made of pressed hickory nuts.

Thort EVERYBODY knew that, me.

tac

[pnuk]

Just had a quick look on evilbay. If you search for 'hickory putter' you'll find a number of hickory shafted putters that may be workable or search for "hickory handle" you'll find things like a 36" hickory sledge hammer handle which could be turned down?