Manual

5
15 Wear protective gear when firing your muzzleloading firearm. Always
wear shooting glasses to protect your eyesight from air borne particles and ear
protectors to guard against hearing loss due to loud noise when firing your muz-
zleloader. Protect your arms from flying particles of percussion caps or priming
powder by wearing a heavy shirt or jacket with long sleeves.
WARNING: When
firing, stand well forward of all bystanders to ensure that they are not struck
by particles of powder or caps. Failure to follow this rule may cause serious
injury and/or death to the shooter or bystanders and damage to property.
Those wearing long hair or beards should use extra caution when firing a flint
lock. A flint lock can torch hair.
16 Do not load or prime your muzzleloading firearm directly from a can,
horn or flask.
A spark from a previous firing may ignite the stream of powder
being poured into the gun and cause the container to explode.
WARNING: The
explosion of powder can, horn or flask may cause serious injury and/or death
to the shooter or bystanders and damage to property. Use a separate pre-cal-
ibrated measuring device containing small quantities of powder to load and
prime your gun and keep your face, hands and body well away from the muz-
zle when loading and the pan when priming.
17 Do not smoke while using your muzzleloader.
The spark from a lighted
cigarette, cigar or pipe can ignite Black Powder, Pyrodex, Percussion Caps or
Primers.
WARNING: Smoking around a charged and/or primed muzzle-
loader, percussion caps, priming powder or supply of powder may cause pre-
mature firing of the gun or an explosion of the powder can, horn or flask
causing serious injury and/or death to the shooter or bystanders and damage
to property.
18 Keep powder, percussion caps, or primers well away from a firing posi-
tion or shooting bench.
A powder horn, flask, can of powder, box of percussion
caps or primers can ignite with deadly force if exposed to sparks or intense heat.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for safe handling and storage of powder or
caps.
WARNING: Keep unused caps, primers and powder well away from
firearms that are being discharged. Sparks from the discharge of a muzzle-
loading firearm may cause an unused supply of powder, caps or primers to
ignite causing serious injury and/or death to the shooter or bystanders and
damage to property.
19 Give the firearm your complete concentration.
Never cross a fence, jump
a ditch or engage in any activity which distracts your attention while holding or
carrying a charged and primed muzzleloading firearm.
20 Know the condition of your muzzleloading firearm before charging,
priming or firing.
Function the striker and trigger of your gun to be sure that the
par
ts ar
e working pr
operly befor
e loading a charge. Be sure the muzzleloading
fir
earm is properly loaded.
Use r
ecommended loads of BLACK POWDER OR
PYRODEX ONL
Y for your specific model and caliber
.
Mark your ramr
od as
explained in this booklet and always be certain that the ball, bullet or shot charge
is seated properly on the powder charge. Be sure the barrel is clear of obstructions
(including excess oil, mud, dirt, snow or any foreign material).
WARNING: Fail-