A bottle of BH209 is 284grams which is 4382.783 grains. So divide the total grains of the bottle by the grains that you use. I use 90 and can get roughly 48 shots per bottle. However with spillage etc that would probably drop to 45 shots a can. So lets say at $32 a can with 90 grain charges it cost me 71 cents a shot. So with my bullet roughly its 40 cents for one. Now the sabot is 16 cents each. So the grand total per shot is $1.27. So I average 25 shots a session which then cost $31.75. Is it cheaper than a centerfire? No but its not more expensive then a centerfire. If you figure on cleaning also that would be a guess. But I would say five dollars total for everything each time you clean. So each weekend If I shoot I spend $37 dollars. I know a hell of lot more expensive hobbies than that. So just for kicks this is what I would spend in a year if I shot 25 times per week. $1776 And thats just one rifle. Now I feel sick...why did I do this. Just don't tell my wife.

Goex 80 grains 24 cents per shot.
Lead conical 25 cents per shot(would be a lot less if I casted my own)
primer 5 cents
patch 5 cents
59 cents per shot.
25 shots = $14.75
cleaning = $1.00
$15.75 If I shoot 25 shots a week it would come to $819 per year, I can handle that.

Thank you all so much for the time you took to answer the questions.

I must admit I am beyond addicted to BP and hunting with them now. I cant sell my shotguns fast enough.

I took two deer last year with muzzy. One was 120 yards and the other was 204 yards. Both were perfect shots. On the 204 yard shot I was lucky because there was very little wind. I now practice at this distance regularly. I will not take a shot past 100yds with strong wind, so the longer shots can be limited with weather.

I set up in late season using a blind with a heater on the edge of cut beans or corn. The deer present themselves at ranges from 300 yards to 90 yards depending how they come out.

Because I am a bow hunter first, I look forward to longer shots in the later season and because I am patient (waiting on mature deer) it may come to that to fill tags. I am not an antler hunter...we just want the oldest and largest deer in the pack.

As far as my expense. I just spent $50.00 dollars in one day using BH 209. that averaged to $1.22 a shot.

I am getting out of goose hunting so I can afford more BP's, powder and get into straight Black Powder shooting. I would love to use balls, conicles ext.

Because my friends are watching me shoot groundhogs at 150 yards, they to are now excited about the potential of bp's. Center fires are no challenge at that range. Plus they think the smoke is cool. They also like that its not perfect (like bow hunting). You really have to work at it.

As regards BH 209. I think that is an easy way to transition them over. To me, it is a simple way to become introduced to BP without using pellets.

The biggest concern they have is reloading. We do drives on occasion here in Ohio. Its not unheard of to get deer to stop outside the drive within 150 yards because the deer know no one can reach them. So setting up quick with shooting sticks, being able to reload as deer continue out to the side pockets of the field is what they are looking for.

So thanks again for all the answers. And keep em coming if you have more to add.

D

Go buy yourself some TC 50 cal Mag Quick Shots. They are a long black tube. On one end you place your bullet/sabot and the other fill up with the premeasured powder. Also has a slot for you 209 primer. The way I set up for hunting is that I have 4 quick shots loaded up. Then I have my flask filled up and my measuring spout. Then the extra bullets fitted in the sabots. Also TC makes a red thing that fits 12 primers. In all I have 12 shots. But those quick shots work really good.