Blackhorn 209 new black powder

[C.E.G2860]

I was looking around today and I found this new black powder on the web. I looked it up and it cost about $27.00 a pound.
Does anybody know about it or used it yet.
Here's a little on it that I found.


BLACKHORN 209 vs TRIPLE SEVEN[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]
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For those of you who have been waiting, Western Powders is now shipping their revolutionary new muzzle-loader propellant -Blackhorn 209. And, as I suspected it would be, one of the most commonly asked questions by modern in-line ignition rifle owners has been... "How does the new powder stack up against Hodgdon's popular Triple Seven?"

Right off, let me say that Triple Seven is one very fine powder, and I will be the last to badmouth it. In my opinion, when it comes to muzzleloader propellants, Triple Seven has been the very best that's been readily available since its introduction six or seven years ago. Until now. There is now a new horse in the muzzleloader powder race, and Blackhorn 209 will definitely be giving Triple Seven a run for the money - the money that muzzleloading hunters have to spend on the power source for their No. 209 primer ignition muzzle-loaded in-line big game hunting rifles. Based on six months of shooting and hunting with Western Powders' new propellant, here is my comparison of the two very modern powders for today's muzzleloading rifles.

 

[C.E.G2860]

Here Is A Head-To-Head Comparison Of The Two Powders!




IGNITION

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While Triple Seven is a bit more sensitive to ignition, and out of some rifles, can be ignited by No. 11 percussion cap, most shooters have found that it takes at least the heat and fire of a larger winged musket cap to insure ignition. Still, the powder gives best ignition performance when ignited with a No. 209 shot-shell primer.

Blackhorn 209 has been developed specifically for today's advanced No. 209 primer ignition in-line rifles, and I have not gotten it to ignite once with No. 11 caps. Likewise, ignition with winged musket caps is extremely iffy, with misfires and hang fires common. However, the new powder gives 100% sure-fire ignition with standard No. 209 shot-shell primers, such as the Winchester No. 209A. (Note: Blackhorn 209 is not compatible with either the Winchester Triple Seven or Remington Kleanbore ML No. 209 primers, both of which were develped for use with Hodgdon's Triple Seven.)

 

[C.E.G2860]

VELOCITY & ENERGY

Compared to earlier black powder substitutes, like Hodgdon's older Pyrodex, both Triple Seven and ]Blackhorn209 are extremely energetic powders.

Shooting last fall with my favorite .50 caliber Knight DISC Extreme revealed that with a 100-grain volume- measured charge of Pyrodex "RS Select", the powder would get a saboted 260-grain Harvester Muzzleloading "Scoprion PT Gold" out of the muzzle (26" barrel) at 1,656 f.p.s. - which is about the same as when shooting the same amount of FFFg black powder. The same rifle and bullet gave 1,944 f.p.s. with a 100-grain volume-measured charge of FFFg Triple Seven... and 1,968 f.p.s. with the same volume-measured amount of Blackhorn 209. In comparison, the Blackhorn 209 load generates 2,236 f.p.e., while the Triple Seven load is good for 2,179 f.p.e.

Upping the powder charge to 110 grains of each powder pushes the Triple Seven velocity to 2,018 f.p.s. (with 2,353 f.p.e.) and the Blackhorn 209 velocity to 2,039 f.p.s. (with 2,400 f.p.e.). Note: These are all volume-measured charges. By actual weight, a 100-grain volume-measured charge of either Triple Seven Blackhorn 209 will be right at 70 grains.

BORE FOULING

One of Blackhorn 209'smost outstanding traits is that the bore does not have to be wiped between shots to maintain excellent accuracy. In fact, with some saboted bullets, I find that my .50 caliber Knight rifle, which came with a premium quality Green Mountain barrel as standard equipment, gives its very best accuracy when the bore IS NOT WIPED between shots. The fouling left behind is extremely light, and does not build with successive shooting. In one shooting test, I actually shot all afternoon, putting 50 shots through one not-so-big hole at 100 yards. All 50 of the 300-grain Harvester Muzzleloading saboted "Scorpion PT Gold" bullets printed inside of 1 3/4 inches. And the bore was not wiped once. Anyone who has shot withTriple Seven charges will attest that shooters must wipe the bore between shots to maintain accuracy. I've found that in a tight hunting situation, I can get in a reload and second shot with Triple Seven without wiping the bore. But a third shot is always off the mark by several inches...and a fourth shot is totally out of the question.

