BH209!! Why did I wait so long? I bought a CVA Optima a couple of years ago and it has never shot as well as my ruger M77-50. There has always been sporadic fliers that pretty much limited the gun to 75yards.

Long story short, I went to my local sporting goods store and bought a BH209 breech plug, a can of powder, some CCI 209M primers and got me a couple of #32 drill bits.

100 grains of BH209 and a 300 grain speer deep curl the fist group was a horizontal string 1 3/4" center to center.

I decided to go 90 grains of powder, WOW

4 shots in one ragged hole measuring 1/2" center to center at 90 yds.

No mess no fuss easy clean up. 5 patches of Butches bore shine.

I shot the gun about 15 times and accuracy never fell off and a couple of twist of the drill bit cleaned the breach plug right up.

My 7mm-08 don't even shoot this good.

Sorry, no pics of the target.

The thank you, thank you is in direct relation to the members on this sight that have had such positive things to say about this powder.

Thanks guys.

My Optima load is also 90 grains of BlackHorn 209 and just about anything you want to shove down its throat. Glad to hear you have your rifle shooting so well. And are enjoying shooting the rifle.

Please correct me if i am wrong, but doesn't the blackhorn plug have a 1/8" flame channel, thus one would use a 1/8" drill to clean it?

I bought the #32 based on advise here and it seems to be a good fit.

Yes the BH 209 breech plug does use a 1/8 inch drill bit, The #32 is for the stock plug.

You must have bought a CVA BH BP, because the Western BH BP comes with the drill, drill holder, o-rings for the headspace, and the tool to install the BP.

That's why is cost more than the CVA version. In case anybody was wondering.

The carbon is so hard, it almost seems like steel. Evidently the # 32 drill is to used in the original plug; the 1/8" drill is to be used in the Blackhorn plug.