donw

My hunting buddy and I both recently switched over to BH209. We'd both been using T7 2F for years and independently sited our rifles in with BH209 this year before our javelina hunt. My buddy has a CVA Wolf (a very light weight gun) with an old Redfield scope (probably 3" of eye relief). He told me that he got scope eyed at least once, and he was only using 100 gr. with a 300 gr. bullet. Sure, his rifle with that scope is just begging for that to happen, but he'd never had it happen with up to 110 gr. of T7. He said he was getting recoil shy after just a few shots. After our hunt, he let his 30 year old son shoot off the rife, and he got scope eyed, too!

I shot 108 gr. BH209 and had been shooting 108 gr. T7 2F--both with a 300 gr. bullet. Luckily, I have a rather heavy old CVA Optima Pro with a Nikon 2-7 shotgun scope with 3.8" of eye relief. Probably weighs 9 pounds all together . Well, shooting seated at my portable table, my shoulder felt like it was almost separated after about 14 shots and was sore for days afterward. With T7, it was always like a shove, but with BH209, it was a very sharp hammer. For the javelina hunt, I used a 250 gr. bullet and backed it down to 100 gr. BH209, which was very easy shooting.

Doesn't anyone else experience increased recoil when switching to BH209? I've never seen anyone post anything like that. In fact, I saw where BH209 was actually touted by the manufacturer as possibly REDUCING felt recoil!

cayugad

All these loads are volume or weight measured?

I have shot a lot of BlackHorn and never ever experienced a recoil problem with it. I shoot 90 grains of BlackHorn 209 in my Optima with amazing accuracy. And I am very recoil sensitive. While big as a house, I use a very slight almost loose hold on the range when shooting, so the ignition is a total surprise to me. I get better accuracy that way. And I am very wary of scope eye and rifle recoil. One reason I see some of the 150 grain posts and just cringe. I have shot those loads but did not enjoy it.

I really don't know what to tell you. Other then hold on tight. Maybe try cutting your load. And tell your friend to change scopes. Even a simple Simmon Pro Diamond 4x I think I measured and it has 4 inches of eye relief.

ronlaughlin

Recoil is a function of the velocity, and the mass of what goes out the end of the barrel. The reason you have more recoil using Blackhorn, is because it is producing more velocity.

BarnesAddict

There's a difference in how the propellants burn, which may be what you're noticing.

Out of my CUSTOM rifle, I've shot heavy charges of both BH and T7, heavier than can be used in production rifles. I would rather shoot heavy charges of BH than T7 myself.

IMO scopes with short eye relief, are best atop a .22 rim fire.

donw

By volume (using 70 gr. weight = 100 gr. volume) and then weighing.

donw

I guess I should break out my chrony. I've measured 108 gr. T7 at around 1850 ft/s, I believe. It's just a pain to lug it all out in the desert and set it up. I'm pretty sure the BH209 web site published that it was comparable to that.

Muley Hunter

I've been saying for years that BH 209 has more recoil than the other subs.

Then they try and tell it doesn't, because it's a progressive powder. Whatever, I know what I felt.

donw

That amazes me you'd say that about T7.
I agree with the scope thing!

donw

Good to hear we're not loosing it! I think you are the only other one I've heard say that.

txhunter58

BH 209 is about the hardest kicking powder in my book. That said, my elk load is 90-95 grains. The way around the recoil at the bench is using a good recoil pad. SIMS is the best I have found. That said, even with that, if I shoot more than 10 times, my neck pays the price. So I use a lead sled. HOWEVER, don't put any weight on it, just the sled weight only. I busted a wooden stock on a rifle with weight!