RE: Getting BH209 to shoot
 

Bigtimer

No... What Lee is saying is to match your sabot to your bore. We have already done that in the past with your old Optima and we found that the 24 was the correct sabot for that bore. There is a possibility that this bore will be different, so his suggestion is to remove the BP and push a 24 with a Nolser down through the bore. If it goes down easily it is to loose and you may not get the maximum out of the BH-209 or it might not sustain ignition at all. BH-209 is a progressive burning - smokeless type powder - it must maintain compression to maintain ignition.

If the 24 is TOO tight to get down then you might have to go down to a MMP HPH-3... I would stay away from a "crush rib" and use only if everthing else is to tight.

Also remember your new bore is going to be tighter now than it will be after you shoot a few rounds out of it. Shooting the conicals will smooth out your bore and may lead to easier loading sabots.

Stay with the plan if possible shoot your conicals with BH-209 to polish the barrel. If the BH-209 will not go off with the conicals switch back to T7 to get this process done and over.

Did you get any primers? yet... if so what kind...

RE: Getting BH209 to shoot
 

The sabot ggauges worked better than a mic because the plastic is soft.

blackheel- The hornady 250sst with low drag is my go -to load ( cheap and shots well)with BH209 , groups under 2" and Ussualy under 1" MOA. I have shot it on 2 optimas,convertedTraditons L-bolt and converted CVA mag bolt. I haven't shot my Omega yet with BH209.

RE: Getting BH209 to shoot
 

The days of "Easy" Muzzle loading are looong gone:D

RE: Getting BH209 to shoot
 

FG
I don't think they were ever easy Flintlocks can give you fits trying to get them right. It is all in the learning curve, for now I am sticking to my two flint locks. My encore will probably stay in the safe this year.

RE: Getting BH209 to shoot
 

Easy as in, Finding a bullet that you can put down the bore and have it shoot good.

RE: Getting BH209 to shoot
 

frontier gander,I will just bet you are talking about that bullet that was the coming thing back in 1960 and now is as expensive as a good barnes all copper. Have you ever tried them with BH209? I suspect that with a good hot 209 that the ones around 300gr would work. I have never had any ignition problem with it that has turn up here and there and believe that a heavy bullet put down with good wad pressure would work. Lee

RE: Getting BH209 to shoot
 

arn't the tmz bullets a boattail? how can the hph 24 fit? i thought the supplied sabot was the ony choice.

RE: Getting BH209 to shoot
 

I used about 7 different bullets the HPH24 I am using with Gold Dots got some 1/2 groups with them. Lee

RE: Getting BH209 to shoot
 

What are the specific issues with using an HPH-12 with boatails?

RE: Getting BH209 to shoot
 

The MPH12 re not designed to hold the boat tailed TMZ properly causing gas to escape around the bottom. I have read that some guys place a number 16 washer at the bottom of their sabot and sit the TMZ on it. That keeps the sabot at the bottom tight against the bore when fired. I tried the TMZ in my Savage:
http://tinyurl.com/3vsc4a

But didn't try the 16 washer with an MMP12.My groups were good enough for hunting, but I wanted a more accurate bullet. This was last year whe I was just learning about shooting smokeless powder, which is what Blackhorn is very close to from a iginition POV.
Chap Gleason

RE: Getting BH209 to shoot
 

bernieb90, It is easier to get them to shoot good if you use a sabot that was designed for boat tails, but it has been done when I experimented with them I had to use a lighter load with the MMP 12. Lee

RE: Getting BH209 to shoot
 

Here is some helpfull info on breech plug design needfor the BH 209 powder .

http://www.hpmuzzleloading.com/Technical6.html

RE: Getting BH209 to shoot
 

Well I hear about people having some problems,but have never had any myself, I suspect it might wear the touch hole in the breach plug a little faster because of the longer lower pressure peak, which is also what gives the added velocity, it seems like we pay for everything one way or an other. I have shoot my 3rd can now and am convinced that there are only a few draw backs to the powder, some of the old guns and some of the Knights have an ignition system thats is better suited to black powder, it is better not to even try to use it for things it was not designed for, it was designed for sabots and a good 209 ignition system and it has worked with out any problem in all mine. And there are some plus factors to being able to have a fouled barrel for hunting without sweating over rust problems even if its a long trip, the sodependable accuracy [ I did notice one thing about that one of my friends had been having trould with his accuracy and switched to see if it would help, it did not and he blamed it on the powder I looked at his Omega and the breach plug had the touch hole burned away till it was .04 I switched it and told him I kissed it and made it better now it shoots an inch again ; eventually I will tell him what I did.Lee

RE: Getting BH209 to shoot
 

Thanks bowbender. If I get some BH, I am going to try that with the 300 b/c the black sabots that normally come with the SSTs are hard to load in my Encore.

RE: Getting BH209 to shoot
 

blackheel, The Shock Wave is the same bullet in a high pressure sabot with a thinner petals should load well in atighter barrel. Lee

RE: Getting BH209 to shoot
 

Blackheel - I would try the 300 sst (same bullet as 300SW) with the low drag sabots. They will load easier that the black ones from the shockwave. That will save you from buying sabots. You should be able to get 25 for around $13

RE: Getting BH209 to shoot
 

Actually what sabot will shoot best in your gun can change as it breaks in and with different powders, I have found that real tight one that are very hard to load wont shoot all that well with BH the ones that will load to easy wont either; I really dont want them to load to easy any way I am afraid that the sabot and bullet might move off the powder if they slide to easy. Lee

RE: Getting BH209 to shoot
 

My encore has had enough shots pumped through it (I would think) to have made any changes by now. The low drags don't just slide down but they don't take me both hands on the ramrod either. Do y'all know if BPS is carrying the BH yet?

RE: Getting BH209 to shoot
 

I get mine from Graf and Sons by the case as I live on Greers Fairy lake and there is not much around here with in 2 hrs drive. I have heard that what places are carrying it run out awful quick Sportsmans Wharehouse was said to have some but I heard they sold it out in 3 days. Lee