(Note: When using standard strength No. 209 shot-shell primers for ignition, charges of Triple Seven tend to leave a hard, cursty ring in the bore, just about where the saboted bullet seats over the powder chaerge..This "crudring", as shooters have come to call it, prevents the shooter from seating the projectile in the exact same spot shot after shot - unless time in taken to thoroughly wipe the bore. In worse cases, this ring has also seized the jag and cleaning patch...requiring the breech plug to be removed and often the use of a second rod to tap out the stuck ramrod/loading rod.
The use of special Winchester Triple Seven or Remington Kleanbore ML 209 primers, which retail for about twice that of standard 209 shot-shell primers, help eliminate this problem.)

ACCURACY

The shooter who does take the minute or so required to wipe fouling (and the crud ring) from the bore will find Triple Seven to produce some outstanding accuracy. In fact, for several years, the powder was the only propellant would use on a hunt, and it has produced some of the finest groups I've ever shot with muzzle-loaded rifles. I'm now getting that same kind of accuracy with Blackhorn 209 without having to wipe the bore.
The load I hunted with last fall consisted of 110-grains of Blackhorn 209 and the 300-grain"Scorpion PT Gold" bullet. For ignition, I relied exclusively on the standard Winchester 209A primer, which sells for about half of what the special Triple Seven Primers go for, and my Knight DISC Extreme (Long Range Hunter model) would consistently keep shots inside of 1 1/4 inches at 100 yards. On a few really good days, the rifle and I punched a few very impressive 1/2- to 3/4-inch groups. This heavier version of the Harvester Muzzleloading saboted polymer-tipped spire-point, pushed by 110-grains of the new powder is good for 1,945 f.p.s., with 2,521 f.p.e. Out at 200 yards, where some pre-season shooting revealed the rifle and bullet would keep five shots at 2 1/2 to 3 inches, the load plows home with 1,329 foot-pounds of retained energy. Several deer taken with the load at 150 to 185 yards were put down within 20 yards of being hit with 1,500 to 1,600 foot-pounds of retained energy.

To insure precise shot placement, the rifle I hunted with was topped with one of the multi-reticle Leatherwood/Hi-Lux HPML scopes that I helped develop, mostly shooting these same Harvester Muzzleloading bullets.

More recently, on my new test range just outside of Missoula, MT, I have taken my volume-measured , Blackhorn 209 charges up to 120-grains. According to the folks at Western Powders, the pressures created by this amount of powder behind the 300-grain bullet are still less than with the so-called 150-grain charges of Triple Seven Pellets . The load gives me 2,030 f.p.s., compared to just 1,918 f.p.s. with three 50-grainTriple Seven Pellets. The Blackhorn 209load is good for 2,826 f.p.e., while the Triple Seven Pellet load generates 2,448 f.p.e. The lighter 260-grain "Scorpion PT Gold", propelled by 120-grains of Blackhorn 209, gets out of the 26" Green Mountain barrel at 2,153 f.p.s., with 2,675 f.p.e. Both loads, without wiping the bore, have still proved capable of keeping some groups inside of an inch. My best hundred yard group with the 300-grain bullet has been an astounding 5/8-inch three-shot cluster.





CLEANING



Triple Seven fouling has been relatively easy to get out of the bore, using nothing more than water. In fact, on one management doe hunt, I cleaned my rifle every evening with just saliva-dampened patches. And on that hunt, I took 11 does in 5 days. However, like quite a few shooters, I have never been all that crazy about cleaning the bore of a tack-driving rifle with water or water-based soapy solutions.
Truth is, you do not want to use water or water-based soapy solution to clean out what little Blackhorn 209 fouling that's left in the bore. It tends to turn the fouling to a sticky surface in the bore. Instead, to clean away this fouling, it takes just one or two patches dampened with a modern bore solvent, such as good ol' Hoppe's No. 9. (Western Powders has also developed one of its "Montana Extreme" cleaning solvents expressly for Blackhorn 209.) With Triple Seven powder, some shooters (including your's truly) have experienced difficulties getting stuck breech plugs out of rifles. Thanks to the non-building tendencies of fouling, with just a light coat of grease type lubricant on the threads of a breech plug, that problem could be a thing of the past.

Both powders are non-corrosive. However, Hodgdon Powder Company warns that Triple Seven fouling does tend to draw moisture if left in the bore or on other metal surfaces for any length of time. During my testing last fall, I hunted several months with the same rifle and ]Blackhorn 209, not cleaning the rifle once - even though the muzzleloader was fired a hundred or more times during that period. When I did tear it down for cleaning, the breech plug came right out...and the bore was wiped spotless with two modern solvent dampened patches. In short, the rifle cleaned up in basically the same time it takes to clean the same rifle after a single afternoon at the range.

