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Thread: Triple Seven or Blackhorn?

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master FergusonTO35's Avatar
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    Triple Seven or Blackhorn?

    Hey folks. I am planning to buy some new powder after work today for my NEF Huntsman. The place I go usually has both T7 and Blackhorn in stock. My budget is pretty tight right now and I can only afford one of them. Which would be your choice and why? I am currently shooting the 250 grain Lee REAL boolit over 80 grains Pyrodex RS lubed with Bore Butter. Also, do these powders work well with Bore Butter? How about LLA? Thanks!
    Last edited by FergusonTO35; 10-16-2015 at 09:56 AM.
    Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master



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    I cannot fully answer your question since i only I only use Blackhorn 209 with sabots in my inlines. Blackhorn is really smokeless bulk powder with a little smoke added. Fouling is very very light. It is harder to ignite so do not use 209ML's.

    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ackhorn-powder

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master FergusonTO35's Avatar
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    Thanks. I e-mailed Western Powders about it and they got back to me quickly. The tech guy said I would have to use a Metrics breech plug in my rifle, also not to use Bore Butter or other blackpowder lubes. All my boolits are lubed with Bore Butter, I don't have time to get a new breech plug and switch everything over. I suppose right now I will get T7 and get BH209 after I cast some new boolits. I wonder if LLA works with BH209?
    Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master FergusonTO35's Avatar
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    Bought some T7 after work and was able to try a few shots at 40 yards or so. I was using 70 grains which is a mild load of Pyrodex, however it kicks and sounds more like 90 grains. Hodgdon's website says T7 produces more velocity than Pyro or BP so that is a built in savings I suppose. Produces alot of smoke too. Accuracy was at least as good as Pyro, maybe a little better. Reloads do require more effort but are doable, I guess I can live with that.

    When it came time to clean I was surprised at how little fouling came out. Normally my pan of hot water turns blue pretty quick but not with T7. The patch on the cleaning jag remained surprisingly clean too. I have read on other forums that T7 fouling isn't nearly as prone to cause rusting as Pyro or BP. If that is true then Triple 7 is a real winner.
    Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master



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    If you like T7 you will love Blackhorn when you make the switch.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master FergusonTO35's Avatar
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    I don't doubt that, just wish it wasn't so much $$$. I'll use up all my BP type components and then change over.
    Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master



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    A couple of years ago Cabelas had an end of the year sale on the 10oz. With my military discount and sale price I purchased a total of 5 pounds for $122.00. Wished I purchased more.

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master FergusonTO35's Avatar
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    Was that an actual 5 pounds or 5 10 oz. cans? $24.40/10 ounces is a good price compared to the norm but still way more than every other muzzleloader powder out there. I think Accurate will keep the price high until somebody comes up with a real competitor or the patent expires.
    Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master



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    It was 8 10oz cans. Like I stated I should have purchased it all. They had 12 or 14 more. I had never used it before.

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master FergusonTO35's Avatar
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    Well, now that is a really good deal! I don't see it happening to me any time soon though.
    Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master FergusonTO35's Avatar
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    Tried out the T7 some more after work today. 70 grains in my NEF Huntsman with the 250 grain Lee REAL shoots perfectly to point of aim at 50 yards. My rifle wears a Williams ghost ring sight as do most of my lever actions. If this continues I may not even bother with Blackhorn. T7 costs alot less and is always in stock.
    Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by M-Tecs View Post
    If you like T7 you will love Blackhorn when you make the switch.
    This is good to know but I may not run out of 777 any time soon.

    Motor

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master FergusonTO35's Avatar
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    Update: been using T7 for three years now and am quite happy with it. The fouling is crusty but pretty easy to clean up, Thompson Center T17 works great. I have also found accuracy doesn't diminish as quickly from fouling as it does with Pyrodex. Only real difference is the rifle is a little harder to load. Never had a bit of corrosion on any of my guns since I made the switch either. 70 grains under a PRB in my NEF Huntsman is at least as accurate as the 250 grain Lee REAL, that is what I am hunting with right now. After the season, T7 goes on clearance at Walmart so I always pick up extras.
    Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master FergusonTO35's Avatar
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    Hey gang, still using Triple 7 and quite happy with it. Those of you that use it, how many shots can you fire before accuracy falls away? I'm currently shooting 65 grains under a 250 grain Lee REAL in my Huntsman. The first 5 or 6 shots are pretty much dead on, next 5 or 6 will wander a little bit. After that fuhgedaboutit, might as well be shooting a smoothbore with an undersize boolit.
    Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master FergusonTO35's Avatar
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    Wow, this forum doesn't get much traffic. Anyhow, still shooting the T7 and have discovered it works great in my sidelocks, which never functioned well with Pyrodex, including my 1980's CVA Plainsman with a dogleg ignition path. The fouling is crusty but cleans up fast and easy. Good job Hodgdon!
    Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.

  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy
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    Tried the American Pioneer it was awful. Then tried T7, used it for a year or so. Then found Blackhorn used it for several years, still do. Last two years I’ve been experimenting with real black powder.

    If I am going on a fill the freezer hunt it’s Blackhorn, I know it and trust it.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master

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    I use BH 209 in cartridges and it works very well. I really like it, but it is pricey. So I mostly use it in smaller cartridges. But I have tried it in .50-70 and .50-95 too. It works equally well in these.

  18. #18
    Boolit Grand Master FergusonTO35's Avatar
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    I'm actually getting back into sidelocks, so I will probably stick with T7 for the forseeable future.
    Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.

  19. #19
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    T7 is a very accurate powder but clean up isn’t near as good as 209 powder. 209 powder is a very very accurate powder. stay away from pyrodex. will rust your gun out faster than any thing out their. if you use pyrodex in a 45/70 cartridge or anything like that use a scale to weigh and use a drop tube. then most of all dont compress. then a 60 thousands wad over the powder. also duplex it with 7 grains of shot gun powder on the bottom of the case. it will shoot accurate then. clean like crazy when done shooting. pyrodex rusts like nuts. many years ago a famouse American shooter won a South African long range shoot useing a 475 grain cast boolit with a pyrodex load like described. i will never use it but it can be made to work well with care.

  20. #20
    Boolit Grand Master FergusonTO35's Avatar
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    I hate Pyrodex and will never use it again. Last night, I had my first ever misfire with T7 after 5 years of using it. On the sixth round fired from my old CVA sidelock percussion the cap popped but the rifle didn't fire. Stuck my nipple pick down the flash hole and found no powder in the drum. I suspect that fouling prevented the powder from getting in there when I tamped it with the ramrod, or I didn't tamp it hard enough. Subsequent rounds I made sure to tamp it firmly and also probed with the nipple pick to ensure powder was getting into the drum, they all fired no problem.
    Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check