Many modern muzzleloaders come with fiberglass ramrods, and some traditional, wood-stocked sidelocks still come with conventional wooden muzzleloader ramrods.
There’s just one thing. These are categorically inferior to aluminum muzzleloader ramrods, and the price points of each are comparable. The truth is, a hardwood ramrod might even cost more than a modern aluminum alternative.
Let’s take a look at why aluminum is the better option, period.
The Problems of Wood and Fiberglass
This article may catch a lot of flak from the die-hard, buckskin-wearing, holy-black-shooting flintlock lovers out there.
Muzzleloader hunters are among the most incorrigible traditionalists in the world, insisting on using inferior technologies and practices simply because it’s what they used to do.
But the thing is this is not a matter of preference or style and the use of a wooden or fiberglass ramrod can actually put you at considerable risk in the field.
Let’s start with wood. Wooden muzzleloader ramrods look the part and do their job when used properly. But grab that ramrod more than six inches above the muzzle as you’re driving a ball home and you may end up with two or even three, and all of them will be too short for the job.
The problem is, now you’re without a ramrod and your ball is halfway down the bore. You can’t shoot it out (that will cause a catastrophic failure of the barrel) and you can’t pull it till you can get home and soak the breech in water to render the charge temporarily inert.
Fiberglass ramrods are a little bit better, and the manufacturers that make them often market them as indestructible. Well, they’re better than wood, but indestructible, not quite.
If you twist or bend a fiberglass ramrod while seating a ball on a charge, it may splinter or even snap, and the shards are sharper than you’d like to experience intimately firsthand.
So the solution is an aluminum muzzleloader ramrod, specifically like the one offered by Anarchy Outdoors, which is actually a 3-piece model.
Hold Up – Why a 3-Piece Muzzleloader Ramrod?
First things first, aluminum is comparable in weight to both wood and fiberglass and it will not break. Even if you force it, at worst it will bend. Not that this isn’t a problem, but it’s far less dire than a snapped ramrod.
As for the three piece model, it’s better than a one piece because you can carry it as a backup and break it down and fit it in your possibles bag.
That way you can carry it as a spare – remember, two is one and one is none.
Where to Get It?
If you’re interested in upgrading your muzzleloader ramrod to an infinitely better aluminum alternative, visit Anarchy Outdoors today.
There you will find the aluminum ramrod mentioned, along with a whole bunch of other valuable muzzleloader accessories, including but not limited to speedloaders, synthetic ball starters (that are stronger than wood) cap holders, and even muzzleloader muzzle brakes, among plenty of other valuable shooting accessories.
