Hunter survives muzzleloader mishap

[hawkeye1755]

Times-Mail
December 17, 2007
DELANEY CREEK BOTTOMS ”” Derrick W. Edwards of Indianapolis was injured when his muzzleloader exploded after he finished deer hunting Sunday in Washington County.

Edwards, 46, suffered a laceration to his left forearm, and was treated and released at Schneck Medical Center in Seymour.

He was injured while attempting to unload his .54-caliber muzzleloader at the end of his hunt.

“Derrick W. Edwards also told investigators that he had loaded the muzzleloader with modern smokeless gunpowder instead of the required black powder,” according to an Indiana Conservation Officers news release. “Conservation officers recovered the firearm from Mr. Edwards and located pieces of the gun driven as deep as 7 inches into the ground at the accident scene.”

Muzzleloaders should always be loaded with black powder or the appropriate substitute. They are not manufactured to withstand the extreme pressures generated from modern smokeless gun powder.

“Mr. Edwards was extremely lucky he didn’t see a deer while hunting this morning,” stated Indiana Conservation Officer Phil Nale in the release. “Had he fired the firearms while shouldered near his head, his injuries could have been much worse.”

And what did we learned?

 

[rabjr]

Amazing.... :youcrazy:

 

[roundball]

Undertaker, thanks for posting this...an excellent reminder to anyone who sees it.
It's so important that it shoulod get as much wide spread distribution as possible so since the source apparently was a public newspaper, I assume you won't mind if this article is posted in other places as well.

That was one lucky guy !!

 

[Geraldo]

That was one lucky guy !!

Not exactly my sentiment. I hope that he scared himself enough with his stupidity that he will be forever careful with firearms.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I bet the gun had stamped BLACK POWDER ONLY on it :nono:

 

[jethro224]

And what did we learned?

Even Darwin can't get 'em all. :wink:

 

[rickjf]

beauty is skin deep; dumb goes all the way to the bone!!

 

[Gote Rider]

I bet that is the last time he does that. Well with that gun anyway.

 

[roundball]

I bet that is the last time he does that. Well with that gun anyway.

Not the first time this has happoened and won't be the last...this is the very reason so many people resisted the idea that smokeless powder should never be introduced into the world of muzzleloading.

We on this Forum dedicate a large amount of our lives to muzzleloading and come to learn a lot about it, learn these very things from each other...but every now and then the average joe is going to go into a department store, the 19 year old clerk will say we don't have any of that old black powder stuff but we got the new modern stuff and its a lot cleaner...the joe will say are you sure about that and the clerk will say yes, my uncle uses this Hercules Bullseye right here for reloading all his pistols..."etc, etc, etc...

 

[Parzifal]

Thats really scary, BUT...

To look at it in a good way its again a reminder to NEVER USE ANYTHING EXCEPT BLACK POWDER AND APPROVED SUBS.

 

[Little Wattsy]

duh-aaaammmmmm :slap: :youcrazy: :shake:

 

[No Grease]

I am glad he sustained minimal injuries during the mishap. I am also some what disappointed at the loss of what was a fine fire arm also. :shocked2:

 

[jdixon]

I bet the gun had stamped BLACK POWDER ONLY on it :nono:

It is probably a dangerous assumption that our hero here could read the warning on the barrel!

 

[Kentuckywindage]

well if he was hunting with it, surely he sighted it in before the season opened, right :hmm: ?

 

[gmww]

I bet he never even bothered to sight it in.

 

[410-er]

Not that it matters but can anyone identify the gun?Almost looks like a TC Seneca?Can't quite tell if there is scrolling on the lock.

 

[410-er]

My mistake,I see now it was a 54.

 

[roundball]

Unless the photo & light is playing tricks on us, the trigger guard appears blue so my guess would be a Renegade

 

[John Wasmuth]

That'd be my bet as well.

 

[bingo1952]

That was one hell of a bang to split that lock plate in two. Don't know how long after the shot the picture was taken but the bore (what you can see of it) appears to be rusted.