school me on BH209

[Axis II]

I have shot 777 pellets for years in 50cal cva rifles and always hate cleaning them because of the crud ring left behind it takes me an hour to clean one rifle.

I've been thinking about making the switch to black horn 209 and from what I've read i need a new breech plug, the hottest 209 primer i can find.

Is it really as clean as they say it is?
does it increase recoil?
The way i seen it measured was with a volume tube so how would one know exactly how much they are using?

 

[rodwha]

It will require a new breech plug and hot 209 primers.

I've never used it but I've read too many accounts that it is indeed cleaner, though it uses smokeless cleaners and not just water with or without soap.

It is loose powder and would require a measure of some sort. Most people use an adjustable rifle powder measure, but, if your accurate charge is known, some will make a powder measure out of bone or antler or something, and some use an empty brass cartridge.

I've used loose Triple 7 in my .50 cal muzzleloader (Lyman Deerstalker) and haven't noticed this crud ring using 70 grns of 3F and a Rem #10 cap. It's far cheaper than BH209...

 

[Axis II]

both my cvas get a nasty thick crud ring where the powder sits and it needs scraped out.

 

[rodwha]

I've heard about this several times but it seems typically when using pellets and not loose powder. Not to say it doesn't, though it hasn't for me or was so minimal I didn't notice it (I swab every 3-5 shots).

I used it extensively in my cap n ball pistols until I found Olde Eynsford black powder, which would be another option for you. It's not as dirty as most black powders. It's very much like Swiss powder.

 

[Patocazador]

BH209 is an engineered smokeless powder that gives off some smoke. It uses smokeless powder solvents like Hoppe's #9 and does need centerfire primers to set it off with consistency.
It will not corrode your barrel but the firing channel needs to be cleaned out every 6-10 shots for consistent ignition. This is due to carbon buildup from the BH209 and the primers. An appropriate-sized drill bit operated between the fingers and thumb is the proper tool for cleaning the channel.

BH209 is more powerful than black powder and 0.7 grains of BH209 = 1.0 grain of black powder by weight. Eg: 70 gr. of BH209 = 100 gr. of Goex.

 

[rodwha]

From what little chronograph results I've seen BH209 (all by volume) runs very similar velocities as T7, Swiss, and Olde E.

 

[midland man]

I use only goex true black is best!!

 

[rodwha]

You might be interested in trying Olde Eynsford by Goex. It's much more powerful (designed to compete with Swiss) requiring a little less powder for the same results, and by all accounts much cleaner than standard Goex (I demand higher energy output for my pistols so I've not tried any others) and most other powders. And it's only about $1 more.

 

[DD4lifeusmc]

question are you shooting inline or traditional?
777 pellets have an extra additive to form the pellet that is the likely cause of your crud ring.
Try going to bulk. want convenience of measured charges, buy some precharge loads or make your own.
Added benefit of this is you can customize the charge that works best for you. Can't do that with pellets.
Several people ad a dab of real black to the chamber first just to insure good consistent ignition.
Personally never have had an ignition problem with BP, 777 or pyro I have a 1978 (?) CVA 50 ca Mountain rifle 1:48 loading the correct way

 

[Axis II]

question are you shooting inline or traditional?
777 pellets have an extra additive to form the pellet that is the likely cause of your crud ring.
Try going to bulk. want convenience of measured charges, buy some precharge loads or make your own.
Added benefit of this is you can customize the charge that works best for you. Can't do that with pellets.
Several people ad a dab of real black to the chamber first just to insure good consistent ignition.
Personally never have had an ignition problem with BP, 777 or pyro I have a 1978 (?) CVA 50 ca Mountain rifle 1:48 loading the correct way

im shooting an inline cva optima 50cal.

i was thinking of trying the loose powder but what i found odd was 100gr of pellets shot horrible but 120gr pellets shrunk them to almost touching.

 

[midland man]

im shooting an inline cva optima 50cal.

i was thinking of trying the loose powder but what i found odd was 100gr of pellets shot horrible but 120gr pellets shrunk them to almost touching.

has a lot to do with speed and the twist for your particular projectile

 

[rodwha]

im shooting an inline cva optima 50cal.

i was thinking of trying the loose powder but what i found odd was 100gr of pellets shot horrible but 120gr pellets shrunk them to almost touching.

That's precisely why loose powder can give you the best accuracy. Pellets can only get you in the ballpark most likely.

As DD4 pointed out you can use premeasured powder containers for simplicity, ease, and quickness. I have a set of 3 with the flip top lid, and a package of 100? of rubber tubes that use the projectile as the stopper. I have the rubber tubes for my pistols as well and often make paper cartridges, which can also be done for muzzleloaders too, though flash paper would be best as cigarette paper often leaves small shards of paper.

To get even more precise some people use a scale and weigh out their powder charges.

 

[daboyleroy]

Swiss Powder uses Charcoal made from only a certain Species of Twigs, which are tenderly gathered in Moonlight, by Swiss Virgins in long Flower-Print Dresses with hand woven Wicker Elbow-Baskets, high in the Alps.
This makes a big difference.

The Maine Powder House is a source for Goex, Swiss and Schuetzen powders. You can have it delivered right to your door:
http://www.mainepowderhouse.com/category/black-powder/

My inline likes 90 g of 2f RB with patch or maxi lubed,
while my blue ridge likes 70 grains for RB patched and 60 g for the Thompson maxi hunter lubed

 

[midland man]

my flintlock 45c Kentucky rifle loves 50grs of 3f goex bp and patched RB works great!