Blackhorn 209?

[tomandjerry00]

So I've been shooting 777 Magnum pellets the past couple of years and am fed up with how dirty they are.

I have a CVA optima and shoot two pellets with a 250 grain TC Shockwave sabot in front of em with a muzzleloader primer. I cannot load a second shot without swabbing the bore! This didn't bother me too much until I needed the rifle to take a followup shot at a wounded deer this season and ended up knifing the poor thing instead. Not proud of that shot...

Anyway, a lot of posts seem to bring me to Blackhorn 209 as being one of the cleanest/best powders out there.

A couple of questions:

1. The Blackhorn bottle says not use "muzzleloader 209" primers and instead to use only "regular 209 primers". Why is this and does it matter? (I have tons of muzzleloader 209 primers I'd like to use up)
2. Is this the best/good powder choice for my CVA? Other options (preferably pellets) out there?

 

[jimbobborg]

I was recommended White Hots when I asked about a cleaner burning pellet. It does work better and is cleaner than when I used Pyrodex pellets.

 

[tomandjerry00]

Thanks for the recommendation jimbobborg!

I'm surprised no one else has any thoughts on this...

 

[srholt18]

I use blackhorn 209 and I love it. I can shoot it 15-20 times at the range without a barrel swab, and with little to no build up at all.

The regular 209 primers are more powerful than the muzzleloader 209 primers, and blackhorn states that it requires them for a more consistent ignition. With that being said, I've never tested it with the muzzleloader primers.

The only draw back is you don't get the ease of use with the pellets, but I dont think I will ever go back to 777.

I'm using it in my T/C Pro Hunter Fx, 250 gr TC shockwaves, with 120 gr of blackhorn (equivalent to 3 777 pellets).

 

[Franklin]

I think i have mentioned BH209 in every thread i have posted on in this section.

do you have a closed breach plug? if you do have a closed breach plug, shoot the BH209 and you won't shoot anything else.

if your breech plug has slots cut in it and doesnt seal good around the flash hole, shoot black MZ. BH209 will not fire consistantly with an un sealed breech plug.

A couple of questions:

1. The Blackhorn bottle says not use "muzzleloader 209" primers and instead to use only "regular 209 primers". Why is this and does it matter? (I have tons of muzzleloader 209 primers I'd like to use up)standard 209 work fine but magnums are recomended per instructions. A a muzzleloader primer is a colder primer since BP,pyrodex and 777 light easy and slow. the primer unseats the powder before it is lit completly. BH209 has a higher ignition temprature and faster burn rate therefore requireing a hoter primer
2. Is this the best/good powder choice for my CVA? Other options (preferably pellets) out there? YES YES YES

 

[tomandjerry00]

Thanks for all the recommendations! 209 powder it is!

I was thinking of an 80 grain load? How does that sound?

Also, ignorant question here... Any powder measurer recommendations?

 

[shrpshtrjoe]

I use BH 209 with mag 209s in my prohunter and have never had a issue.. Awesome powder, wouldn't shoot anything else.. I'm shooting 90 grains and it does great

 

[Franklin]

Thanks for all the recommendations! 209 powder it is!

I was thinking of an 80 grain load? How does that sound?

Also, ignorant question here... Any powder measurer recommendations?

that would be an equivelant to 110 grains of loose 777. A 120 grain load is a magnum loading with BH!

get a push button powder horn and these https://www.westernpowders.com/blackhorn209?product_id=146

it makes loading a snap! should be able to get them both from cabelas and bass pro

 

[Franklin]

load data


http://www.blackhorn209.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/b209muzzleloaderdata.pdf

 

[frdfandc]

One thing to keep in mind when using the Blackhorn in a CVA muzzleloader is that you might get a failure to ignite.

A co-worker of mine uses the Blackhorn 209 and has had 3 misfires on his last outing. He contacted CVA and they told him to use the breech plug specifically designed for Blackhorn and other loose powders. Has not has anymore problems since installing the Blackhorn breech plug.

