Look what I found at the range today and it wasn't mine.

[Jay HHI6818]

Rule Number One.

Remove ramrod before firing!



Found this laying at 90 yds. I explained what happened to my son and he wanted to keep it as a wall hanger. Like to know the story behind it. Shooter ok, gun ok, when did he realize he shot the ramrod down the range, did he look for it?

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

lol find any teeth to go along with it?

[mechanic]

I can only imagine how painful that was.  I about lost teeth once when the tip of my ramrod broke off and I didn't realize it.  I thought I had double charged or something until I reloaded, then realized the brass ball seater was gone............Now I look.

[Varmint Hunter]

Here's a better one:

A guy takes the bench next to me on the range and sets up his muzzleloader for the first shot of the year. He puts a charge down the barrel and then a big lead slug over it. Drives the slug home and primes the rifle.

When he takes the shot there is a particularly load report followed by more smoke than you'd expect. He immediately puts the rifle down and complains about the excessive recoil. There are no holes in the target.

Unable to figure out what went wrong he decides to try it again. Only this time when he drives the slug home the ramrod goes in much deeper. It only took a minute to figure out what had happened. He said that he probably forgot to unload the rifle from the previous hunting season and left it that way through the winter, spring and summer. When he loaded it (again) he had a full charge of 777 and a slug pushed down on the charge and slug that remained from the year before. KAAAAA-BOOOOMMMMMMMMMM

Amazingly enough, the rifle withstood the abuse without damage. It was a T/C Omega, I believe.

[Forestclimber]

That's easier to do than you think if you are not paying attention.
A double shotgun load is fun too.

[Bullseye]

Was helping my wife sight in her Encore a few weeks ago.  Was trying Blackhorn and getting terrible groups.  She loaded one and shot.  Through the spotting scope I saw the cardboard tear horizontally at 50 yards and the report did not sound right.  She got up holding her shoulder and said it hurt all the way down to her fingers.  I put the lid on the Blackhorn and said no more of that, we will go back to 777.  Inspected the gun and asked where the ramrod was.  She said on the table.  I said I am looking at the table and it is not there.  Told her I knew were to find it!  It was behind the target against a tree with a slight bend on one end, a bow in the middle and a 90 degree bend on the other end.  Luckily nobody was hurt and the gun held together.  Borrowed the neighbors ramrod to finish sighting in and called Foxridge on Monday.  All is well and she is deer hunting with the gun now.

[Semisane]

Didn't you know that one of the gods of muzzleloading is named "ShotdarodDowndarange"?

[SHOOTALL]

guess they skipped the part about marking their rod 

[AndyHass]

That's easier to do than you think if you are not paying attention.
A double shotgun load is fun too.

Shot a double-barrel 12-gauge loaded with heavy game loads as my first experience EVER with a 12-gauge.  Gun was broken inside and when I pulled the fron trigger both barrels went off.  To make matters worse it was a bare steel butt plate and I was wearing a Tshirt.  For two weeks there was a perfect bruise of the plate in my shoulder, complete with horizontal ridging and the Philips head cross pattern of the top screw.

Nothing seems to recoil bad since then...

[DennyRoark]

Haven't shot the ramrod yet, but have shot 2 with only the short starter and one double charge over the years.  The double was in a competition with .45 maxi-balls at 100.  one hit the real low, the other hit 6 ring high.  Needless to say, I was disqualified (and extremely sore).  Easy to do when someone is yakking at you...

[mirage1988]

I know how it could be done. I was shooting at the range I usually shoot at and the range officer had me put the ramrod in the barrel to show it was unloaded when he called the line safe!? I almost shot mine that day, luckily it slid partway out when I broke it open to prime it.

[Two Bears]

You look a little young to go to the range by yourself

[Huntsman1]

There`s an article in Nov. North American Whitetail about a guy doing the same thing, he shot at the deer. then reloaded shot again and OUCH!! Two blackeyes, broken nose(i think) and a never to be found ramrod, It was a BIG buck mind you, guess he was a bit excited.