Using Smokeless Powder in muzzleloaders --- PSA

[yardhunter]

Last summer, I posted a video on youtube warning about pouring smokeless powder in muzzleloaders. Unfortunately, since the girl shooting the flintlock in the video wasn’t wearing safety glasses, the main message was ignored and most comments focused about using safety equipment. That video has been deleted and a new one has been updated. I hope the message will not get lost this time, because its a very important topic for new shooters to remember.…..

[Mauser06]

There's lots better videos out there of smokeless being fired from a black powder rifle and the effects.  One I saw not long ago had ballistic gelatin dummies as a shooters. Was certainly eye opening. 



YouTube is also full of people doing some idiotic things. Saw one guy shooting BBs for a BB gun. I don't understand why people treat black powder rifles as toys.


Some "rules" are meant to be broken.  Shooting smokeless in a Black powder gun is not one of those rules!!!

[yardhunter]

There's lots better videos out there of smokeless being fired from a black powder rifle and the effects.  One I saw not long ago had ballistic gelatin dummies as a shooters. Was certainly eye opening. 



YouTube is also full of people doing some idiotic things. Saw one guy shooting BBs for a BB gun. I don't understand why people treat black powder rifles as toys.


Some "rules" are meant to be broken.  Shooting smokeless in a Black powder gun is not one of those rules!!!

Correct! I'd love to put a video together showing the effects of using smokeless in muzzle loaders. However, I can't afford to destroy the guns. Those guys putting those kind of videos together has lots more money to burn than I do! …...

[moleeyes36]

First let me say that I don't care if someone shoots an in-line, if that's what they want to do.  After all, some people put Coke in 12 year old bourbon.    However, when some maker, I think it may have been Savage, came out with an in-line that was billed as being able to shoot smokeless powder, it opened up a whole can of worms.  Most in-line owners really only shoot their guns a few shots right before hunting season and really don't know much about MLs.  It is really easy to see how one of these folks, hearing of an in-line that can handle smokeless powder, could be convinced that smokeless would be okay for their gun also.  After all, in-lines are all the same right? 

In order to make things a little safer, at our gun club we ban all smokeless powder from the BP range regardless of what ML you're shooting.  Overly cautious?  Maybe, but we know some folks will do strange things without thinking of the consequences first.  As I said, some people will put Coke in 12 year old bourbon.

Mole Eyes

[WadePatton]

...  As I said, some people will put Coke in 12 year old bourbon.

Mole Eyes

the horror 

We can try to educate those who will listen, but many are too head-strong or genetically/socially challenged to get it.  We cannot make the world idiot proof and that's when liability attaches. 

How long until we have the "don't drown your baby in this bucket" symbols on the sides of all gun powder containers,
Don't blow up your face icons will be great!

not.

[retired fella]

I agree....something we as seasoned shooter take for granted might be lost on a newbie shooter.  I shoot at several clubs and all take newbies under their wing.  Makes for good comradarie and a safer shoot for all involved.  The salesperson at Walmart doesn't know Jack about our sport and was probably selling cell phones in the electronics department in his shift the day before.

[little joe]

Lotta good stuff on utube and a lotta BS and dangerous info. The 1754 Duelist  has it safe for the beginner  and any one else  for that matter. Being stupid is one thing and showing some one else  how to be stupid is anouther issue. I guess this is freedom of expression.

[hanshi]

After all, some people put Coke in 12 year old bourbon.    first.  As I said, some people will put Coke in 12 year old bourbon.
Mole Eyes

You're sh#&%@$* me!?  Isn't that illegal?  It's certainly immoral! 

And some people still walk the earth simply because "retroactive" abortion is frowned upon by the authorities.  Anything but black and "maybe" subs defeats the whole purpose, anyhow.

[moleeyes36]

And some people still walk the earth simply because "retroactive" abortion is frowned upon by the authorities.

That's a good line, Hanshi.  I'll have to remember it.

