So, I bought this Blackhorn 209

[MCgunner]

I'm going to try it for range powder as they claim you don't need to swab between shots. It sounds like it might be a little hot, too, like 777. There is a picture on the label I don't quite get saying not to use in some sort of breech plug. I'm not sure what that "picture" represents, but mine is a threaded plug in a CVA Wolf. It says not for use with caps and only to use shotgun primers, not 209 BP primers. Mmm, well, sounds like you need a blow torch to set this stuff off, might not be the thing for my Hawken with the 450 small rifle magnum primer conversion, even let alone number 11 percussion caps.

Anyway, I guess I'll just shoot it in the CVA Wolf. It's a modern gun, no need to get all bent out of shape about not shooting holy black or something. Well, I don't shoot black anyway, pyrodex must do as the subs are all I can get. I can't tell a lot of difference iin Pyrodex and black, anyway. I've shot both..

Anyway, this Blackhorn stuff was 30 bucks for TEN OUNCES! CHRIST! Must have some gold in it, I'm guessing. It's gonna have to be some kinda good to justify the price. 777 is bad enough, but at least you get a pound of the stuff. Figured it out and at 70 grains by weight charge (just guessing, intend to shoot 90 grains BP equiv by volume) I only get 60 shots. 30 bucks for 60 shots. Well, I guess 300WSM is probably more expensive if you don't reload. :banghead: I'm not sure I can justify the cost. I picked this stuff up, though, at Bass Pro 4 hours drive from Corpus. I can't get it in Corpus that I've found, so I doubt I'll be shooting much of it, anyhow.

 

[Fingers McGee]

I think you've discovered all of the disadvantags of using Blackhorn. IMNSHO, it's a powder whose time hasn't come. If you absolutely must use a substitutes instead of real gunpowder, T7 or Pinnacle/APP is the way to go.

 

[JohnM]

I've got a T/C Hawken 50.
I've used Shocky's Gold in it, which a lot of people will say is totally worthless and never had a problem.
Pyrodex was a different story and until I got every last spec of carbon scraped out of the chamber and flash channel, had lots of misfires.
Triple seven never caused any problems either.
I don't think I've seen this Blackhorn and as much as it costs doubt I would buy it.
I just hate to order BP and have to pay that Haz-Mat fee so I'm usually out of it. I was going to drive to a dealer last spring to pick up a supply, but didn't get it done and they didn't have the rendezvous here this year because the river flooded grounds.

 

[MCgunner]

I don't shoot black powder due to inavailability and I ain't ordering 10,000 lbs of the crap to make the hazmat fee worth it. I've shot it in the past, Pyrodex is about the same other than harder to torch off. If I could actually BUY BP from a LGS, I would, but I cannot find it in the state of Texas. It does not exit. It will NEVER exist until the government is overthrown by force. Not advocating, just sayin'.

I tried APP/Shocky's Gold and it was crap. It all went bad in less than six months even kept in the AC. It absorbs the humidity from the air (considerable down here). I couldn't get it to shoot in my Hawken for squat and by the time i'd bought my CVA Wolf, it'd gone bad. So far, Pyrodex and 777 are my faves, but they do require scrubbing between shots.

I bought this bottle to test. I'm withholding any further opinion until testing, but the price does put me off.

 

[MCgunner]

Now I find out Alliant has a new substitute, "Black MZ". Just reading about it, ignites easily, resists humidity, 1 to 1 ezuivalent with BP, non corrosive. NOW I have another one to try. Wonder how much THIS one costs? At least it's sold in 16 ounce cans.

 

[JohnM]

Thing is, they all claim it's as good or better than real BP, which of course It ain't.
So, you just takes your chances and if you find one of those concoctions that your BP gun likes, stick with it.

 

[wild willy]

I've used it I like it.It nice when the tenth or twelve shot loads as easy as the first.Very easy clean up.Very accurate in the guns I used it in.Cons. It is pricey.Takes a hot primer.One other thing its bulky so 70 grain weight Blackhorn =100 grain volume so you get 62.5 100 grain loads out of a container

 

[MCgunner]

Thing is, they all claim it's as good or better than real BP, which of course It ain't.
So, you just takes your chances and if you find one of those concoctions that your BP gun likes, stick with it.

The only thing I find that black does better than the subs is ignite easier and if that BlackMZ stuff is as good as they say, well, that might be the stuff. Oh, BP gums and fouls better than 777 and doesn't shoot as hard. I'm pretty happy with 777, really. Only Pyrodex seems to work in my Hawken, though, but I'm going to get a pound of BlackMZ and try that.

I never did like BP, tell ya the truth, but the eaze of ignition is a virtue for sure.

