I recently did one of the dumbest things I have ever done in my 20 years of hunting trying to get my Remington Genesis muzzleloader sighted in before sundown. I loaded the gun; however, after I shot it and it about knocked my on the ground and bloodied my nose from the scope, I realized I didn't take the ramrod out. The ramrod exited and did hit the target; however, I am concerned about the pressure in the barrel. I was shooting a 270g bullet with 100g of pyrodex. What is the likelihood of the added pressure fouling the barrel? I still can't believe I did something so stupid. I am lucky I had protective eyewear on.
Ramrod, don't feel too bad about it. It used to be a fairly common occurrance prior to and during the War for Southern Independence. Not a pleasnt experience but it usually only happens once. You probably should take the rifle to a good blackpower gunsmith to have him check it out. You can always explain to thim that "a close friend" did it. However, if you are still wearing band-aids and bruises, it might not do much good at concealing the embarassing facts. The 'smith will probably have seen this before..........
Northwoods nailed it. Not an uncommon experience. As long as the rod was against the bullet, and you were not using smokeless, VERY unlikely to have damaged the bore. Cracked stock, yes. Split lip (of shooter) OH YES. Read a study several years back of a manufacturer's CONTROLLED efforts to blow up a muzzleloader with black powder/ multiple bullets. Could not do it- with 500 grains of fffG, and 3 bullets- until they (a) loaded it with smokeless powder, or (b) fired it with bullet halfway down barrel. FWIW, happened a lot in heat of battle with rookie soldiers in the Civil War- leaving the shooter holding an awkwardly shaped club (no way to reload)
im watching super troppers this very moment on TV. sorry but this was just funny as sh*t. not what happened to you but that you shot the ram rod at the target and hit it, and the fact that it says ram rod so many times. BUT dont worry, these things happen to the best of us and all you do is learn from them right?
so wait wait wait, was it a kill? or is there some large animal running around the forest with your ramrod still stuck in its neck?
dude thats a hella good story to tell your grandchildren haha. "theres a 900 lb buck out there with my lucky ramrod still in his neck, i've been hunting him for 35 yrs." haha sounds like the old fishing tales of the giant tuna that is swimming around the lake with gramp's golden hook in his gill
Your not the first to make that mistake and you won't be the last. As mentioned already take it to gunsmith and have them check the bore.
I'm the guy that needed to read that! It reminded me of the time I crawled under my van at a filling station to tighten up a nut on my transmission. A big fuel truck was parked right next to me and running. Guess, that is why I didn't here my van running when I put a wrench on my trasmission linkage and pulled down shifting it into gear and it took off with my legs hanging out from underneith. I crawled out just in the nick of time and just cracked up laughing as my van hit the target. A brand new "Very Hot" chevy stepside pick-up owned by the town's top football defensive player. I just sat their and laughed... Thank God we're not dead, Aye? I'm just thinking about getting started with black powder. Now I have to think some more... lol
Very common screw up. Don't feel like the Lone Ranger. Gun should be fine. Never heard of anyone ever doing it a second time.
now you earned the name Ram Rod, glad to hear you only got the sh!t scared out of you and a bloody nose, it couldve been worse.
Oh boy have we been there and got the black eye for our efforts. I once shot the loadingstick from my .72 cal matchlock. Here in Germany at least barrels are proofed with a 5 x standard load shot three times so do not loose too much sleep about the barrel.
Not to make fun of you as I can see it happening to a lot of new bp shooters. But I would have loved to see the look on your face after you picked yourself up and put yourself back together. I can see hat knocked crooked you sitting there dazed like a stoner and your front stuffer laying on the bench smoking like a hooker after a call.
Not as stupid as the look on what was left of my face after my powder flask blew during a show, talk about a blackpowder tatoo and no eyebrows or beard left to speak of.
A friend of mine once double loaded his in-line, without knowing (he should have). Apparently, he had left the load from the previous season as he did not shoot anything. He went to sight in before the new season, and re-loaded the rifle. He sat on a 5-gal bucket and shot at 50 yd target. Rolled him off the bucket and bloodied his nose. He had had it checked out, and all was good. He proceeded to kill a big doe that same season using the same gun. He won't do that agian.
