WOW, that one HURT!!!...er...Where did my ramrod go???

[kb]

I was at the range trying to sight in my 209X50 Encore, and I discovered the problem with the verticle adjustment on my scope (frustration was a key factor here).

After having to shim the REAR mount just to get the thing to get on the paper at 25 yards, I was finally delighted to start zeroing in at 100 yards.  ( About 3-4 inch groups.)

Trying to get in as make shots as I could before I ran out of daylight, I became even MORE distracted by a cross breeze that blew my extra targets around the firing line.  After picking up the papers, I returned to my rifle and couldnt remember if I had put only powder (777)  or powder  and  sabot.

So I ran my ramrod down my bore to check (I have my ramrod marked), then finished loading loading a 240 g sabot, and prepared to shoot - only I forgot to take the ramrod back out.

Needless to say it kicked like a mule.  The scope made FIRM contact with my eyesocket, nose bridge, and forehead.  The pain was exquisite.  The world went white for a second or two, and I had to walk that one off.  The headache lasted for two days.

I found my ramrod 40 yards downrange sticking out of the frozen ground.

Funny thing (and I did laugh, how could you not?), the gun still shoots good, and there was no damage to the bore.  This is the second time I've done this.  (First time was with another gun!).

The brass cleaning jag made contact with the rifling, but I think that the ROT was all wrong for this length and weight of projectile.  What do you suggest?  1 in 28 didnt work, and neither did 1 in 24 (my other gun).  Dilema...dilema...

luckly the only thing perminately damaged was the ramrod, and my pride.  

Old and new commers beware, Ive been muzzleloading for over 20 years, and found that there are still lessons to learn, or...er....um...relearn.

Best fishes...uh...wishes and happy holidays,

kb

[donedidit]

Sounds like you need to glue some fletching on the end of that ram rod.  Probably could've gotten another 20 yards for sure. :lol:

No harm no foul.  Happens to all of us at some point.  Pulled the trigger on a nice doe a fews years back and got a nice crisp "click".  Forgot to put the primer on... :roll:

[Wlscott]

donedidit, I did the same thing on a hog hunt down in Texas.  I recocked and pulled the trigger three times before I finally relized what was going on :oops:

By that time the pig was within 25 yards, and I pulled out my Ruger SRH 44MAG and shot it.

[quickdtoo]

Oh oh, you made 3 mistakes, ramrod shot twice and telling us about both of em! Glad all is well, seen it happen many times, but never twice to the same shooter.........yet! :oops:

[simonkenton]

I was loading my .58 Zouave at the range one day. A guy came over and was admiring my gun.
I loaded the patched round ball with the short starter. I forgot to use the ramrod.
When I fired, the gun went Pooooffff. The ball squirted out the barrel and landed 20 feet away.
The barrel was bulged out, ruined.

[Robert]

I bet that guy was thoroughly immpressed.  Probably not as impressed as when I was displaying an antique rifle to a visiting freind and blew my pinky off.  KB...you will need a faster rate of twist for longer projectiles to stabilize well.  On the other hand....I am sure that many people have been shot with ramrods.  In close combat in the Civil War era....you were lucky to get a second shot off.  If someone was bearing down on you fast..I wouldn't bother to remove the ramrod....the third time the musket would be used as a club or with bayonet.

[simonkenton]

It is documented that during the seige of Petersburg during the Civil War bored Rebs would shoot ramrods towards the Yankee trenches.
It was noted that they made an unusual whistling sound.
Apparently they got a lot better range than kb did.  Maybe those metal Civil War ramrods were lighter.
There could have been some unusual Yankee casualties.

[jbtazgrabber]

have you noticed as we get older we do more silly <stupid>things. i was deer hunting this year and was laying on a tree ,looking down a old roadtrying to hide in the grass. i had the butt stock ON my shoulder and the forearm on my knee...a doe came upon the road at 15 yds. and was walking right to me,,i made the GOODdecision to upright the gun with my right hand on the forearm,cocked the hammer with left hand a pulled the trigger with left index finger as soon as the crosshairs were on her neck.....DID I TELL YOU THE STOCK WAS ON top of my shoulder :oops: yes i drew blood  out my nose the cut in between my eyes,oh yes i got the doe two..it was a close race which hurt worse the doe or my head....so dont feel to bad silly things happen to the best of us ,,,,just some people wont admit it happens to them.......merry.CHRISTmas,and a brtter new year :-D  :-D JB

[Keith Lewis]

Mine was a little different. I shot an elk this year and she didn't go down immediately (only got one lung and a piece of the liver on first shot). Somewhere in the brush crashing my ramrod came up missing or I forgot to put it back (I'm 66 so maybe I forgot?>??) anyway I had to make the last shot count as I knew I only had one. Got the elk-didn't get the ramrod.

[ms]

JACKASS :lol:

[flyer05]

Uhh, I wanted to make the last hunt for the night set in loaded up and found I just duoble loaded !!! Hope I won't do that again. Missed the evening's hunt :?

[teeball]

This happened to me many years ago. I had been hunting with a muzzleloader for three or four years and hadn''t connected on anything, and a friend called and asked if I wanted to go out the next day. The weather was perfect, the snow was soft and powdery. You couldn''t ask for a better day.We were hunting on a farm that belonged to a guy I worked with who had deer trouble for years, so he was happy to see does taken whenever possible. So that was our goal for the day. Take a buck IF we saw one, and try to fill the freezer with a couple of does.
    Well, I jumped two deer that for some reason turned and loped accross in front of me at about 10 yards. I raised my Renigade and when the smoke cleared, the big fat doe up on her back legs going over backwards. I then realized that the second deer was a nice wide 6 point, and he was just standing there. He turned his head, I raised my gun, CLICK, he looked straight ahead, I pulled the hammer back, CLICK. He looked right at me, I pulled the hammer back, CLICK! All this an he was only 12 yards away. He then just turned and walked away.