Muzzleloader accident??

[Skyhunter]

Years ago, a friend at work (Friend #1) was going to take a mutual friend (Friend #2) deer hunting with a muzzleloader. This was in the day of honest black powder, open sights, patched round balls or maybe a Minie ball.

Friend #1 had no muzzle loader experience, but knew that Friend #2 thought he had plenty, so Friend #1 queried me on the do's & don'ts. I explained the loading sequence of powder, patch, ball. Stressed the importance of that order - powder, patch, ball. If you deviate from that order, the rifle will not fire.

I went on to explain about clearing the nipple/flash hole, the importance of marking the ramrod and ensuring that the ball/bullet was seated tight on the powder charge and other important differences between smokeless rifles and black powder muzzle loaders.

Their hunt was scheduled for the following weekend.

Friend #1 was waiting in my office on Monday morning and was still laughing over the weekend's hunt. When preparing to begin the hunt, seems Friend #2 went to great lengths explaining to Friend #1 the importance on clearing the nipple, wiping the bore, having the ramrod properly marked for the powder charge, and as Friend #2 was centering the ball on the lubed patch, his loading sequence was interrupted by Friend #1 when he asked "Aren't you supposed to pore the powder down the bore BEFORE you seat the ball?". LOL!

Mell of hesh aborted! Friend #1 still brings up that hunt whenever we get together for any kind of shooting.

WYT-P
Skyhunter

 

[Antler Daddy]

Took my 18 year old daughter to Catoosa ML this year....she has zero experience with ML. I loaded rifle for her and just told her it was a single shot only.

Gun had a double safety on it too. Bless her heart, she had a shooter buck at 30 yards....by the time she figured out how to get it ready to fire , the buck busted her...:)

She has killed like 4 deer with my smokeless but I would sell that gun or throw it in the lake before I gave it to her.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Friend #1 when he asked "Aren't you supposed to pore the powder down the bore BEFORE you seat the ball?". LOL!

It happens. Wife had practiced many times, and had killed a couple with muzzleloader, but she got rattled enough on one that she put the sabot in first. Sad thing is, that she had another chance to shoot the deer after the smoke cleared, but couldn't because she seated the sabot with no powder. She hit the deer but we didn't find him. The skull was later found on the property behind us, that landowner texted me, told me where to find it.

 

[readonly]

I had a friend who had just bought a new smokeless muzzle loader at the PX in Norfolk. He was very excited and invited me to the on base range so he could sight it in. Luckily he had good eye protection. It was either the first or second shot when the recoil threw the gun back in his face, cut him pretty good. We didn't know what happened. The target showed two impacts and one was elongated, no way it could have been from the shot. Turns out the brand new spin-jag like device he used to push the bullet down the barrel had broken off in the barrel and came out with the shot, causing the recoil to be much worse but luckily no other issue resulted.
The explosiveness of smokeless powder makes it much more dangerous if something goes wrong.

 

[jlanecr500]

I had a friend who had just bought a new smokeless muzzle loader at the PX in Norfolk. He was very excited and invited me to the on base range so he could sight it in. Luckily he had good eye protection. It was either the first or second shot when the recoil threw the gun back in his face, cut him pretty good. We didn't know what happened. The target showed two impacts and one was elongated, no way it could have been from the shot. Turns out the brand new spin-jag like device he used to push the bullet down the barrel had broken off in the barrel and came out with the shot, causing the recoil to be much worse but luckily no other issue resulted.
The explosiveness of smokeless powder makes it much more dangerous if something goes wrong.

The spinjag must be tightened securely. I add loctite. He most likely threaded it on the ramrod finger tight. Then, when loading, it unscrewed itself.

 

[readonly]

The spinjag must be tightened securely. I add loctite. He most likely threaded it on the ramrod finger tight. Then, when loading, it unscrewed itself.

It didn't unscrew, it failed....the head broke off the shank leaving that portion in the ramrod and the head in the barrel. Not sure who manufactured it.

 

[Smo]

It's a good practice too never use a jag with brass threads..
I'm not sure if this was the case here, but it happens.

 

[tnpoorboy]

I keep hearing straight wall cartridge why ?!!!!! If you want to hunt with it why not just take out in gun season and hunt with it like I'd did this gun season and be be done with it

 

[Griswold]

I keep hearing straight wall cartridge why ?!!!!! If you want to hunt with it why not just take out in gun season and hunt with it like I'd did this gun season and be be done with it

Killed two with my 350 legend as usual during Christmas/new years. I love that little round but wouldn't replace my accura mr with it

 

[Jcalder]

I keep hearing straight wall cartridge why ?!!!!! If you want to hunt with it why not just take out in gun season and hunt with it like I'd did this gun season and be be done with it

That gun wouldn't be legal with what was proposed. But I agree, if you want to use one so bad, use it during gun season.