HUNTINGsmart! USA Knowledge Base

• Never blow down a muzzleloader barrel. The debris could blow back at you and burn your face.
• Never prime or cap a muzzleloader if you aren’t ready to fire.
• Never smoke near muzzleloaders—black powder is explosive.
• Never load more than one charge (if your muzzleloader is double-barreled, be careful not to load the same barrel twice).
• Never use smokeless powder in a muzzleloader and never use black powder in a modern cartridge firearm not designed for it. Follow the rules.
• Always protect your eyes, ears and arms when shooting a muzzleloader by wearing safety glasses, long sleeves and ear plugs.
• Always use brass accessories as cleaning tools to prevent sparks from being created during cleaning.

Wise Words: What’s That Smell?

If your black powder has been sitting around for a while, the granules will begin to cake, smell like ammonia and form white crystals (AKA: nitro glycerin!). If this happens, your powder has become unstable and you should immediately soak it in water to deactivate it. DON’T use it for shooting.