Always mark your ramrod with a piece of tape...where it should be with a load in the barrel. It is very easy to not seat a bullet in the heat of excitement, or as you did, get distracted.
And throw those Power Belts in the garbage can :tung
I agree and shoot the shcokwaves also. I killed a 4pt one of the first years I BP hunted and wouldn't have found him had he not fell directly on my walk-in trail. The shot placement was perfect but the powerbelt wasn't...
I'ts those little overlooked things that can ruin a hunt, so easily prevented. I've made every mistake known to man and invented several new ones. missed 4 shots (without spooking him) at a real beamy 8 pt in archery, shot all around him. cuz there was a tiny leaf stuck on my sight pin. a ten second gear check once in the stand would have found it.
Ha! I got one for ya. Went to range this AM to sight in so I could join Crock this weekend.
Range was crowded with mostly bp dudes doing the same thing as the rest of us.
First shot at 50 yads was about 1.5" at 8 o'clock so I was pretty happy.
Shot the breeze with a few bp guys, dropped in a couple pellets of triple 7, pushed in a new powerbelt sabot, put on a cap and when i pulled the trigger it about took my sholder off! :censored Guy next to me said I probably didn't seat the bullet all the way down on top of the powder. All I know is the only thing I own that kicks that bad is my Marlin 450. :wacko So after licking my wounds and getting over the embarrisment I started to load a new round. Guess what, I couldn't find my ramrod... :oopsMaybe one of the other shooters needed a spare... :dots :crip :tequila
HogDaddy, Not to alarm or scare you, but you may want to run a tight patch down the bore and feel for a loose spot (bulge) a lot of times when the projectile is not seated on the powder this can happen and cause a dangerous situation. You can not see it on the outside but that does not mean its not there. The pressures with PB are not that of a center fire, but you sure don't want one coming apart in you face either.
BTW, Did you ever find your RR? If you sent it downrange that could explain the extra recoil, I have seen that happen more than once. LOL
I'ts those little overlooked things that can ruin a hunt, so easily prevented. I've made every mistake known to man and invented several new ones. missed 4 shots (without spooking him) at a real beamy 8 pt in archery, shot all around him. cuz there was a tiny leaf stuck on my sight pin. a ten second gear check once in the stand would have found it.
Ha! I got one for ya. Went to range this AM to sight in so I could join Crock this weekend.
Range was crowded with mostly bp dudes doing the same thing as the rest of us.
First shot at 50 yads was about 1.5" at 8 o'clock so I was pretty happy.
Shot the breeze with a few bp guys, dropped in a couple pellets of triple 7, pushed in a new powerbelt sabot, put on a cap and when i pulled the trigger it about took my sholder off! :censored Guy next to me said I probably didn't seat the bullet all the way down on top of the powder. All I know is the only thing I own that kicks that bad is my Marlin 450. :wacko So after licking my wounds and getting over the embarrisment I started to load a new round. Guess what, I couldn't find my ramrod... :oopsMaybe one of the other shooters needed a spare... :dots :crip :tequila
HogDaddy, Not to alarm or scare you, but you may want to run a tight patch down the bore and feel for a loose spot (bulge) a lot of times when the projectile is not seated on the powder this can happen and cause a dangerous situation. You can not see it on the outside but that does not mean its not there. The pressures with PB are not that of a center fire, but you sure don't want one coming apart in you face either.
BTW, Did you ever find your RR? If you sent it downrange that could explain the extra recoil, I have seen that happen more than once. LOL
You know i was just thinking the same thing, maybe while distracted you left the rod in the barrel and sent it down range... I know lots of folks that this has happened to ....
