50calty

I disagree with much of what you said about unburnt powder especially with BH-209.

BH-209 does emitt alot of black looking carbon after being shot, but it is not un-burnt powder. BH is a dirty buring powder it just does not leave it in the barrel... These results on the snow or the white sheet have been noted by others also.

I shoot 120 grain loads of BH or even T7 and get the powder burnt. You can verify this by continuing to shoot it through your chronograph. When you reach the law of diminishing returns your chrono will tell you.

My best results with a Gold Dot/Deep Curls is with a load of 110 to 120 grains...

Here is chart that shows the steady increase in velocity using much more that 100 grains of T7 or BH...

This is a comparison chart shooting a 45 cal rifle...



And this one is a incomplete 50 cal chart



I thought I had a picture of the dusting on the snow that BH does but I can not find it. I have collected the material and tried to re-ignite it - it is no go...

If you look at the charts you can see the velocity continues to rise as you add powder.

Primers... changing primers really does not have a lot of effect on the velocities that BH will earn for you - already tried that. It does change POI a bit but I can not even prove that it really effect group size that much.

Here is a target shot with different primers...

I'm not denying the increase of velocity with the increase of powder. But my chrony was collecting unburnt powder. Luckly I had clear tape over the sensors. Thats why I'm wondering if the W209 primer isn't hot enough to burn all the powder. I'm sure your report is accurate and you didn't use W209. You used two of the hotest primers CCI and Federal. The two that Blackhorn recommends. Maybe in the next week or two I can get back out and chrony 110 grains and 120 grains with both bullets. Keep shooting like I have been I'll be out of powder and bullets!

Next time you get a chance collect some of that black material that you find on your chrono, white sheet, or snow. Take it home and look at it closely with a mag glass - you will see that it no way resembles a BH-209 grain. It is burnt carbon being ejected out the barrel.

And the only reason I used them was to show that primer heat or power really does not reflect an increase in velocity or an increase in the ability of the powder to burn and create more pressure. I normally shoot a W209 as my base primer. If you look you will see that I even shot BH with a Remington 209-4 which is a primer that Remington use to make for the 410 shotgun, probably the weakest 209 made.

been there done that one also... that is exactly why I do not shoot BH-209 - to expensive for me.

mike

My three best shooting loads in a 20" 54cal and 300gr+ bullets all shoot best with 110gr to 120gr. The 2 best with 120gr. I really didnt want to try more. I dont know if it was burning it all but the groups did tighten up from 110-120gr on the 2 best loads.

In my 45s and 50s and longer barrels they usually topped out at 110gr or an occasional 115gr. I haven't tried BH209 in my Savage yet so that might change with a heavier bullet.

Ive also used almost nothing but Win209s and even shot some great groups with WinT7s with heavy loads. Im not so sure a mag primer is always needed depending on your breach plug and primer fit.

What amazes me is the 90 gr charge and the XTPs being avg of 71 fps faster than the deep curls , yet at 100 grs the XTPs are 12 fps slower!
And the difference the 10 gr makes is 178 fps for the Deep Curl and only 95 fps difference with the XTPs.
Good info.

Yeah that shocked me also at 90 gr. Didn't think that was possible. Just shows the the bullets are ALMOST identical. Yet with the better BC on the deep curl it drops less and retains more energy. Not much but it something to take note on.

I really enjoyed the article 50Calty and don't wish to trade you places for firing that many round in one day with 300grn rounds even though it was only 100grns of powder.

SabotLoader, GREAT data collection and results, not to mention groups!!!!!!

I shoot a Knight Disc Extreme and here in So. Il the biggest thing I get to try it out on is deer and once in a while I go to KY or TN and shoot hogs with it. My pet load it with 105grn of T7 3f with 240 SST's. The 300's won't open up. 50 cal in and out unless I shoulder shot it.
You guys that have the time and determination (and lots of ice and Tylenol) to do the testing that you do sure save many of us time and resources. If nothing else, something to look at and make a half arsed plan to whether or not we are going to try it. I just got lucky and found my load real quick and can interchange Plat. Tips with my SST's and keep all rounds inside 6" at 200yds till I get tired of shooting. I shoot a .338 Lapua for work so I know what recoil is. Outside of using a LeadSled, it is not fun.
Thanks for a great article and keep up the research so the rest of us have a guide line to work with.