Myths

[BarryinIN]

Every area of shooting has its share of myths that won’t die.  It seems to me the two most myth-filled areas are Bullet Casting and Muzzleloading.

I’m not sure why that is   They do share some things in common.  I keep coming back to the fact that both things were on life support for several decades before waking up again.  I’d say both had a near-death experience from very roughly 1900 to 1960.  I can’t quite pinpoint the precise reason, but I feel this has something to do with it.  

What prompted this post was hearing something last weekend I hadn’t heard in a while.

”You can’t overload a muzzleloader because the extra powder gets blown out of the barrel.”

Please Lord, help me.

 

Making it worse was I heard tha at a 4-H shoot.  This was taught to the kids.  
 

I don’t usually get involved with the Muzzleloader program because it’s shot the same day and time as Rifle and Pistol, which is what I’m doing.  We had a Muzzleloader-only day for the Advanced group of kids last Saturday, so I got to see and hear what’s being taught to them.  
 

The lead ML instructor told them this, then backed it up with another thing I’ve heard: That this is proven by shooting a muzzleloader over snow, where you can see the unburned powder on the snow strung out towards the target.  
Again Lord, please, hold me back. 
 

You will see SOMETHING on the snow, and it’s probably black granules, but very little of it is unburned powder.  It’s likely almost all powder that has been burned.  It’s the same crud that’s fouling the barrel after each shot.  Don’t believe me?  Shoot over a tarp so you can collect these granules, then sweep them into a pile and try to light them.  Good luck.  Unburned black powder will light right off in a smoky mess. This stuff won’t.  

[wwillson]

11 hours ago, BarryinIN said:

”You can’t overload a muzzleloader because the extra powder gets blown out of the barrel.”

This kind of idiocy is what makes guns blow up in people's faces.

I know a guy who loaded all of his 30-06 cases level full with powder, then inserted the projectiles.  Some old guy told him that's it's safe and easier to do it that way.  He was a kid and didn't know better.  He's very lucky he never got a face full of hot gas and metal. 

[BarryinIN]

Did he use Bullseye because that sounded more accurate?

[BarryinIN]

On 6/13/2024 at 10:32 AM, BarryinIN said:

 

”You can’t overload a muzzleloader because the extra powder gets blown out of the barrel.”

Please Lord, help me.

Lord did help me.  The guy who said that is stepping down (before he got shoved out).

He had a rough year, between handling guns when the range was cold, putting guns in cases by turning and pointing them at people, and finally the last straw:

After a flintlock didn’t fire, he fiddled with this ticking time bomb by pointing it every which way including towards the kids! 
I was unaware of this at the time or I might be in trouble myself.  I heard about it from the volunteer dad who was helping him, one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet types.  Even he was only barely able to restrain himself.  
 

The old boy put in a lot of volunteer time over the years, but he’s now a detriment. Bye.