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12-10-2011 | 12:33 PM

#1

cayugad

Dominant Buck

Joined: Feb 2003

Posts: 21,193

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From: Wisconsin

More Testing of BlackHorn 209

I have been having some luck and some strange things happen when shooting BlackHorn 209. I am happy to say the ignition problem was solved with the advise of forum members. I switched to CCI primers and ignition has been center fire like.

I also took the advise of members and have not been swabbing. I will say that the BlackHorn loaded fine in the Remington Genesis today. I was using a MMP HPH-24 sabot which normally loads real stiff. But today it was moderately hard to load but good and solid on the powder.

The rifle in question was my...

.50 caliber Remington Genesis stainless steel 1-28 twist rifle
Nikon Omega (no BDC) 3-9x40mm scope
Powder: BlackHorn 209
Primer: CCI
Range: 52 yards (same places in the snow)
Sabots: MMP HPH 24
Projectile: Hornady .452 300 grain XTP (range rod used to seat)
Weather: snowing, cold, windy, over cast

We have several inches of snow on the ground here in Northern Wisconsin, and it was trying to snow today. But it was a cross wind and very cold. Today I wore gloves most of the time.

I had reduced the amount of BlackHorn 209 I was using at the suggestion of forum members. I believe it was Lee that suggested it. Well something must have been good about that advise. I shot the first two shots and couldn't ask for better with a rifle.

#3 I noted was climbing still from the first two. Then #4&5 came along and I have no idea what caused that. I really was kind of baffled because the loading I was being very careful of. And even the trigger pull and address of the rifle in the rest.

#6 then slid in next to #3. Could have it been because I walked down to the target and checked hits 4 & 5 and gave the barrel just a little time to rest? But I can assure you, I grabbed the barrel with my bare hand and there was no heat on that barrel. Then #7 came out of the woodwork. Again, I had walked down there... and really could not figure out what had caused that.

8-14 were climbing again. In fact #15 I aimed low on purpose to see if that would bring the shot down. It did somewhat. Otherwise I think that 15 would have been higher then 14 on the target. Why the hits are climbing I am not sure, but would be open to suggestions and answers?

Could the load not be just right? Sure it could. Could weather have played a factor? Of course, it was actually bothering me, and after 15 rounds I was happy to go back inside the house. So why the shots climbed I have no idea. Next time out, I will see if it does it again. And at no time did I swab the bore or clean the flash channel. Ignition was perfect. So why mess with it.

Clean Up of Blackhorn 209.

Here is something I want to address. Most Blackhorn shooters like to tell of how easy the BlackHorn is to clean. I will give them that the barrel is easy to clean. A couple solvent patches, a few dry ones, and then oil it up. The breech plug was another matter. As advertized, it backed right out of the rifle with no problem. But then you clean the flash channel, scrub the burned carbon off the inside, clean the threads, swab out the primer port because the hotter primers made a mess of it, so that is not easier. But even today, I noticed a lot of fouling in the breech area of the Genesis. Could it be the new primers? Probably. But the Genesis has a cam action that you close to block the primer in. Today was the first time I had to take solvent and a wire brush and scrub "carbon" I am guessing, off the face of that cam. And it did not come off easy. Also the inside of the block where the barrel sits was dirty. That never happens. Again, maybe the primers?

I finally ended one container of the BlackHorn today. Am I convinced its the best powder on the market? Not at all. Accuracy wise, I know I can shoot as good or better groups at 52 yards with Pyrodex RS or Goex. But then I know the load. So we can not blame BlackHorn for that. Is it powerful.. it seems to be. I have no idea of the velocity of 85 grain of BH and that 300 grain bullet, but I know it would be a deer killer.

So I will just keep trying different things until I pass final judgement on the powder. Meaning, will I purchase more of it or not. I will say the other powders have really jumped in price. And Blackhorn is not out of line anymore in price where I purchased it from. So only time will tell. It is a fun powder to shoot. Even if I froze my you know what off today.

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