Muzzle loader barrel blowout

[duckhunt]

My son had a barrel blow out. He is ok so all is good there. I'm curious what could have caused this. It was his 3rd shot so no barrel obstruction. We mark the ramrod so I know it wasn't double loaded and also bullet was seated down on powder tight.

Using 2 pyrodex pellets



Power belt bullet


The gun is a cva wolf.

I'm going to take it to a gunsmith to look at but thought I would reach out on hunt talk for thoughts. Very scary considering my dad ,2 boys and I all shoot muzzle loaders.

 

[Happy Myles]

No one injured?

 

[duckhunt]

No one injured?

No my boy is ok. Scared the shit out of him. I've always worried about something like this. We shoot muzzle loaders, shotguns, and now rifles. This is the first incident we've had.

 

[Dave N]

Wow! Scary stuff, glad he's OK! No expert but it sure looks TO ME that something restricted the barrel out near the end. Bench shooting? That would rule out anything in the barrel. I'd be sending pics and a bitch to CVA. Something wasn't right from the start if that was only the 3rd shot on a new gun.

 

[Pucky Freak]

I’m glad everyone is OK on that one

 

[duckhunt]

Wow! Scary stuff, glad he's OK! No expert but it sure looks TO ME that something restricted the barrel out near the end. Bench shooting? That would rule out anything in the barrel. I'd be sending pics and a bitch to CVA. Something wasn't right from the start if that was only the 3rd shot on a new gun.

Not a new gun. That was his 3rd shot at the range sighting in for hunting season. The gun is about 10 years old and only shot to sight in and hunt. Rough guess maybe has 150 rounds through it total.

 

[duckhunt]

Also the gun is cleaned after sighting in and after our 9 day season.

 

[Bigjay73]

I'm not trying to be an ass, but man that looks like operator error. Scary as hell for sure. Im glad your son is okay

 

[kansasdad]

Amazing that nobody was physically injured!

Any chance the muzzle end was grounded (dropped/rested) into the dirt resulting in a partial/complete blockage? Sometimes kids aren't 100% aware of where the muzzle is, or the significance of debris in the barrel.

 

[Hem]

Jeez...scary stuff, especially with your kids involved.
No speculation other than the obvious knee jerk theory.
Watching your thread for any other plausible explanations.
Certainly let us know what you find out.

 

[duckhunt]

I'm not trying to be an ass, but man that looks like operator error. Scary as hell for sure. Im glad your son is okay

I thought the same thing. I wasn't with him but talking to him about it he did everything right.

 

[duckhunt]

Amazing that nobody was physically injured!

Any chance the muzzle end was grounded (dropped/rested) into the dirt resulting in a partial/complete blockage? Sometimes kids aren't 100% aware of where the muzzle is, or the significance of debris in the barrel.

That's possible.

 

[Gellar]

Glad everyone is ok minus the soiled underwear!

You should look up a hunters Ed instructor in your area and see if they would be interested in using the firearm during their classes. We have a shotgun that is blown out and the kids are always amazed by it and I think it hammers home many points.

 

[shb]

Looks short started, projectile not seated.

 

[ashersdad]

Wow! So glad your son is ok. I shoot the same power belts and powder and this literally scares the hell out of me. That could easily have been a very serious injury. Once again, so glad your son is ok. Let us know if you find out anything from the gunsmith.

 

[blueridge]

Looks like a classic end of barrel obstruction to me. That’s where I would put my bet.
As everyone else feels and has said, SO glad he came out unscathed!!!!!

 

[Jc2020]

That’s crazy lucky no one was hurt It looks like a barrel obstruction To me as well

 

[HandgunHunter]

Had to be an obstruction or the bullet wasn’t fully seated.

if it “just blew up” it would have been fragmented and not split like that.

 

[Buckskins&BlackPowder]

With the aerolite, if you are not using the proper bullet seating jag, you'll easily plug the end of the ramrod with the bullet tip and can pull the bullet back up with the ramrod and have it fall off, way up off the charge. I don't know if the shooter uses a short starter or not, but if he does not, I'd have to say it was either just thumbed into the muzzle, or what i explained earlier. This certainly is not a barrel failure, but an obstruction.

 

[Elmacho]

The sight of the barrel sent chills thru me....Glad all are OK!