Loading with a Wooden Ramrod

Proper use of your wooden ramrod makes the job easier and safer...... Care must be taken when loading your rifle with a wooden ramrod. It’s a mistake to grab the rod high above the muzzle and try to seat the ball in one push. Treated this way, wooden rods will flex and have been known to break. Rods mistreated this way usually break on a diagonal following the grain. A broken ramrod pushed through a hand is not a pretty sight. An experienced shooter will grab the rod maybe 8-10 inches above the muzzle and push the rod, repeating until the ball is seated on the powder. By watching the marks on the rod, the shooter can move the ball the last few inches and feel the ball contact the powder. I try not to stop the ball a short distance from the powder. I like the last stroke to travel maybe 5 inches on more and then contact the powder. Attending a detail like this helps me seat the ball more consistently.

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