CVA makes a breech plug specific for using Blackhorn powders. It has a much larger flash hole.

http://www.cva.com/CVA-Store-View.php?id=177

 

[Kimber45]

I just started using Blackhorn this year and love it. I sighted in my new Traditions UL a few weeks ago. 12 shots without a swab. 90 grains of powder, 250 sabot, 3 shot group less then an inch at 100 yrds. Easy clean up when I got home. I like Federal 209A primers. They are one of the hottest out there. No issues with my limited use so far.
Good luck.

 

[tomandjerry00]

I like what i'm hearing, thanks!

And frdfandc, Thanks for the breech plug info! I gotta keep my eyes open to see if I can find one.

 

[Franklin]

I like what i'm hearing, thanks!

And frdfandc, Thanks for the breech plug info! I gotta keep my eyes open to see if I can find one.

get the federal 209M primers and you should not have a problem. try them first.

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

I'll agree with the BH209 recommendations. It seems to be the choice everyone speaks highly of. Franklin has become the authority on it for me and anything he has to say about it I'd have to agree with.

I use my 209 shotshell primers for my loose powders in my muzzleloaders, you could not pay me to use pellets. I've used all of the 209 "muzzleloader" primers and I don't seen any difference in any of them, but, since I got back in to reloading shotshells a few years ago I just use the shotshell primers for everything instead of buying different primers for muzzleloader and shotshell reloading.

Currently I have been using a 1000 box of Remington Premiere STS peimers for my 12, 20, and 16 gauge shotshells and I have been using them for 4 different Muzzleloaders in the past few months. Not a single issue with any of them in any combination.

I would not hesitate to go to 100 grains with a 250 grain bullet. I shoot only 300+ grain bullets in my ML rifles with 100 grains of Pyrodex RS and I shoot 60 grains of Pyrodex RS with a 255 grain bullet in my Optima pistol. There's not much difference between 60 grains and 80 grains, but, in a rifle I wouldn't go less than 90. I use to shoot 90 grains for years and I simply started shooting 100 grains because it was easier to measure in my speed loader with the scales on them. 80 grains to 100 grains makes no significant difference either.

I measure my powders in two different ways. For hunting I use the Traditions 5 in 1 speed loaders with the raised scale on them and for the rare target shooting / sighting in situations I use the 60 and 100 grain press and release brass spouts from Track Of The Wolf as seen HERE.

This is the speedloaders I use:

These are my 60 grain for my pistol using an old hot sauce bottle, and my 100 grain for my rifles using an old corn syrup bottle, brass spouts are a great time saver:

 

[armed ferret]

Took some BH209 out with my Omega today. First three attempts to shoot were failures to ignite.

Once I finally got it ignited, every successive shot was higher and further left, starting at 2 high/3 left, then another 4 higher and 2 further left than that.

So much for their horseshit claim about not needing to clean between shots.

At least I know the clean/cold shot is dead on at 100, so i'm fine using it in iowa on the 26th, but yeah. If I still have to clean between shots, there's no ****ing point to spending nearly twice as much on 10 ounces of powder as I do for 16 ounces of Pyrodex.

 

[Melnic]

Ferret
What primer did you use?

 

[armed ferret]

Remington, triple seven, CCI magnum, and federal magnum.

 

[JWBanshee]

I shoot an Omega with BH 209, cci 209 primers, never had an issue. I weigh out my charges at 77 grains. using harvester 300 grain bullets and their sabot.
I shot 20 times sighting in and playing around, the bullets startted to get tight around 17, but still seated where they were supposed to go.

 

[CEK]

I shoot a Traditions Vortek UL with 80gr Blackhorn, CCI 209M primers and Hornady 250gr SST. I've shot 20+ shots a one sitting without cleaning, never went more because I ran out of bullets, no change in accuracy and I am fairly confident I could have shot quite a few more. This combo at 100 yds shoots better than some centerfire rifles I have shot. Usually keeps groups around 1-1/2", scope is the Leupold 3x9 muzzleloader.