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Post by huntingman on Dec 1, 2010 17:47:20 GMT -5
when you load your muzzeloader load the primer last. escpecially in the field brush can catch on the trigger. my friend had a bullet wiss by his face
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Post by parson on Dec 2, 2010 7:47:39 GMT -5
I never walk with a fully cocked gun and the safety off. My modern gun has a manual safety, my traditional guns all have half-cock safeties. Shouldn't take 'em off till ready to shoot.
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Post by stevein on Dec 2, 2010 11:42:10 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300]Your friend was very lucky. [/glow]
The manual of arms had the soldier tearing open his paper cartridge and priming the piece. The remaining powder was dumped down the barrel and the ball rammed home. Some old military muskets had the touchhole opened up larger than powder grains bypassing the step of priming first as the powder would blow out into the pan with the musket in half cock and frizzen closed. If you did not place the lock properly in half cock or the lock was defective it would sometimes go off. This is where "Going off half cocked" came from.
I do as huntingman says and prime AFTER loading.
Also deprime, or remove the cap or primer when climbing into your tree stand.
Remember if you really want to harvest a deer, the powder goes down before the ball.
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Post by parson on Dec 2, 2010 12:18:23 GMT -5
"Powder before the ball." Ha!
I used to target shoot a lot with a good friend in Pennsylvania. Several times, because of being engaged in conversation, I rammed a patched ball down the tube without any powder. Yer right, Steve, such a load will not kill a deer!
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Post by stevein on Dec 4, 2010 14:26:58 GMT -5
Probably the leading cause of ringed bores due to short starting too. I can truthfully say I have never dryballed (while shooting with someone from Penn. ;D   . When I was shooting matches a lot I bought CO2 cartridges by the dozen. There are two groups in muzzleloading, those that have dryballed ;D and those that will  . |
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. When I was shooting matches a lot I bought CO2 cartridges by the dozen.
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