After a long hiatus from shooting my muzzleloader I went to the range yesterday to try out some new sabot/bullet/load combinations and on the second shot of the day I screwed up big time. I had shot my first load and ran a couple of patches and was in the process of reloading when the fellow at the next bench interrupted me to ask a question. Let say that this range was packed to the max for the first time since I've been going there (over 10 years) and I thought about just turning around and leaving when I pulled up but I really wanted to shoot a few rounds. I had poured my powder down the muzzle and started the bullet with my starter and just used the long end when the fellow interrupted me. He had a question and I explained what I could about what ever it was, then I sat down at the bench, primed the rifle, took aim, and WOW what a punch. That rifle kicked like heck. I was shooting 95gr Triple7 ffg, 300gr .45 XTP, and a Crush Rib Sabot. It caught me by surprise and I just sat back and tried to think of what had just happened. I counted my premeasured loads to make sure I had not double loaded and I hadn't so since there was so much commotion I just packed up and headed back to the house. It was only then that I realized what I had done. I had not seated the bullet all of the way down over the powder. As far as I can tell my rifle is not hurt, its a CVA Kodiak 209 Magnum, but I'm considering sending it back to CVA and having it checked out. It just goes to show what can happen when you lose your concentration.
I lost my concentration and screwed-upped
- Thread starter johnpb
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Yep,,,you got lucky, but learned a valuable lesson. You could have a gunsmith check it out for you, but I think you'll find that it's okay.
Did that with my white and a 460 gr conical once. Just pushed the bullet in by hand and forgot to use the rod when I knocked over my caps. Made a weird sound when I pulled the trigger and I saw my bullet impact halfway to the target. Only then did I realize what had happened.
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I never short started one yet (thank goodness) but have been interupted by people when shooting and I always go back through the rifle, if there is no bullet in it, the ramrod will tell me. If there is I make sure it is seated. I've dumped more powder onto the ground for that exact reason. I hate to have people around be when I shoot.
Glad you were not hurt...
Glad you were not hurt...
yeah, you have to be methodical w/ a ML. the mistakes that don't kill you are a learning experience though .... i haven't made the same mistake twice with M/L's, but i have (1) dryballed, (2) loaded powder with no projectile and fired (sort of embarrassing because everybody else at the range immediately knows what you did) (3) broken ramrod loading and cleaning, (4) stuck patches in barrel (5) frozen breech plug, and (6) double charged the powder and seated a projectile (thankfully realized before i touched off 200 g. of powder).
Here's an update. After cleaning it I took a 350gr FPB and colored it with a marker and ran it down the barrel. I felt the same resistant all of the way down and had consistent rifling marks, then I miked the barrel and the outside dia. is all the same except where it tapers and I can't really check that. I then loaded it with 115gr. Triple 7 and the same 350gr FPB and tied it down and remotely fired it. It stayed together with no sign of damage. I'm waiting on the local Gunsmith to get back from vacation to give it a once over but I thing its fine. For the first time I thought ahead and set up my video camera just in case there was a failure and it does look impressive when viewed on tv. This should help quell the talk of bad barrels on CVA muzzleloaders, at least to me.
You were very lucky.I have also had a simlar thing happen.was loading and was interupted went back to loading and double loaded the bullet luckly I have my range rod marked and i new right way something wasn't right.i removed the breech plug cleared the powder charge.then rammed two 260 gr sabots out of the breech.I no longer shoot it at the range when its real busy.Im not sure what effect a 510 gr projectile on top of 110 gr of 777 fffg would have done but I was very happy I didn't find out.my ML is a TC triumph.
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johnpb said:
Good deal.... 8)
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I did it this weekend too on my Accura 45. I used the short starter and was distracted by the guys shooting AKs and blowing up tanerite.
Sounded like a hangfire, then i checked my media i was shooting into. The lehigh 40-185 barely went into the media.
Im very lucky, there was no damage to the Accura. I really felt stupid after following this thread then letting it happen to me.
Sounded like a hangfire, then i checked my media i was shooting into. The lehigh 40-185 barely went into the media.
Im very lucky, there was no damage to the Accura. I really felt stupid after following this thread then letting it happen to me.
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Me too but ive been following this thread and i let it happen anyway. I almost destroyed the most accurate ML ive ever owned and could have caused injuries to me or others.
So from now on im not shooting my MLs with large groups unless its an organized event. Its not their fault, its mine for allowing them to distract me.
If my grandfather would have been around to see it, i would have been banned from any for shooting a week :lol:
So from now on im not shooting my MLs with large groups unless its an organized event. Its not their fault, its mine for allowing them to distract me.
If my grandfather would have been around to see it, i would have been banned from any for shooting a week :lol:
