Stupid, stupid, stupid mistake

[Detached]

And I KNOW better.

Never, ever, under any circumstances, stop loading your muzzleloader in midstream. Always complete the process.

I took my son and son-in-law to the range yesterday. Neither of them had ever before shot a muzzleloader. Things were going well, I showed them how to measure the powder, start the ball, seat, check the mark on the ramrod, etc.

We were plugging right along when one of them asked a question. I sat the FULL powder measure down on the bench and walked over to help. (See where this is going?) When I came back, I placed a patch and ball on the muzzle, started it and seated it. But...the ramrod went too deep. That's when it dawned on me. Checked the measure. Sure enough, it was full.

Ok, no big deal, treat it as a learning experience. "Guys, never, ever, under any circumstances, stop loading your muzzleloader in midstream. Always complete the process or you could end up like this, or worse yet with a double load, or double charge."

Lesson taught, they got it. I showed them how to pull a ball, and I reloaded the gun.

SNAP. No ignition. Hmmm...SNAP. What the heck....

Crap. Thinking back, the ball came out just fine, but the PATCH didn't. So, I had a nice lubed patch between my ignition source and the powder. I tried picking through it in the hope it'd go off, no such luck.

Second learning experience: "Never ever pull a ball with a live charge behind it without first rendering the charge inert."

So, water went into the bolster, black crud came out, and we pulled the ball. The patch worm finished the job.

I am lucky to have been given the opportunity to teach TWO valuable lessons to my son and son-in-law yesterday, AND show them how to use a ball puller and patch worm.

And I'm just going to keep telling myself that.

Over, and over, and over....

[Riley/MN]

HA - You know none of us have ever done that before....

[Bigsmoke]

THere are two kinds of muzzleloader shooters.
Those who have dry balled

and

those who haven't - yet.

Been there, done that, got the "T" shirt, read the book and saw the movie.

It sure is a good lesson in humility.

John

[BEAVERMAN]

Welcome to the club!

[mario]

What they ^ said.  

Mario

[Hanshi]

Because of a few, ahem, lapses, I've discovered a couple of great ways to get stuck patches out of bores.  First off I found ball-puller screws to be very effective, more so than worms.  Second, an undersize bronze brush never fails.

[Voyageur]

I am pure, unsallied and have never, ever dry-balled in my entire sanctified life. I would rather commit adultery than dry-ball....yeh BS. Never, never talk or interrupt your loading procedure...."Doc"

[dmills]

I am pure, unsallied and have never, ever dry-balled in my entire sanctified life. I would rather commit adultery than dry-ball....yeh BS. Never, never talk or interrupt your loading procedure...."Doc"

I was mighty tempted to loose my place last weekend at the range and dry-ball.  I was shooting and getting used to my first flintlock and all was fine.  One of the range officers walks over just after I had run a wet and then a dry patch down the bore.  He wants to tell me again (third time at least over course of last month) about this CVA kit rifle he had bought from a friend 20 years ago and never finished because he had broken the main spring, and so on.  I got to the point of putting the patch strip on the muzzle and was about to push the ball into the muzzle, when a little voice said " powder, patch, ball" and I woke up in time.  I am sure my eyeballs were rolling around in my head, but I don't think any steam was coming from my ears.  

Range officers should know better, IMO.

[prairie dog]

The first time I took my youngest son to the range with his own muzzle loading rifle, I was keeping a close eye on what he was doing and not so much on what I was doing.  

After I pulled my "dry ball" I put it on the bench.  The little smart azz put it in his pocket and said "next time you chew me out for screwing up I'm just going to pull this out."  

He still has that ball.

[Stormrider51]

I hate going to a public range.  One or more people will always want to stop and ask questions.  There's something about that cloud of smoke that draws folks in.  Compounding the problem is that I always feel that I should take time with them in hopes of making another traditional muzzleloading enthusiast.  All this is leading up to the fact that I've made every possible stupid mistake.  All of them.  I haven't missed a one.  And it usually involves talking instead of paying attention.  For instance, I arrived at the range and was immediately noticed by a young lady who came over and inquired about my rifle.  I was extolling the reliability of the flintlock system.  I was showing her the right way to load.  Measure the powder.  Pour it down the bore.  Grease the patch and place it over the muzzle.  And so on.  I had her complete attention.  Or at least I did right up until the ignition of the priming powder was followed by a deafening silence.  I stood there like a statue hoping for a hang fire.  Nope.  Flash in the pan.  When I went to pick the vent I noticed the black goo oozing from it.  I had done everything right except for one small detail.  I had failed to run a dry patch down the bore before loading the first shot of the day.  There was enough oil hiding down there to kill the charge or at least the portion next to the vent.  I tried picking as much goo out as I could and trying to dribble enough powder through the vent to get it to at least kick that patched ball out.  No dice.  Three additional flash in the pans later I decided to pull the ball.  By that time my new friend had wandered away and I had no one to hold the rifle as I yanked on the ramrod.  Come to think of it, that wouldn't have been a good intro to muzzleloading either.

Have you ever fired your ramrod downrange?  I had just run the ball down the barrel when a gent came up and asked questions.  I stopped what I was doing and talked with him for about 5 minutes.  Then I picked up my rifle, primed the pan, aimed, and fired.  A ramrod in flight make an interesting humming sound.  It also breaks into multiple pieces when it hits the ground.  And if that's your ONLY ramrod your shooting is over for the day.

As long as I'm confessing my sins I might as well add this one.  I don't ALWAYS have curious bystanders to blame for my failures.  I'm sorry but it's true.  I got up slightly late one morning to go deer hunting.  I arrived at my stand and loaded my rifle as quickly as I could.  I was ready.  Or so I thought.  A little while later a decent buck sauntered into range.  I cocked the hammer and slowly raised my rifle.  I gently squeezed the rear trigger to set the front.  I have the front trigger adjusted down to a matter of ounces so a slight twitch of my finger is all that is standing between me and venison in the freezer.  Well, that and the fact that I had failed to pour in a powder charge.

John

[TallTexan]

Because of a few, ahem, lapses, I've discovered a couple of great ways to get stuck patches out of bores.  First off I found ball-puller screws to be very effective, more so than worms.  Second, an undersize bronze brush never fails.

I too have found that the ball puller screws work well to remove errant patch material.  

[Muley]

I have never once dry balled.




I did it twice.  

[Kermit]

I did once. Shot loads are a lot easier to pull, I think. The experience was enough to make me a good deal less cocky when someone else needed a hand with an "insufficient load."

[kb]

Ive done it all.  The ramrods are by far the best.  I did one of mine while shooting at a deer, I was in a hurry to reload after a flinched shot.  Missed the deer, and called it quits after I discovered I ran out of ramrods that day!  LOL

[Axe]

Looks like I'm in good company...only thing left on my stupid mistakes check list is to send the wiping stick down range....wait, did I say the "only" thing left??!!
Axe