Using a muzzleloader is one of the most enjoyable types of hunting and shooting because each shot is hand crafted. You select the rifle, the ignition system, and build the load including bullet and powder charge. Along with this freedom to manage the shooting components comes the responsibility to shoot your muzzleloader safety and efficiently.
Never, Ever, Ever
Muzzleloading rifles are designed to shoot black powder or muzzleloading propellants such as pelletized powder- Never smokeless powder. Using a blackpowder-size load of smokeless powder is building a pipe bomb that can easily kill you and harm others nearby. If you unsure of the powder you have, search the brand on Google or YouTube.
Why It Happened
The reason for this explosion is not disclosed, yet it could have happened for several reasons. As mentioned above, the rifle could have been loaded with smokeless powder. A barrel obstruction is another possibility. Or, the rifle could have been double loaded. That is, the shooter loaded it, forgot, and loaded it again. The purpose of this video isn’t to scare shooters, but to promote caution in the use of the guns our great granddaddy’s once used.
Posted by Caliber Cache on Monday, September 18, 2017
