What you see above happens when you use the wrong powder with a muzzleloader. A charge of smokeless was used in place of black powder or a black powder substitute. The energy difference between modern smokeless powder and black powder (by weight and volume), is enormous. Smokeless powder should never be used in a black-powder recipe. The result could be catastrophic. In this case, the unfortunate shooter lost two fingers. He got a free amputation of two fingers, because he made a reloading error. It is important to double-check propellant before loading. Never “re-bottle”, smokeless powder in a new container with a new label (or worse, no label).
This incident occurred in Indiana a few years ago. Indiana Department of Public Safety reported the incident. As reported by the Indiana Dept. This is what happens when you fire smokeless powder from a muzzleloader that was designed for black powder.
The Firearm Blog is to be credited for this story.
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