simplesimon
New Member
A buddy of mine sent this to me and I thought I would pass it along to you guys and gals....
HIGH PERFORMANCE MUZZLELOADING Press Release
August 24, 2004
SMOKELESS MUZZLELOADING SAFETY WARNING
HIGH PERFORMANCE MUZZLELOADING host Toby Bridges has been
the biggest proponent of the "smokeless powder" Savage muzzleloader ever
since the company introduced the system back in 2000. And to date, he has
logged more than 35,000 rounds through the Savage Model 10ML II. However, a
catastrophic failure while test firing the rifle earlier this year nearly
cost him his life.
The tests being conducted back in mid March were to
determine the failure point of modern sabots when shooting powders
recommended in the Savage Model 10ML II owner's manual. Plus he was testing
the longevity of an internal part of the ignition system for Savage Arms.
After running a series of shots with 48-grain charges of Accurate Arms 5744,
with no excessive pressure signs with the primers or recovered sabots, he
moved up to 49 grains of the same powder. And when the trigger was pulled,
the rifle literally came apart in front of his eyes. The rear 9 inches of
barrel split in several areas, with a 6-inch section of steel disappearing
downrange, beyond the 100-yard berm. The 3-9x40 scope was ripped from the
bases, and broken in two. The front objective and lens was blown 25 yards
forward of the shooting bench, while the rear 3/4ths of the scope passed
within inches of the shooter's head and landed in the parking lot 75 yards
away. The laminated wood stock was reduced to a pile of splinters.
Fortunately, Bridges was not hit by any of the flying debris
and was not injured physically. However, he has this to say about the
incident, "Having a pipe bomb literally explode right in your face has an
impact on you, whether you're hit by flying metal and wood or not. On the
way home from the range that day, I became so shaken when thinking back on
the incident that I had to pull off the highway twice to regain my
composure. And even though it's been four months since the rifle failed, I
still have great difficulty sleeping at night."
HIGH PERFORMANCE MUZZLELOADING web magazine has also been
contacted by 3 others who have experienced pressure problems in the Savage
"smokeless powder"
muzzleloaders. None of the rifles were as severely damaged as the
rifle that exploded on Toby Bridges (photos above). And fortunately, one of
the other Savage muzzleloader owners only received minor injuries.
No one has been a stronger supporter of the Savage Model
10ML II than Toby Bridges. Early on, he conducted most all of the early
testing of this rifle for the company, plus compiled all of the compatible
powders for this system. And to date, no one else has logged as many
smokeless rounds through a Savage Model 10ML II than he has.
And even with this knowledge of the system and the loads for
this rifle, this muzzleloading expert has now witnessed the devastation that
can be caused by smokeless powder loads in a rifle of muzzleloading design.
Here is a rifle that went through years of development and engineering, and
yet was still susceptible to the unpredictable power of modern
nitrocellulose-based smokeless powders.
"Savage Arms has not done a very good job of educating the
shooting public about the powders, nor the amounts, that can be loaded and
shot out of their Model 10ML II. The manual that came with the rifle that
exploded on me lists some recommended starting loads, but nowhere does it
say these loads should be considered "maximum". In fact, the manual
recommends loading a little more or a little less to find the charge that
shoots best out of a particular Savage muzzleloader," claims Bridges.
The manual states "Note: The Savage Model 10ML II is
designed, engineered and built to withstand the higher pressures of modern
smokeless propellants such as those listed above."
The powders listed include IMR-4227, Accurate Arms XMP-5744
and VihtaVuori N110. However, the loose interpretation of "propellants such
as those listed above" has resulted in many shooters now loading and
shooting powders that are not all that compatible with this system, such as
Hodgdon's LIL' GUN. This is a fine rolled powder developed for use in .410
shotshells. Some Model 10ML II shooters are loading and shooting more than
50 grains of this powder to get a saboted 250-grain bullet out of the Model
10ML II muzzle at around 2,700 f.p.e. And such loads are producing in
excess of 60,000 p.s.i. inside the muzzleloader's barrel. That's more than
the recommended maximum loads for the .300 Winchester Magnum.
The Savage muzzleloader shooter who received minor injuries
from the excessive pressures produced in his rifle was shooting a load of
LIL' GUN that had been recommended by a Savage engineer.
Early in the production of this system, Savage claimed to
have run a series of tests to see what it would take to severely damage one
of the rifles. One report was that 90 grains of Red Dot was loaded into one
of the rifles, then topped with three saboted 300-grain bullets (90 grains
of projectile)...and when the rifle was fired from a remote location, the
load only bent the recoil lug. And due to such reports, Model 10ML II
shooters continually develop hotter and hotter loads, feeling that the rifle
is infallible.
Toby Bridges is very likely the top muzzleloading expert in
the country today, with nine books on the topic to his credit, and currently
hosts the leading source of high performance muzzleloading information on
the internet today. He has never considered any muzzleloader infallible,
but had shot the Savage 10ML II more than enough to put all of his trust
into the system. Now, after experiencing a catastrophic failure of that
system, he's just happy to still be alive.
"I now question if muzzleloding will ever be to the point
where smokeless powders can be safely used in a mass produced front-loaded
rifle. I feel confident that we now have custom gun makers who have the
ability to build such a rifle on a modern center-fire rifle action, using
the best quality barrel and internal parts that can withstand the punishment
of hot smokeless loads. But, I'm not sure that the average shooter is fully
capable of following the stringent loading practices necessary to keep
smokeless muzzleloading safe," says Bridges.
