I was hunting today with a .58 caliber rifle. The ramrod sticks out almost 2 inches past the end of the muzzle. There is nothing wrong with that as long as the end of the rod is not in line with the muzzle. Many people used to use longer rods because it made cleaning the rifle at the end of the day easier. Have you ever tried to clean a rifle with a ramrod the same length as the barrel? Suddenly you have a patch down the bore andthe rod end is at the muzzle and you have nothing to grab...

I'd hunt and use it.. good luck.