Old dog, new trick

[buzp]

Well, I thought I had been doing this long enough that I had made all the mistakes you could make--you know, no powder, no ball, stuck ram rod, etc. Today I was doing a little informal target practice with my .50 percussion when a shot sounded and felt a little strange. I thought about it a minute and realized I had used the short starter and then forgot to use the ram rod to seat the ball. Fortunately, there appears to be no damage to the barrel and the next shot was in the group with the rest of the shots. Just shows you, no matter your age or length of experience (I'm 65 and have been doing this since 1980), you can still make mistakes when you don't pay attention. Of course, it could just be a bit of senility, but I like to think I just messed up.

Stay careful.

 

[buford87]

I hadn't heard of that one before, now it's just a matter of time till I do it......................watch yer top knot..............

 

[rawhide]

boy you got lucky! havn't done that one hope I don't either! well dry balled way to many times.

 

[Semisane]

Did the same thing last year with my .54 GP flinter buzp. Same "no harm done" results (fortunately).

 

[ericb]

Them that has - and them that's gonna....

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I've done that one more than once and likewise no damage suffered.

 

[longcruise]

Yup, I had always been told that it was a sure barrel bulge or ring to shoot a short started ball. last shoot I was at, the guy next to me on the line did it three times with no apparent damage. Gun kept shooting as always.

 

[buzp]

Thanks Joe and Semisane, glad to hear you had no damage either and proud to be in such fine company.

 

[ohio ramrod]

But fatigue does set in. Just like an truck spring will take a lot of pot holes and then just one more and snap! :hmm: " Short starting" is not recomended. :cursing: But then neither is loading a primed muzzle loader which I went brain dead and did while distracted; and sighting in one of those guns we don't talk about here. It didn't harm the gun but sure did a number on the hand! :cursing:

 

[ny griz]

:nono: Just messed up sounds pretty good to me. :haha: Griz

 

[RedFeather]

This is just a guess, but I think that the instances of short started loads (such as you described) not damaging the gun could be due to the ball only being a short ways down bore. That long air space might have provided some cushioning effect or allowed the pressures to build slower. Not the same as short starting a couple of inches above the load. Anyway, it's a good heads-up for me. Getting back into shooting soon and I'm sure I will be self-conscious and rusty.

 

[Ken Cormier]

Did it once and never used a short starter again

 

[jtmattison]

last shoot I was at, the guy next to me on the line did it three times with no apparent damage.

Three times in one day?

:shocked2:

I'd steer clear of that guy.

HD

 

[bubba.50]

recently bought a renegade for parts that the guy said the barrel was "warped". never heard of that but the price was right so i bought it. dropped a light down the barrel and there about 6in down is a nice even ring with no other apparent damage. think i'm gonna make a "carbine" out of it. for what it's worth, bubba.

 

[lakota]

In the past 6 months I have dry balled for the first time and nearly shot my ram rod down range for the first time since starting bp in the mid 90's I dont need another calamity to live up too! :surrender:

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I've gotten a couple of ML rifles with rings or bulges or "walnuts" in the bore, presumably from shooting with the load, probably a conical, not fully seated. I now make it a policy not to buy a used ML unless I can drop a bore light down it and have a good look.

 

[bubba.50]

light was too short to reach from s.w.va. to s.e.mich. :haha: . seriously, i bought it for parts and knew it had issues to start with. was actually better than advertised.

 

[SAJones]

Another been there done that, but I got a ringed barrel in my first muzzleloading rifle, a Thomson Center. Also smoothed off the rifling on one side of the muzzle using one 'a them fiberglass rods available then (early 80s). So had my gunsmith friend who IDed the problem set in a Green River barrel for basically a new, more accurate rifle. About 7 years ago sawed the old barrel off behind the bulge & matched it with a TC complete stock I bought about 10 years earlier. So now have a nice little short rifle.

 

[lefty41]

recently bought a renegade for parts that the guy said the barrel was "warped". never heard of that but the price was right so i bought it. dropped a light down the barrel and there about 6in down is a nice even ring with no other apparent damage. think i'm gonna make a "carbine" out of it. for what it's worth, bubba.

Hey bubba.50, that wasn't the barrel you sold to me was it?

 

[bubba.50]

nossir, the one you bought just had a rusty bore. wouldn't do anybody thataway. try to be accurate as i can when sellin' so's i don't have nobody gettin' the red-ass at me. the barrel you got shot pretty well with maxi's to be rough as it was and the riflin' looked a bit better with every shootin'/cleanin' session. let me know how yer project works out and have a good'en friend, bubba.