Grouse45

Good point, i was thinking two pellets.

But i really think thats how ML's should be rated myself. If they cant handle a accidental double load there initial load is rated to high for the quality of the gun to begin with. But i also think a saboted bullet versus bore size makes a difference as well.

Gm54-120

Ive always cringed at companies giving the "ok" for 3 pellet loads in off the shelf muzzleloaders. The potential is very high for a dangerous user error in sub 50kpsi rated barrels. 6 pellets and just one bullet can easily exceed 50kpsi.

Just look at the other blow up that was posted recently. It was just 4 pellets and 1 bullet. It blew the barrel AND the alloy receiver of that Traditions to pieces. It appears to be a Traditions anyway. Hard to tell because there is not much left of it. This is one of the reasons i dont like aluminum alloy receivers on break actions.
http://www.grandforksherald.com/outd...een-much-worse

BarnesAddict

IIRC, when Luke had his shoot, if a shooter didn't have a witness mark, he/she couldn't shoot.

We need to constantly remind the new shooters about witness marks and to use them.

I shoot two different charges in my rifle, both of which have a ramrod for each charge with a witness mark clearly identified.

Gm54-120

Verify the rifle is unloaded EVERY single time you take it out of the house.

I use my Lehigh Ultimate Range Rod with locking collar. I set the collar just slightly above the bore guide by about 1/8" inch. If i can see more than that gap or if its resting against the bore guide i know something is wrong.

3 powder charges and one bullet by each charge are all that is out of the range bag at one time. If bullets to charges on the table dont jive...I know something is wrong.

falcon

We seldom ever know the truth of these blowups. i know a smokeless shooter who uses a duplex load in his Savage; this after ruining another Savage.


Several years ago i met a man who was present on the range when an inline muzzleloader blew up, badly injuring the shooter. There was a can of smokeless powder on the guys bench.

Gm54-120

Duplexing has been going on for ages and can done so safely in custom builds. Hell its even common for black powder cartridge shooters with small amounts of smokeless under real black powder.

52bore

Although double loading sounds like the reason, TV station interview of the shooter and cameraman still didn't sound exactly clear as to the cause. They seem ignorant (if that's the correct word) as stating something/obstruction in the bore. Being the rifle has an added muzzlebreak and the cameraman works for a rifle company - makes me pessimistic of the real truth.
Duplexing for ML with Black is to ignite the smokeless powder - not recommended by anyone.
Duplexing for BP cartridge is completely different - smokeless over the primer then Black; to keep the throat of the chamber clean for easy loading of the next cartridge. This has been outlawed in completion by the NRA BP for quite a few years (5 or so) due to guns blowing up, now it is Black only (or Pyrodex is the only sub allowed - which is quite an old rule).

Gm54-120

Incorrect.

Duplexing in a smokeless build does not use black or subs at all. Its 2 smokeless powders. A small amount of a faster powder and larger amount of a slower powder. Its EXTREMELY common.

There are tons of traces on Dougs board of duplex SML loads.

If all duplexing is banned in ML competitions you may want to look at the Pyrodex pellets then. That black igniter end sure appears to be real black powder.

edmehlig

My sons friend one time asked me to sight in his ml as he hadn't shot it in three years and didn't have time to get to the range this year due to work. Well I tried to load a bullet and could only parry get the ramrod down to about half way. My 11 yr old grandson said why don't you just shoot it. I told him no something is wrong and the gun could blow up. When I got home and took the gun apart besides my load was two additional loads making a total of 3 charges and bullets. Can you say "Pipe Bomb"! Thank god this kid did not see a deer while hunting and I knew better!! Can't stress enough how important those loads marks are on ramrod.