Blackhorn 209

Blackhorn doesn't work in all ML's and with all 209 primers. In my Knight Rolling Block the 209 primer went off but the Buckhorn did not ignite. The same thing happened with a friends Triumph using Blackhorn where the powder didn't ignite.

Because of this I won't use it and will stick with the Pyrodex that has worked so well for so many years.
 
Now I wonder will 777 primers work with BH209?

Edit: after some research it appears shotgun .209 primers are required. Any one brand stand out/better than others?
 
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I tried some the other day in my Knight MK85 with the 209 primer conversion kit. I was using Winchester 209 primers, I had a hang fire on the first one, couldn't get the next 3 primers to ignite the next load. Another forum recommended Federal 209A or CCI Magnum primers, I went back to Triple 7 for the upcoming season, I'll try again with a hotter primer next summer.
 
You don't want to use 777 or any other 209 size primers intended for muzzleloaders. You want 209 primers meant for reloading shotgun shells with smokeless powder.
The muzzleloader specific primers are more fire than explosion, they are intended to set black powder on fire.
Smokeless powder doesn't just need to be set on fire, it also depends heavily on the primer's explosion to establish the initial chamber pressure that smokeless powder needs to burn fast and efficiently. Simply set it on fire and you get bloopers and squibs.

BH 209 behaves more like smokeless powders than black powder.
 
You don't want to use 777 or any other 209 size primers intended for muzzleloaders. You want 209 primers meant for reloading shotgun shells with smokeless powder.
The muzzleloader specific primers are more fire than explosion, they are intended to set black powder on fire.
Smokeless powder doesn't just need to be set on fire, it also depends heavily on the primer's explosion to establish the initial chamber pressure that smokeless powder needs to burn fast and efficiently. Simply set it on fire and you get bloopers and squibs.

BH 209 behaves more like smokeless powders than black powder.
Click to expand...

The 209 primers we used are Winchester Primers for shotshells. (W209). In using these the powder didn't ignite like it should or at all.

With this experience we will continue to use Pyrodex and to harvest deer.

I have a 10 oz container of this stuff. Anybody want it? At best I have an odd looking and highly volatile paper weight.
 
Be sure the gun is clean,clear, & dry. Seat the load with good firm pressure. There is no reason to 'pound' on it & possibly deform the bullet. I use the CCI mag primers in my Knight. I took 5 deer with 5 shots in IL a few weeks ago. My load was 115grn B209 & a Hornady 250 grn SST.
 
I use Winchester W209 primers as well. No problems whatsoever with ignition. My buddy has a TC Omega exactly like mine and he was experiencing hang fires with BH 209. He found the diameter of his breach plug hole was carboned up and using a 1/16” drill bit by hand cleaned the carbon out and he did not experience any problems since. Now as part of the end of the session cleaning we both use a 1'16” drill bit screwed in by hand to clear any carbon deposits.
 
I tried the Blackhorn 209 (100 Grains) this year in my stainless .50 CAL. T/C Omega. I was using regular 209 shotgun primers since the label said to and my bullets were the 295 GR. Hollowpoint Powerbelts. When I went to check my scope, the first time I pulled the trigger the Omega failed to fire. The only thing I can figure is I didn't have the breech plug hole cleaned out enough on the first shot. I shot 2 times after that, almost putting both bullets through the same hole at 1 inch high at 50 yards. I didn't fire it anymore until the 3rd day of muzzleloader season when I took a decent 8 point. The deer went only a short distance and I would say my 30.06 would not have put it down any better. After I shot the 8 point, I loaded the muzzleloader and carried it the rest of the week, at times in rainy weather. At the end of the week instead of pulling the breech plug and dumping the powder and bullet I wanted to see if the gun would fire. I pulled the trigger on it and it fired just fine. Clean up was very easy with very little effort. Another thing I noticed was there was very little smoke when the gun fired. In the past I have had to wait for the smoke to clear to see if the deer was on the ground or running off. Not so with the Blackhorn 209.
I must add also that my brother in law tried the Blackhorn 209 in his Knight muzzleloader this year. His performed well and he shot a bigger 8 point than I got. He also commented that there was little smoke with that powder. I noticed when he shot his deer, from a distance I heard the shot and it didn't even sound like a muzzleloader. I can tell that powder has some umph to it.
I have tried about all the muzzleloader powders on the market and it appears to me that Blackhorn 209 is going to be one of the best ones. What's not to like? Great accuracy, no swabbing the barrel between shots, easy to seat bullet after mutiple shots, real easy clean up without the sulfur smell of other powders and its supposed to be no corrosive according to the company.
 
Another great advantage... No crud ring that you get with 777, Pyrodex and Black power.... No crud ring at all!!
 
I just tried some Blackhorn 209 in my .44 Magnum today. I used 22 grains by weight of BH209 in a .44mag case primed by Winchester large pistol primers (WLP) and seated a muzzleloading .433 round ball on top of the powder and crimped it, slightly compressing the powder charge.
Sort of a modern cap-and-ball load you might say.

Gun used: Smith and Wesson Model 29
Barrel length: 6 inches

Chronograph results of a six shot string:
1027
1024
1033
1011
1023
1024

I didn't have a bench to shoot off of but it seemed to be shooting more accurately than I can aim.

Absolutely no problems with misfires.
 
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