Dont be like me, buy a range rod

[iamthenick]

Just wanted to give a small warning to some people like me who are inexperienced or looking at getting into muzzleloading.

I have the cva optima v2 lr and use the rod that comes with the gun. I have busted off every single thing i have screwed into it. The palm saver, the jags.. ive been through 2 jags and 1 palm saver.

Today i put a new scope on the gun and took it to the range to sight it in. As usual those accessories will barely un-screw as i push them down the barrel and then eventually snap off.


Well both of them decided to break today and there was no way i was leaving without getting this gun sighted in. So i would line up the jag on the rod and use em even though it wasn't one solid piece.

WELP!
One time i forgot to remove the broke off jag end from the barrel and i launched it down the range along with a 250 grn bullet under 150 grns of white hot pellets. The recoil was noticeable and i got a little tinge of scope biting my nose.


Bullet and jag were both up and to the left but i managed to stay on paper at 100 yds.

I am telling on myself here and just wanting to warn others about being dumb like me.
I will be purchasing a more durable rod for the range and keeping the one with the gun as a use in the woods only rod.

 

[blkqi]

yiiikes... I'd say you got lucky.

SSK range rod has served me well. I usually leave my field rod at home.

 

[Themic86]

Good idea and glad it worked out this time. Probably more bad stories than good with that happening.

 

[Hackleback]

New "elk load" for extra punch

 

[flathead#2]

Sounds like one of my muzzy sight in sessions,,,,,,chaos and mayhem.
Glad you survived.

 

[iamthenick]

Sounds like one of my muzzy sight in sessions,,,,,,chaos and mayhem.
Glad you survived.

For real. Not a huge fan of the whole process, but it is the best season for hunting in my area.

 

[flathead#2]

For real. Not a huge fan of the whole process, but it is the best season for hunting in my area.

Yeah, it's a good time to be in the woods.

 

[FrontierGander]

Doesn't look like the jag was fully seated into the ramrod.

 

[iamthenick]

Doesn't look like the jag was fully seated into the ramrod.

Yep, keeps unthreading itself on the twist of the barrel.

 

[Themic86]

Yep, keeps unthreading itself on the twist of the barrel.

Maybe somebody should make a left hand thread to prevent that from coming loose

 

[Sudsy]

Maybe somebody should make a left hand thread to prevent that from coming loose

YES !! I've been saying that for years !!!!

Have you had the pleasure of a stuck ball yet? I shoot traditional flint and I've done it twice, once due to stupidity and once because there were two cleaning patches on the jag, not one, I left one in the barrel, had no idea until I couldn't get the gun to fire and pulled the ball.

Both times trying to pull the damned ball was insanely difficult. If I could have pulled and twisted in the SAME direction of the rifling instead of fighting it the whole way out, the job would have been much easier.

And FWIW, October Sky makes a really nice range rod and the husband and wife who run it are good people.

 

[Legend]

Just wanted to give a small warning to some people like me who are inexperienced or looking at getting into muzzleloading.

I have the cva optima v2 lr and use the rod that comes with the gun. I have busted off every single thing i have screwed into it. The palm saver, the jags.. ive been through 2 jags and 1 palm saver.

Today i put a new scope on the gun and took it to the range to sight it in. As usual those accessories will barely un-screw as i push them down the barrel and then eventually snap off.
View attachment 665819

Well both of them decided to break today and there was no way i was leaving without getting this gun sighted in. So i would line up the jag on the rod and use em even though it wasn't one solid piece.

WELP!
One time i forgot to remove the broke off jag end from the barrel and i launched it down the range along with a 250 grn bullet under 150 grns of white hot pellets. The recoil was noticeable and i got a little tinge of scope biting my nose.

View attachment 665820
Bullet and jag were both up and to the left but i managed to stay on paper at 100 yds.

I am telling on myself here and just wanting to warn others about being dumb like me.
I will be purchasing a more durable rod for the range and keeping the one with the gun as a use in the woods only rod.

Gotta have at least 3 shots to see a pattern!

Dang that could have been real bad.

 

[ENCORE]

Yep, keeps unthreading itself on the twist of the barrel.

BLUE Loctite will stop that along with a spin jag.

 

[Squincher]

Field rods just aren't going to stand up to a lot of use. That's why range rods exist.

 

[TSAMP]

Just wanted to give a small warning to some people like me who are inexperienced or looking at getting into muzzleloading.

I have the cva optima v2 lr and use the rod that comes with the gun. I have busted off every single thing i have screwed into it. The palm saver, the jags.. ive been through 2 jags and 1 palm saver.

Today i put a new scope on the gun and took it to the range to sight it in. As usual those accessories will barely un-screw as i push them down the barrel and then eventually snap off.
View attachment 665819

Well both of them decided to break today and there was no way i was leaving without getting this gun sighted in. So i would line up the jag on the rod and use em even though it wasn't one solid piece.

WELP!
One time i forgot to remove the broke off jag end from the barrel and i launched it down the range along with a 250 grn bullet under 150 grns of white hot pellets. The recoil was noticeable and i got a little tinge of scope biting my nose.

View attachment 665820
Bullet and jag were both up and to the left but i managed to stay on paper at 100 yds.

I am telling on myself here and just wanting to warn others about being dumb like me.
I will be purchasing a more durable rod for the range and keeping the one with the gun as a use in the woods only rod.

Nice group with your new blunderbuss

 

[iamthenick]

Nice group with your new blunderbuss

Last resort bullet. Would definitely hit a target at100yds

 

[iamthenick]

Field rods just aren't going to stand up to a lot of use. That's why range rods exist.

I keep telling myself once its sighted in that i am just gonna leave it, but of course shit happens. My 3rd season with it, 2nd season the factory scope mounts came loose so i had to re sight it in. This year i got a better scope and rings and had to do it again. Im hoping i will only be shooting it at animals from now on.

 

[FrontierGander]

Best thing you can do is get a jag with a steel thread insert.

 

[Rich M]

Sometimes ML stuff doesn't fit too well and needs to be forced.
BUT it seems like you are doing a lot of forcing. I use a bullet starter and a flexible FG range rod. Had a nice aluminum range rod but buddy took it and I haven't seen it since.

Are you using a bullet starter?

 

[Fordguy]

I had something similar happen when I was a kid. Removable breech plugs weren't a thing yet, and I had an old cva sidelock with a wooden ramrod. Somehow rhe last 4 inches of the wooden rod snapped off with the patch I was using to clean. All my efforts to remove it only succeeded in pushing it all the way to the breech. I called a local gunsmith, and his advice was to pour as much ffg powder in through the bolster screw hole as possible and shoot it out. It worked, but the piece of wood, jag, and patch made a shrieking noise I'll never forget when they exited the barrel and flew toward my backstop.