 

[T Bran]

I was going to make my own BP read the website understood the process and went online to order the components. By the time I added up all the stuff plus shipping it would cost me only 35.00 a pound plus my time and toil. Looks like pyrodex will work just fine for the price. I can reload and shoot any of my centerfire rifles for less money and effort.
T

 

[scrat]

I dont care what your shooting in regards to powder. However if you using an inline and you are using plastic sabots then you need to swab the bore between shots. You see its not just the powder its the plastic build up. The powder doesnt do anything about the plastic. If you were to shoot say 2 round through it then try to load a 3rd. you will have difficulty same time your accuracy will suffer. so again its not just for the powder its the plastic

 

[Yarddog]

"[Looks like pyrodex will work just fine for the price]"

Yes Sir,
Been using it for over 20 yrs, Manny a deer has Dropped ; )
Y/D

 

[MCgunner]

I dont care what your shooting in regards to powder. However if you using an inline and you are using plastic sabots then you need to swab the bore between shots. You see its not just the powder its the plastic build up. The powder doesnt do anything about the plastic. If you were to shoot say 2 round through it then try to load a 3rd. you will have difficulty same time your accuracy will suffer. so again its not just for the powder its the plastic

That's why I don't like Sabots, though they ARE accurate in my tight rifled guns. I like the full sized cast bullets, shoot a Lee 360 grain REAL bullet in my inline. It shoots 2 MOA and that's plenty good 'nuf for hunting. I'm sure I could shoot those one hole groups I see folks post with Powerbelts, but they're expensive and I kinda get off to casting my own hunting bullets. Hornady 385 grain Great Plains minies work well, too.

I'm not trying to stretch my BP stuff to shoot 300 yards, that's what my .308 is about. Where I hunt, I cannot see past 150 in any direction, anyway. Now, I can understand the fancy pills for hunting the mountains, but most states are going to regulations that require full bore bullets and sidelock guns with percussion cap or flint ignition for their "primitive seasons" now days. I've been thinkin' of hunting New Mexico again this time with a Hawken. Not sure NM's regs, will have to look at that if and when I get serious about that. Texas doesn't have, or at least my county, a legit BP season. The counties that DO have 'em are AFTER the rifle seasons which is lame IMHO.

As to the BP vs subs, I'm kinda thinkin', ya know, the subs ARE period correct for an inline. LOL! I mean, I'm not trying to be Daniel Boone here. I'd like to get my hands on some real Black, for sure wish the regulations would slack up a tad so I could buy it, but it ain't the end of the world if I never burn another grain of it so long as I can get a proper sub for the application. Overall, Pryodex ain't bad. I burn it and 777 a lot now. Just lookiin' for something cleaner, then I find out about this Alliant Black MZ that's supposed to be as easy as BP to ignite, yet is non-corrosive. I'm real interested in getting my hands on a can of that stuff to test in my CVA Plainsman which has its hangfires with Pyrodex. If I hunted with that gun, I'd unscrew the nipple when loading and dribble some powder in there. That seems to make the ol' girl light off quite reliably, but is a pain to do every shot at the range. That Black MZ might be the ticket for that particular smoke pole. If it's that good at ignition, makes me wonder if it'd light a flinter? Wife is on this "shop hop" thing up and down the coast, going to various quilt shops and draggin' me along. We have to go to north side of Houston and I know there's a Cabelas up there off 290. I'll probably pick a can of Black MZ up there and check out the store.

Wife wants to hunt up a rendeveous locally, is quite a seemstress and thinks sewing period clothes would be neat. I might have to attend one. I've heard they sell the holy black at those things sometimes. I'm not real sure, though, I wanna get into wearing buckskins in south Texas.

Yeah, I've looked into making my own black, too. I just ain't that energetic. ROFL!

 

[Busyhands94]

jeez that's expensive, what do they put in it? crushed diamonds? if you want good powder i found APP works great! i use it in my rifle and revolver with great results! it's cheap too! the ignition temp is nice and low, i can shoot it in my flintlock! the fouling is strange, in my pan i get this black tar like residue but the barrel seems just fine to me. i can shoot many shots without swabbing the bore.

 

[MCgunner]

APP didn't work for me, just was not accurate in my Hawken. And, it went bad inside six months even sitting in the AC. Not for use on the gulf coast. I reckon they should say that in the literature for the stuff. Might be okay in Aridzona. I went to try the stuff in my inline when I got it and it dudded out, would not fire. Decided not to mess with it after that, tossed the can in the trash at the range.

 

[sourdough44]

B209 fan myself. You just have to use a modern in-line that's compatible with it, & a strong primer, CCIM for me.

 

[MCgunner]

I think my primers are Winchester, not sure, I'll have to look, but I don't believe they're magnum primers. They ARE shotgun primers, though, what I load my 10 gauge with.