Best Powder/pellets for shotshell primers

[MuzBeLoaded]

Well, it looks like I ordered the wrong primers for T7/Whitehot pellets. I ordered Winchester shotshell(reloading) primers. Advice from the forum is that muzzleloader specific primers would be a better choice for either of these pellets due to the shotshell primer being hotter and likelihood of causing the formation of a crud ring.

My question is are the Winchester shotshell primers good for any powder or pellets?

 

[ElDiablo]

They’re good for shotshells. You can use them with 777 but you will get more fouling. No big deal - just use a bronze bore brush or swab with a patch or two between shots at the range. (Seach for “swabbing”) you can get by with Win 209s for BH209, but mag primers are recommended.

Long story short, they’ll work with any powder but won’t be ideal.

 

[MuzBeLoaded]

They’re good for shotshells. You can use them with 777 but you will get more fouling. No big deal - just use a bronze bore brush or swab with a patch or two between shots at the range. (Seach for “swabbing”) you can get by with Win 209s for BH209, but mag primers are recommended.

Long story short, they’ll work with any powder but won’t be ideal.

Thanks ElDiablo, are the shotshell primers ideal for any powder?
What are the less than ideal results seen when using with BH209?

 

[ElDiablo]

Thanks ElDiablo, are the shotshell primers ideal for any powder?
What are the less than ideal results seen when using with BH209?

“Ideal” to me would mean consistent reliable powder ignition and doesn’t make the fouling worse.

They’d be fine for real black or Pyrodex. They are ideal for shotshells and, arguably, smokeless muzzies.

Bh209 can be finicky. It takes quite a bit of fire to reliably ignite it. That said, I happily shoot it in most of my rifles with never an issue using Fed 209As. Hodgdon recommends mag primers and proper (and clean) breech plugs for BH209. If you had an efficient BH209 breech plug and the ambient conditions weren’t too cold, the Win 209s would probably work just fine.

But these days, I recommend buying what you can find. Primers and powder are not going to get any cheaper or more available.

 

[ElDiablo]

More reading on BH209 if you haven’t seen it yet.

https://hodgdonpowderco.com/blackhorn-209/

 

[smokepolehall]

As said now days any 209 Primer that fires off your powder is good. Just clean bore as needed

 

[MrTom]

I shoot the Winchester 209 reloading primers with my BH209 in temps down to about -11 degrees and have yet to have issues doing so.

 

[MuzBeLoaded]

As said now days any 209 Primer that fires off your powder is good. Just clean bore as needed

I heard that. However, my concern is reliable ignition as hunting is what sparked my interest in muzzleloading. Does anyone have Pyrodex insights? It seems relatively available.
- What are its pros/cons?

 

[MuzBeLoaded]

I shoot the Winchester 209 reloading primers with my BH209 in temps down to about -11 degrees and have yet to have issues doing so.

When shooting BH209 at those temps do you ever notice a delay or power residue at the end of you’re barrel?

 

[ElDiablo]

Does anyone have Pyrodex insights? It seems relatively available.
- What are its pros/cons?

Pros - cheap, easy to ignite
Cons - smokey, smelly, relatively low-powered

 

[MuzBeLoaded]

Pros - cheap, easy to ignite
Cons - smokey, smelly, relatively low-powered

I just read an article recommending Accurate 5744. What are your thoughts on this powder?

https://shop.hodgdon.com/accurate-5744/

 

[MrTom]

When shoot BH209 at those temps do you ever notice a delay or power residue at the end of you’re barrel?

None.

 

[phalanx]

Accurate 5744 is a smokeless powder and should NEVER be used in a muzzleloader not rated for SMOKELESS powder. If you have a "regular" muzzleloader you are restricted to blackpowder, Pyrodex, Triple 7, and other BP substitutes and depending upon the ignition system one may not be able to use BH209. You could risk destroying your gun, injurying yourself, others nearby or worse death.

 

[ElDiablo]

I just read an article recommending Accurate 5744. What are your thoughts on this powder?

https://shop.hodgdon.com/accurate-5744/

As @phalanx says - smokeless can ONLY be used in muzzies designed for it. I believe you mentioned having a CVA Optima in another post. Definitely a no-go in that rifle!

 

[smokepolehall]

This is just my own experience with Win. 209 primers. I have & shoot the T/C Blk. Dia. .50 XR SS model using 75 gr of T7-2F. I have never had a crud ring in that rifle using T7 nor when i have used the Fed. 209

 

[MuzBeLoaded]

This is just my own experience with Win. 209 primers. I have & shoot the T/C Blk. Dia. .50 XR SS model using 75 gr of T7-2F. I have never had a crud ring in that rifle using T7 nor when i have used the Fed. 209

I seem to read that a lot use the 3F. I wonder if using the 2F helps prevent the crud ring when using shotshell primers

What are the pro/cons of 2F V.S. 3F?

 

[ElDiablo]

I seem to read that a lot use the 3F. I wonder if using the 2F helps prevent the crud ring when using shotshell primers

What are the pro/cons of 2F V.S. 3F?

Try it and see. Lots of factors potentially involved in crud ring formation (barrel, powder type/amount, primer type, bullet type/weight, bore condition, ambient conditions, etc). I believe the biggest factor is primer type.

FFG vs FFFG. The 3F will give you slightly more velocity per volume charge. Your rifle/load may prefer one over the other.

https://hodgdonpowderco.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/muzzleloading_manual_2008-1.pdf

 

[gman57]

For me I find the FFFg leaves less of a crud ring and I can go several shots without swabbing, and as far as the BH 209 I have always used the Win 209,s no problems.

 

[smokepolehall]

T7 powder is good & bad, depending on the components used. I can use T7-3F in my .45 T/C Hawken, once i go above 45 gr it cruds. Doesn't matter on type n size of caps, it will do it. i have only used prb's in my .45. So i don't know what it will do with conicals or sabots.