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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. |
My brother was using blackhorn during hunting season. After we came out of the woods he wanted to fire his gun. It shot like a sparkler when coming out of his barrel. The bullet went 10 feet. He had practiced with this setup many times but he was averaging this result at least 4 or of 5 shots. He called Blackhorn and they said he needed to seat the load very tight on the bullet. For me I like a powder that will be forgiving if I make a small mistake in the field. I'm one of the few guys I know that got great results from Blackmag 3 powder. I have 4 containers of it and once its gone I will go back to triple 7. That being said I wish I could at least try blackhorn in my mk85 but I know better then to try it now with a plunger style gun.
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deleted : no longer want to be on the forum
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Nice Dave very nice
I still think its over priced for only 10 ounces |
5&7 bothered me the most. Actually it was not all that bad of a group, even with the climb. I was kind of hoping a BlackHorn shooter could tell me an easy fix. I finally have my rifle address down pat. It just works for me. But when I get a flier then, it bothers the devil out of me.
I have shot BlackMag when it first came out. I had very good luck with the powder. It was powerful, easy to clean, and seemed to go off just fine. I have not seen it around though for many years. Chet I know you are not supposed to have to swab. But could it be as the barrel gets more foul, the pressure changes? I know you are not supposes to have to swab with this powder. But if it happens again, I am going to bring out some isopropyl alcohol and lightly mist a patch and swab with that, no dry patch, just to see what happens. |
Dave,
I feel the same about BH. Its nice but hasnt replaced 777-pyrodex as my hunting powder. |
Dave,
I noticed with BH209 that very tight fitting sabot requires me to up the powder from 90gr to 110gr to get the fliers to go away...But as far as climbing, havent seen that with proper barrel cooling ...... |
Cleaning the flash channel at the range when using BH is not just about getting it to ignite every time. You really should clean it every shot when trying to develop a load to achieve the most consistent barrel pressures and velocities from shot to shot.
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Originally Posted by deer655
(Post 3887819)
...............................For me I like a powder that will be forgiving if I make a small mistake in the field. ..............................
The Knight rifle here, have never seen sub-zero weather, but thus far, they just reliably ignite BH. If it turns out they have a delay or whatever this winter, we will make the breech plug more better. The rifle here never see a swab between shots, and never have the flame channel cleaned in the field. They get reloaded, and go bang, bang, bang,.....................................etc. If when one of these rifle gets the bullet pushed to the powder the way it is supposed to, it is because that happens to be what happens, when the bullet is pushed to the powder. "For me I like a powder that will be forgiving if I make a small mistake in the field." |
I have always pushed bullets down on the powder firmly,doesn't matter if it's pyrodex,777 or Bh209. never used pellets and never will, so no worries about crushing them.cleaning my BP when using Bh209 is a breeze and no worse then pyrodex that's for sure.bottom line is it's a great powder and the other powders pricing is creeping up all the time..
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