A while back I read a thread on here about at least one person who hand his hand over the muzzle and supposedly static electricity cause the gun to gun off and he lost his hand or fingers. Up till now all I've owned was revolvers with loading levers, but now I got one with a ram rod. It bugs me puting my hand in front of the muzzle. You pretty much have to to use the starter and the ram rod, right? Any way to avoid it?

So am I being paranoid? How often has a muzzle loader gone off while being loaded?

More likely from a still smoldering ember left in the barrel.  The 'no hands over the muzzle' cannot be completely avoided but still should be minimized.

I shoot a .54 Flintlock. I bounce the ramrod up and down a few times to put out any embers. Never had a problem.

I highly doubt static electricity was the cuplrit.

Good on you for being muzzle aware.

Regarding static electricity...  This might ease your mind:  Electricity experiments

lean the muzzle out away from you.   Pour the powder from the side.  Patching between shots should help squash embers.  No fool proof as most have a chamber pocket not full barrel width that a jag will not fit in to.  

Don’t look down the bore as you load.  More than one black powder hunter has done so or while investigating a misfire and had a hangfire take the top of their head apart.

Statistically low odds but it can happen.   Better just recapping and attempting to fire again.

I load with the butt on top of my foot and the muzzle at a relaxed arms length but not an awkward full arms length.  More like my elbow near my side and my forearm extended. Ie butt on right foot top and left arm extended out and barrel diagonal, pour with my right hand.   Heck as of late for deer killing I am dropping IMR pellets.

It was mentioned above, but my preferred loading procedure minimizes the risk to the point that it’s not a concern at all(for me anyway).

Between shots I spit on a patch, then swab the bore.  That’s usually enough, but sometimes when I think I’ve used too much spit I’ll send a dry patch in afterwards.  Just dump the charge in after this.


If this loading method doesn’t remove your concern, honestly a long gun muzzleloader is probably not for you(don’t take this as an attack in anyway).


There is risk with black powder shooting, but with knowledge, and practice, it can be mitigated.

All good points.  Can i add..
When you grasp the ram-rod, grab in in your fist.  NEVER use your palm to push it down.
That way, in the unlikely case it does go off, it will send the ram-rod down range (up in the air?) instead of through your hand.