Blackhorn 209 Black Powder High Price

[Jonnyofalltrades]

I think that it is a really unique product. Non of the other substitutes have nearly the same characteristics. Anybody know what it is that makes it so good?
I have about a 5 year hoard, but I don't think I will be replenishing it.

Edit, apparently it "contains potassium nitrate, charcoal, and sulfur".
That looks like a bit of a red herring, as the SDS for it lists those ingredients as small amounts. The main ingredient is listed as a "nitrate ester". Google says that nitroglycerin and nitrocellulose are nitrate esters.
Interesting.

 

[msalm]

You wash the barrel out after every shot?

My take is that might work but is impractical while hunting. Last year I had to reload after hitting a buck too high above the shoulder. Needed a fast reload in the stand. 777 use makes an easy reload a study in body strength.

Yes, have a small container of pretreated patched (soak them and squeeze them out by hand) and one w/ dry. Just damp patch w/ dry patch after. Now you certainly CAN load one quickly after a shot and I have done it, and can probably do 3-4, but when time allows I will always damp wet patch and dry. Learned that from an uncle using original BP and it works just as well with 777.

 

[Pyscodog]

I tried BH209 in my Omega and a Knight I use to have. Both hated it so I went back to 777 and never looked back. I wouldn't use it today if they were giving it away.

 

[CaptainMal]

Yes, have a small container of pretreated patched (soak them and squeeze them out by hand) and one w/ dry. Just damp patch w/ dry patch after. Now you certainly CAN load one quickly after a shot and I have done it, and can probably do 3-4, but when time allows I will always damp wet patch and dry. Learned that from an uncle using original BP and it works just as well with 777.

Ballistol and water. Writing that down and will try it as a test. Thanks.

Still have maybe 15 oz of BH 209. More than enough for my hunting the next couple years. Got lots of different bullets and some 777. Now gonna' try your technique and practice a bit before the season opens in Georgia.

 

[Pyscodog]

We had a member at my club that was old school BP shooter. He shot mainly flinters. Years and years ago, I was having accuracy issues and he suggested trying his cleaning solution. I ran a damp patch followed by a couple of dry and my issues seemed to go away. I use his solution to this day, Equal parts of Hydrogen peroxide, Alcohol and Murphy's furniture soap. It will clean a BP barrel squeaky clean. Sounds crazy but it works.

 

[msalm]

Ballistol and water. Writing that down and will try it as a test. Thanks.

Still have maybe 15 oz of BH 209. More than enough for my hunting the next couple years. Got lots of different bullets and some 777. Now gonna' try your technique and practice a bit before the season opens in Georgia.

As a note, I DO short stroke 2-3 times at the bottom and you’ll feel the sugar (777 is sucrose base) dissolve and smooth out. Pull that one, push a dry patch down and back, turn it inside out and patch once more w/ clean side of patch then load and shoot. Adds less than a minute to your loading and you’ll always shoot w/ the same level of fouling. It works for me.

 

[CaptainMal]

Taped those directions around a jug of 777.

Also noted that price on the lid. 10 oz for $17.99.

 

[vonb]

777 is a great powder. All the talk about crud rings is just that, it's talk. A spit patch and dry patch between shots removes the crud ring easily enough when bench shooting. Shots stay consistent and rarely is more than 1-2 shots needed in the field. With that said, I can't get behind BH209 and the exorbitant prices.

If I want faux smokeless, I'll shoot real smokeless in my smokeless ML.

 

[Jonnyofalltrades]

As a note, I DO short stroke 2-3 times at the bottom and you’ll feel the sugar (777 is sucrose base) dissolve and smooth out. Pull that one, push a dry patch down and back, turn it inside out and patch once more w/ clean side of patch then load and shoot. Adds less than a minute to your loading and you’ll always shoot w/ the same level of fouling. It works for me.

I have found that to be excellent practice no matter what propellant I'm using.
My first muzzleloader would shoot about 6-8 inch groups, over a foot high and left from a fouled barrel, as compared to consistent 2 inch groups when swabbed between shots. It took me three confidence-destroying seasons to figure that out. The missed and wounded game from that time period still haunts me.

Blackhorn doesn't seem to do that for me, but I still don't trust anything until I see where a clean, cold bore shot lands.