Any Publication Wishing Photos of the Blown Rifle Above Should E-mail
Us At:
[email protected]
HIGH PERFORMANCE MUZZLELOADING Press Release
August 24, 2004
SMOKELESS MUZZLELOADING SAFETY WARNING
HIGH PERFORMANCE MUZZLELOADING host Toby Bridges has been
the biggest proponent of the "smokeless powder" Savage muzzleloader ever
since the company introduced the system back in 2000. And to date, he has
logged more than 35,000 rounds through the Savage Model 10ML II. However, a
catastrophic failure while test firing the rifle earlier this year nearly
cost him his life.
The tests being conducted back in mid March were to
determine the failure point of modern sabots when shooting powders
recommended in the Savage Model 10ML II owner's manual. Plus he was testing
the longevity of an internal part of the ignition system for Savage Arms.
After running a series of shots with 48-grain charges of Accurate Arms 5744,
with no excessive pressure signs with the primers or recovered sabots, he
moved up to 49 grains of the same powder. And when the trigger was pulled,
the rifle literally came apart in front of his eyes. The rear 9 inches of
barrel split in several areas, with a 6-inch section of steel disappearing
downrange, beyond the 100-yard berm. The 3-9x40 scope was ripped from the
bases, and broken in two. The front objective and lens was blown 25 yards
forward of the shooting bench, while the rear 3/4ths of the scope passed
within inches of the shooter's head and landed in the parking lot 75 yards
away. The laminated wood stock was reduced to a pile of splinters.
Fortunately, Bridges was not hit by any of the flying debris
and was not injured physically. However, he has this to say about the
incident, "Having a pipe bomb literally explode right in your face has an
impact on you, whether you're hit by flying metal and wood or not. On the
way home from the range that day, I became so shaken when thinking back on
the incident that I had to pull off the highway twice to regain my
composure. And even though it's been four months since the rifle failed, I
still have great difficulty sleeping at night."
HIGH PERFORMANCE MUZZLELOADING web magazine has also been
contacted by 3 others who have experienced pressure problems in the Savage
"smokeless powder"
muzzleloaders. None of the rifles were as severely damaged as the
rifle that exploded on Toby Bridges (photos above). And fortunately, one of
the other Savage muzzleloader owners only received minor injuries.
No one has been a stronger supporter of the Savage Model
10ML II than Toby Bridges. Early on, he conducted most all of the early
testing of this rifle for the company, plus compiled all of the compatible
powders for this system. And to date, no one else has logged as many
smokeless rounds through a Savage Model 10ML II than he has.
And even with this knowledge of the system and the loads for
this rifle, this muzzleloading expert has now witnessed the devastation that
can be caused by smokeless powder loads in a rifle of muzzleloading design.
Here is a rifle that went through years of development and engineering, and
yet was still susceptible to the unpredictable power of modern
nitrocellulose-based smokeless powders.
"Savage Arms has not done a very good job of educating the
shooting public about the powders, nor the amounts, that can be loaded and
shot out of their Model 10ML II. The manual that came with the rifle that
exploded on me lists some recommended starting loads, but nowhere does it
say these loads should be considered "maximum". In fact, the manual
recommends loading a little more or a little less to find the charge that
shoots best out of a particular Savage muzzleloader," claims Bridges.
The manual states "Note: The Savage Model 10ML II is
designed, engineered and built to withstand the higher pressures of modern
smokeless propellants such as those listed above."
The powders listed include IMR-4227, Accurate Arms XMP-5744
and VihtaVuori N110. However, the loose interpretation of "propellants such
as those listed above" has resulted in many shooters now loading and
shooting powders that are not all that compatible with this system, such as
Hodgdon's LIL' GUN. This is a fine rolled powder developed for use in .410
shotshells. Some Model 10ML II shooters are loading and shooting more than
50 grains of this powder to get a saboted 250-grain bullet out of the Model
10ML II muzzle at around 2,700 f.p.e. And such loads are producing in
excess of 60,000 p.s.i. inside the muzzleloader's barrel. That's more than
the recommended maximum loads for the .300 Winchester Magnum.
The Savage muzzleloader shooter who received minor injuries
from the excessive pressures produced in his rifle was shooting a load of
LIL' GUN that had been recommended by a Savage engineer.
Early in the production of this system, Savage claimed to
have run a series of tests to see what it would take to severely damage one
of the rifles. One report was that 90 grains of Red Dot was loaded into one
of the rifles, then topped with three saboted 300-grain bullets (90 grains
of projectile)...and when the rifle was fired from a remote location, the
load only bent the recoil lug. And due to such reports, Model 10ML II
shooters continually develop hotter and hotter loads, feeling that the rifle
is infallible.
Toby Bridges is very likely the top muzzleloading expert in
the country today, with nine books on the topic to his credit, and currently
hosts the leading source of high performance muzzleloading information on
the internet today. He has never considered any muzzleloader infallible,
but had shot the Savage 10ML II more than enough to put all of his trust
into the system. Now, after experiencing a catastrophic failure of that
system, he's just happy to still be alive.
"I now question if muzzleloding will ever be to the point
where smokeless powders can be safely used in a mass produced front-loaded
rifle. I feel confident that we now have custom gun makers who have the
ability to build such a rifle on a modern center-fire rifle action, using
the best quality barrel and internal parts that can withstand the punishment
of hot smokeless loads. But, I'm not sure that the average shooter is fully
capable of following the stringent loading practices necessary to keep
smokeless muzzleloading safe," says Bridges.
Any Publication Wishing Photos of the Blown Rifle Above Should E-mail
Us At:
[email protected]