Mole Eyes

[g2608671@verizon.net]

I am new to this site and feel compelled to chime in on this.  Some of the things people do without regard to the basic rules and safe handling of firearms is inexpiable. Common sense safety precautions and the correct way to approach ML are often lost on folks who have just enough knowledge to be a danger to themselves and whoever may be in the blast area.

[oldtravler61]

   Sam Elliot paraphrased it quite well " What kind of stupid are you !!! "  Know matter how hard we try. Some just refuse to listen. Reminded me when I got yelled at once when I told someone that loading a muzzeloader straight from his powder horn an smoking a cigarette. Wasn't a good idea. His comment was mind your own business. Yep you can't fix stupid.  Oldtravler

[little joe]

 Back around 1985 one of our club members had a connection to the head of the Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources and at that time they had only been keeping records  a couple of years on muzzleloading accidents on state land.About 20 accidents all caused by the shooters. There were a couple of deaths, several eyes, fingers, hands and very bad injuries  crippling for life.Almost every one of them was smokeless powder. Some people you cannot reach however we all must keep trying.

[somehippy]

   Sam Elliot paraphrased it quite well " What kind of stupid are you !!! "  Know matter how hard we try. Some just refuse to listen. Reminded me when I got yelled at once when I told someone that loading a muzzeloader straight from his powder horn an smoking a cigarette. Wasn't a good idea. His comment was mind your own business. Yep you can't fix stupid.  Oldtravler

Wonder if he's still around.... Its wild to think of someone doing such a thing... Then to act like it's normal and tell the guy next to him to mind his own lol, how and why some people are or ever were around is a mystery and and unfortunate miracle of sorts...

[hanshi]

   Sam Elliot paraphrased it quite well " What kind of stupid are you !!! "  Know matter how hard we try. Some just refuse to listen. Reminded me when I got yelled at once when I told someone that loading a muzzeloader straight from his powder horn an smoking a cigarette. Wasn't a good idea. His comment was mind your own business. Yep you can't fix stupid.  Oldtravler

Oldtravler, That sort of behavior generally leads to "self pruning", if you know what I mean.  Ignorance is only skin deep; but stupid goes all the way to the bone.

[oldtravler61]

  Hanshi yep you just don't know how some survive. Like someone said " God protects the ignorant" Ok I can buy that. But who protects all these idiot's. I understand making mistakes an learning from it. We have all been there. But to keep doing the same dumb stuff an never learning from it. Makes yeah wonder.  Oldtravler

[Daryl]

Wasn't that long ago, maybe 6 years ago, a friend gave me a pound of H4227 (light blue can) that he was sold as "Black Powder" in a local store.  He said it was black, and I REPLIED "What else is written on the can?"  He then said "smokeless powder". "There ya go.  It isn't black powder, is it!"

[ron w]

the problem is that as soon some people read they can use smokeless powder in their ML'r,... they blindly think it is safe to do, because the manufacturer said it can be done.

[Hungry Horse]

I think the self pruning system rarely works, because there is some kind of correlation between being nuts, and being lucky. I had a friend that called me one day, and asked how he could stop his Ruger old army from self cocking. I went over and examine the gun. He was shooting bulls eye in it. He bought a Shiloh Sharps "old reliable" in 45-120 and complained about how much it kicked. I checked his loads and found he was shooting a hundred grains of 3f, and 8grains of red dot. He finally did blow up a gun. It was a cheap single shot box lock pistol kit gun. He put smokeless in it and when he saw me run like my hair was on fire, decide that he would be safe and stand on the side of his work shop, and reach around the corner to shoot the pipe bomb. It blew up leaving him holding the wooden grip. He didn't get a scratch, but moved the doorway to hide the gaping hole in the siding. His kidneys fail from over indulgents, and he got moved to the top of the transplant list, because they found a 100% match. He lived another ten years, and died from a heart attack, in his Lazyboy.

     Hungry Horse