Anyone shooting a Savage smokeless muzzleloader ??!!!!!!!

Curtis, that's terrible. Do you know if it was overloaded or what exactly happened. Allen

Curtis, I can't tell from the pictures but smokeless powder is only approved to be used in Savage models 10ML-I and 10ML-II. 4759 is the powder of choice for a lot of older guns or hand guns that require lower pressures. A general rule of thumb is using 40% of the recommended black powder load. This is based on the original black powder loading specs. I REPEAT DO NOT USE THIS FORMULA FOR ANY OTHER BLACK POWDER GUNS OTHER THAN THE TWO LISTED ABOVE. For example, the .38-55, 40% of 55 = 22 grains of SR4759. You should always start a couple of grains lower and work your way up. This accident looks to me like there was an object stuck in the barrel. The same thing happened to me with a 12 gauge. A wadding didn't clear the barrel and stuck. Hope the best for the gentleman.

Curtis, Hope that guy's doing ok. Thats a nightmare come true to say the least! Tell him we wish him the BEST!!!!!

Yeah looks very much like an obstruction in the barrel. When I was doing hunters ed stuff we shoved a 20 guage shell into a 12 guage then loaded the 12 gauge properly and pulled the trigger (the whole rig was tied to a tree so no one was physically up against it) and it made a very similar looking split barrel. If I'd have to guess either 1. he didnt pack bullet against the powder properly or 2. had something shoved into the end of the barrel. I'm not 100% sure not packing it properly would do that but given the way pressures work inside the barrel its very possible.

I shoot a savage muzzle loader right like that gun and love the gun I don't use use my shot gun any more since I got that mussle loader I would be very interested in knowing just what happened there. Best of luck to that gentleman I guess those photos will flash in front of me for a while every time I go to shoot that gun.

Holy krap! That looked like it hurt