Little Off Topic - Black Powder Cartridges?
 

I don't shoot completion but do have a couple of antique Trapdoor guns. I want to be careful with them and thought of loading black powder/sups in my cartridges. They are working very well and I am completely satisfied.

Now a friend asked me the other day if I had tried using Blackthorn 209 powder in my cartridges. I said I never thought of this. Has anyone out there done this? If so how did it work for you? I have an H&R 1871 rifle in .38-55 and thought this maybe a great gun to try it in for hunting.

I have two friends that are TOP competitors using BPCR and they load nothing but BP.

Suggesting: http://bpcr.net/forum/

I've been playing with some loads for a couple of my BP cartridge guns, one of them being a BP .500 express. I've found it so far to be very reliable and consistent. I would stress to you that you follow their load guide to the letter though as BH 209 is a bit more powerful than regular BP. Here is their loading guide for BP cartridges. http://www.blackhorn209.com/wp-conte...tridgedata.pdf

From one of the competition shooters:

"If there is published 38-55 and 45-70 load data for Blackhorn I'm sure it would be safe to use in your H&R and trapdoors AS LONG AS BLACK POWDER PRESSURES ARE NOT EXCEEDED......ESPECIALLY IN THE TRAPDOOR.
Many loading manuals list data for low pressure, black powder equivalent smokeless loads for 38-55 and 45-70. I have gotten good accuracy using Unique and SR 4759 powders in both calibers. The 38-55 was usually loaded with bullets of around 250 grains, the trapdoor rifle was loaded with 500 gr. lead bullets, the carbine used 405 gr. lead bullets to help reduce recoil."

Yep trappers can be a bit on the "uhoh" side which is why I said to follow BH's guide to the letter.

Thanks guys for the info. I'll be trying it in my H&R first. If I can see any improvement which would make it worth the additional cost, I'll use it in the future.