Originally Posted by BarnesAddict

When I purchased the BP Xpress, I like everyone else, even those currently, wondered why that rifle wouldn't shoot BH so I shot it from the rifle. It ignited and it would also shoot great groups. So I figured I'd just mastered the rifle shooting BH.
Yeah right.... It gas cut the breech plug so bad and after a couple bottles of BH, it was blowing out the gas ports. The action had to be removed, the barrel put in a lathe and the center drilled out of the breech plug. Then a very large ez-out was used to remove the remaining threads. I stood there watching expecting to pony up and buy a new barrel. The entire action and barrel were inspected by Ken Johnston and there was no damage, a new breech plug was installed and the rifle re-assembled.
Ken explained that it was rare to have to replace a breech plug in his rifles, yet when shooters shot BH from the rifle, the number of breech plug replacements sky rocketed. Mine just being one of them. I also believe I understand how I contributed to gas cutting the plug, which may have been related to how many times I primed the brass.



You are correct, the rifle was designed prior to BH. Although some may have known about the Ultimate rifle in the earlier years, most did not. It appears that even today some are just learning more about the rifle. There are very few posts or articles about the rifle, short of a couple writers that couldn't get a rifle for free then come out bashing it...

What needs to be understood is, the entire rifle and breech plug system was designed exclusively to shoot pellets and not loose propellant. That's what most have a problem wrapping their heads around, including myself in the beginning. It ignites pellets so instantly, its completely burned in the breech area and first 9" after in the barrel. That does not mean that T7 still doesn't create a crud ring, its just not nearly as bad as in production rifles. A single patch, ever so slightly damp with Butch's Black Powder Bore Shine used after each shot, will keep you shooting accurately all day long, to any range distance you shoot. Its an entirely different design than most are used to or fully understand.
Ken Johnston is a master gunsmith. He holds many patents, including mathematical patents. He's still building and selling rifles even at, IIRC, 76 years young. Because of some of the new straight wall cartridge laws in some states, he's now building a bolt action CF on the .450 platform (Bushmaster), that shoots a single hole at 100 and inch groups at 300yds.
Remington didn't invest a ton of money and research into their new Remington Ultimate rifle because the breech system didn't work, and regardless, there are still more hunters shooting pellets than most want to believe. Although some are shooting BH from the RU, Western nor Remington has released load data for it and, as I still understand it, Remington still doesn't list BH in the rifle's manual. Ken Johnston will tell you himself that Remington improved the system, most notably with a much harder breech plug. IMO Remington's only issue is solely related to their barrel, but that's a whole different story.

I have discussed building .45's and also building to use BH209. Its not well received. Not so much the .45, but BH is another story. Ken Johnston doesn't care for the nitro nucleus properties.
Although the rifle platform isn't for everyone, the ignition system and rifles are exceptionally accurate.