HUNTINGsmart! USA Knowledge Base

This is a delayed fire and it occurs when the firing pin strikes the primer but does not create enough flame to ignite the powder instantly. The resulting time delay can be confusing and some hunters may react by withdrawing their ready-stance position and aiming their muzzle where they shouldn’t. Sometimes hunters even feel the urge to look directly down the muzzle, as though they might find some kind of solution hiding in there. If this happens, remember that the cartridge CAN and probably WILL eventually fire. So, NEVER look down the muzzle and always maintain the ready-stance for at least 15 seconds (60 seconds for a muzzleloader) before unloading the faulty ammo.