 

[HAWKEYE50ML]

1.5" groups at 220yds., 85g BH209, 200g. T/C ShockWave Sabot...Need I say more?

 

[Varmint Hunter]

You've got the price wrong but most of the other info is good. Blackhorn 209 sells for $30-$40 a can (not a pound). A can of Blackhorn 209 is only 10oz.

With that said, the stuff is worth every penny. High velocity, great accuracy, and no swabbing between shots. Actually, you don't have to clean your rifle for the whole season because it is non-corrosive, unlike every other BP substitute. It also does not attract/absorb humidity so it will not degrade the way 777 does when left for a period of time.

My T/C 209x50 shoots about 2" groups @ 200 yds when using 120gr of BH 209 under a 250 gr Shockwave. Sometimes slightly larger or smaller but very tight for shooting whitetails at that range.

I gave away all of my 777, Shockeys Gold and various pellets to another shooter at the range. He was very happy to get all of the stuff for free. I was happy to get rid of it!

 

[WRG]

Aside from everything posted here the one thing I can add is I can't understand for the life of me why the manufacturer fails to promote the awsome ES/SD this powder produces. At the range every round I fire is over a chronograph and I am totaly amazed by it's consistantcy! The velocity standard deviations run in the low teens with a typical extreme spread of 5-6 FPS (KEY). Does anyone here know what that means? It means accuracy that's what it means!

Just let me say you won't find that kind of consistancy with any other BP substitute on the market today. I know, I have tried them all. It really is a NO-BRAINER!

My T/C Prohunter shoots 110 gr BH209, 250 gr Barnes TMZ Spitfire, Harvester HP Sabot, Winchester 209 ignition. Velocity average = 2019 FPS.

Cuts holes @ 100 meters all day long. One of my most accurate rifles.

I must add that I have done extensive modifications to my Prohunter that helps with the accuracy that cannot be achieved with a "out of the box" Prohunter!

Check out Mike Bellm


WRG

 

[HAWKEYE50ML]

What optics due you have on the rifle?

 

[BH Hunter]

Blackhorn is GREAT! I would not go back to anything else I have tried... Jim Shockey's was not good. Triple seven good but not in the same league for me. I told several friends and after they tried 209 they switched. BD

 

[WRG]

Nikon Omega 3 x 9 x 40mm with the Tally one piece base & rings. At first I thought it was junk! I had bought a .300 Win Mag Begara barrel for the Prohunter and took it off the ML barrel because I needed a scope to break in the new barrel and work up some reloads. I couldn't get the rifle to hit the same spot consistantly. As it turned out the locking bolt on the barrel has 0.010 play up & down and it wouldn't lock up tight. The more I shot the worse it got. One shot would be dead on and the next would be 4" high @ 12 o'clock. After finding this out I put the scope back on the ML barrel and it works perfectly. There shouldn't be any measureable clearance with a standard feeler gage on the locking bolt. What I mean is less than 0.001. Right now I'm waiting for Begara to fix the problem.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I'd be shocked if Hodgdon (or some other powder manufacturer) doesn't come out with a competing BP substitute that has similar qualities. That should bring the price down pretty quick. Consumption will go wayyyy up too.

For now I'll pay the $35/ 10oz. and be happy with the results.

 

[edge]

Blackhorn is a fairly bulky powder so it lasts longer than 777 on a volume basis.

edge.

 

[WRG]

Ya, and because it's so bulky I run it threw my Chargemaster 1500. Because of the price $42.00 a 10oz jug every granual is worth something "to me anyways". I hate watching them drop to the ground everytime I measure out a load. So I find a good charge and weigh it on the scale. Load up a bunch of viles and bring them to the range with me. No more waisted powder and a more consistant charge from shot to shot. Actually I have been doing this for 30 years when all that was out there was BP!

 

[Underclocked]

Powder Valley, Inc. powders, accurate, top of list $26.65/container

and HAZMAT of course.

 

[dumbear]

This is great infomation here. I have a couple of questions though. First off I have been using sm. rifle primers in the 209 adapters from Precision Rifle w/777 and wonder if these would ignite the Blackhorn powder. Second, I was going to try the new IMR white hots as I've read good things about it as well. Anyone on here tried this new IMR stuff?