Manual

11
MUZZLELOADER SAFETY RULES CONT’D
• WHEN LOADING, BE CERTAIN THAT THE PROJECTILE IS
LOADED IN THE PROPER SEQUENCE AND THAT IT IS
SEATED PROPERLY. Serious personal injury or death can
result if the projectile is not seated properly. To provide a ref-
erence mark for future loadings, mark the ramrod at the muz-
zle once a projectile has been loaded to the proper depth.
NOTE: Be sure to recheck the ramrod mark if you change
loading components or alter the ramrod.
• NEVER POUND ON THE RAMROD. Black Powder and
approved Black Powder substitutes such as Pyrodex
®
are
potentially sensitive to impact and could ignite from impact.
Always keep the muzzle directed away from your face or body
when loading.
• BLACK POWDER AND BLACK POWDER SUBSTITURES
SUCH AS PYRODEX
®
LEAVE CORROSIVE RESIDUES IN
THE BORE AND ON THE GUN. A thorough cleaning is
absolutely necessary before storage for any amount of time to
keep the firearm functioning correctly and in safe condition.
•
UNDERST
AND THE TERMINOLOGY
“Charge” or “Charged”
which applies to the presence of a propellant powder charge
and projectile in the bore of the muzzleloading firearm.
• “Uncharge” or “Uncharged” refers to the opposite condition to
“Charged” and indicates that the powder charge and projectile
have been either fired or removed and that the bore is com-
pletely clear.
“Prime” or “Primed” applies to the act of placing a primer, cap
or priming powder in or on a muzzleloader.
• “Unprime” or “Unprimed” refers to the opposite condition of
“Primed” and indicates that the primer, cap or priming powder
has been removed from the firearm or is not in place.
•
NEVER PRIME YOUR MUZZLELOADING GUN UNTIL
YOU
ARE READY TO FIRE IT. Your muzzleloader should remain
unprimed until the instant before firing. After you prime the
firearm, your full concentration should be on the target and
the act of firing.