Blackhorn 209

[Heavy lead]

OK, with the risk of getting yelled at here I'm posing a question on Blackhorn 209. I've used pyrodex, 777, goex clear shot, shockey's gold and others and I'm in agreement with most here. Just stick to black, or at least granular 777 or pyrodex. However once again there is another savior of the bp world, this time at least what I can read this really looks different. Anyone have any experience with it, and if so is it REALLY non-corrosive. If it's not, I want nothing to do with it. If it is I'll use it if it's accurate.
Any help would be appreciated.

[corey012778]

read great reports on it. what gets me is the cost. for the price of on 10 oz can. I can buy 4 lbs of pyro p with shipping at one site. (they will cover haz mat up to 16lbs.) for the same cost of a 1 10oz can of blackhorn 209.

[GrizzLeeBear]

I saw Midsouths advertising for it a while back and thought, holy cow, $30 a lb! Didn't realize it was for only 10 oz.!!!:holysheep:shock::veryconfu

[Heavy lead]

Yup, it's expensive, but I'll tell you what if it really and truly is not hydroscopic, I'd buy some for the late ml season we have here in MI. Seems to me it may be nice for that. I've heard reports that it is absolutely not hydroscopic and truly non-corrosive, but we've all heard that one before.

[Arctosman]

It really IS all the Western Powders says it is!
Not hydroscopic.
Non-corrossive.
Meters very accurately.
No wiping/swabbing between shots-just shoot and shoot and shoot...no loss of accuracy
Petroleum solvent easy clean-up when you get home
No special black powder measuring or drop tubes.
Charges for metallic cartridges are 'by weight in grains'

It's already been said that this stuff is not going to be for everybody.

It cost me $29.95 for the 10oz. container at local Sportsmans Warehouse. It'll cost you $69.96 for one container shipped from Cabelas with the haz mat fees!

Their ballistics engineer just published his BPCR metallic cartridge loads. Go to website.... http://www.blackhorn209.com/home/ 'ente'r and look for 'load data' file download. Looks like some pretty impressive velocities.

Except for the largest of the big bores with their heaviest bullets it fills the case, sometimes with a little compression. Dacron filler recommended for few big bore/heavy bullet loads that do not fill case. An over powder wad and secure crimp is recommended to achieve best accuracy.

I'm working up some heavy .45-110 hunting loads for up coming Montana elk season. It works sweet so far.

I think they are going to sell a ton of this propellant when the word gets out.

[Underclocked]

It would appear to be all that is claimed. The guys at Modern Muzzleloader did a test on a new CVA Wolf - fired several rounds using BH209 then left it sit for over a month in Alabama. Not even a hint of corrosion.

100 grains by volume of BH209 will weigh ~67.5 grains so, even though it is still high, it isn't quite as bad as one might think.

The only real problem with the powder so far has been the fact that it takes a full power 209 primer in a certain type of plug/nipple and action. That is explained pretty well on the BH209 website. Anything short of that will result in hangfires or failure to fire. Another annoyance seems to be a build up of hard carbon deposits in the breech plug, but there are said to be easy solutions for that one.

I have some but have yet to shoot any of the powder.

[Potsy]

I would have been more interested if they'd have cleaned it, reloaded it, left it in Alabama for a month, and then seen if it would have went boom (my most important criteria for a muzzleloader propellant).

I tend to leave rifles loaded (after cleaning) throughout the season at least until they get shot at something. I've done this for at least 15 seasons with Black Powder and Musket Caps but I couldn't get away with it when I tried Pyro Pellets and musket caps. Or loose Pyrodex and No. 11's. Makes me wonder about the Blackhorn with 209's being mandatory.

A wise man once pointed out to me that Black Powder had to be kept in a fireproof safe at his sporting goods store. The Black Powder Substitutes were left out on the shelf where people could flick cigarrette ashes in them and small children could eat it. I guess that left a lasting lesson about ignition with me.

Didn't mean to rant about BP substitutes, and the BH209 sounds way cool for loading cartridges, it's just that I can't find anything better for MY needs than BP, at least this season.

[Underclocked]

I can now tell you for certain that Blackhorn 209 isn't worth spit for conical shooting.

[Rick N Bama]

It would appear to be all that is claimed. The guys at Modern Muzzleloader did a test on a new CVA Wolf - fired several rounds using BH209 then left it sit for over a month in Alabama. Not even a hint of corrosion.


That test was done by a fellow I sometimes see at the range. He says it's the best thing since sliced bread!

Rick

[Potsy]

I can now tell you for certain that Blackhorn 209 isn't worth spit for conical shooting.

Just cause I'm nosy; would you care to elaborate?

[Rattus58]

I think I read that post too, guy checked out the stuff and was quite unhappy with it delivering heavy conicals. If that site spoke english, I might have been able to do a search for you on it, but this is the best of my memories.

Aloha... Tom :cool:

[Underclocked]

I don't believe you can get sufficient seal using a soft lead conical. I only tried one shot with a 443 grain UC Short in a Knight KP1 using a Winchester 209. I had compressed the powder as much as I could with a 1/8" thick card wad before loading the bullet.

A double hiccup slow hangfire was the result.

Had already been told what would happen with conicals, but I had to see for myself. A person might duplex with some Black Mag 3 as it ignites easily and reliably - but that would be at least borderline silly.

The BH209 produced very little smoke by comparison to other subs and certainly to black powder. The recoil when shooting sabot'd bullets was quicker but seemed mild by comparison to other powders. I had no ignition issues while firing sabot loads and the BH209 produced reasonable accuracy from the rifle. There is also only a very faint odor which isn't obnoxious like that from T7.

I had flushed the bore and breechplug with 99% alcohol, allowed to drain, then used pressurized air to blow the barrel dry before going to shoot. From my readings, I knew that a fouling shot was needed for best results - what I didn't realize was how hard it would be to fire a squib load. I believe it took me a total of 7 primers and two separate charges of BH209 to get fire. It would surely be more effective and cheaper to load a full round rather than a squib load.

I'm going to try the Blackhorn next in a G2 Contender .45. I think it might prove to be a very good match for that rifle with light sabot'd rounds such as the 200 grain .400 XTP or Shockwave bullet. But that session is going to wait for another cooler morning.

[Heavy lead]

You know guys I stayed away from this thread for a while and have been reading your posts this am. Also looked around the last couple days at some other sources. Just an observation here, but this stuff sure sounds, looks, and smells like smokeless.

[GrizzLeeBear]

You know guys I stayed away from this thread for a while and have been reading your posts this am. Also looked around the last couple days at some other sources. Just an observation here, but this stuff sure sounds, looks, and smells like smokeless.

Ya, but at twice the price!

I just figured it out. $30 / 10 oz. = $48 / lb. !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rattus58]

Ya, but at twice the price!

I just figured it out. $30 / 10 oz. = $48 / lb. !!!!!!!!!!!!

No Child left behind...... just some of us is a little slower than the rest... now me fer example... always like bein at the back of the pack cuz usually that's where the gurls was runnin and I always loved bringin up the rear... :)

Aloha.... :cool:

[13Echo]

I just got an email back from a true expert on blackpowder and other propellants. He said that there is a portion of the powder that is very water soluble. The rest dissolves in acetone and will form a plastic like sheet on drying that burns like a nitrocellulose propellant. In other words Blackhorn is a smokeless powder with retarders to modify the burn and pressure curve and additives to give a simulation of blackpowder smoke.

I think I'll stick to real black powder.

Jerry Liles