Any experiences with Badger Ridge installing a vent liner in a CVA BH209 breech plug?

[Tannhauser]

Anyone have experience with Badger Ridge installing a vent liner in their BH209 breech plug?

I’m considering having this done but curious to hear any first hand experiences, good or bad.

 

[MrTom]

None with the actual installing of the vent liners but I have their vent liners and have always has absolutely stellar service. I've shared some emails with the owners and they are great people.
Drilling the breech plugs is not that hard of a job....I do all of my cva plugs myself using a jig for holding the plugs on the drill press I made myself. I'd have zero hesitation about sending them a plug of having them convert a plug they may have on hand.

I will say one thing about converting the cva plugs to the vent liners....the liners last a whole lot longer than factory and/or replacement plugs if you're burning the 209 powder. Two of my converted plugs using the Badger vent liners have perhaps 350 shots apiece [I'd have to check my log] at no less than 90 volume grains of 209 powder, most being between 100 and 110 grains by volume with 240 to 300 grain bullets, and the liners have no wear on them yet. I had a factory 209 replacement plug burn out after 206 shots.

Bottom line is that Badger is a great place to work with. And they're darned prompt!

 

[GM54-120]

You will want to use the OEM plug not the BH209 plug for the conversion. The flash channel length would be really short if you used the BH209 plug. Badger sells Lehigh vents and they are the best ive tried yet but if i was spending $50 i would be going with a tungsten carbide bushing. Pay once and done. No vents to buy and its unlikely you would wear out a bushing in over 1000 shots.

 

[Tannhauser]

Can you explain further about vents in the OEM vs BH209 plugs? I thought the purpose of the BH209 plug was to place the powder closer to the ignition source? So OEM plug + vent performs the sane with BH209 as a dedicated BH209 plug?

 

[GM54-120]

You have to have enough flash channel volume or pressure on the 209 primer gets too high. On the OEM plug you would counter sink the vent a little and increase the flash channel to 5/32. You would need a LRMP module or direct ignition module to handle more pressure on the primer. Rifle primers can handle far more pressure.

A bushing with lock ring will cost you about $31 and it stays in the plug until its shot out. I think Fishhawk has done the bushing mod on Savage plugs. Bestill has done them for his Knight plugs.

 

[Sideshow]

You have to have enough flash channel volume or pressure on the 209 primer gets too high. On the OEM plug you would counter sink the vent a little and increase the flash channel to 5/32. You would need a LRMP module or direct ignition module to handle more pressure on the primer. Rifle primers can handle far more pressure.

A bushing with lock ring will cost you about $31 and it stays in the plug until its shot out. I think Fishhawk has done the bushing mod on Savage plugs. Bestill has done them for his Knight plugs.

Exactly correct....

 

[ronlaughlin]

Anyone have experience with Badger Ridge installing a vent liner in their BH209 breech plug?

I’m considering having this done but curious to hear any first hand experiences, good or bad.

Another option is the Lehigh QRBP. Installed vent liner included.

 

[Tannhauser]

Another option is the Lehigh QRBP. Installed vent liner included.

this seems like a very cost effective option.

my current BH209 has around 2.5 small bottles of powder through it (about 25 oz I think at 10 oz per bottle).

just before deer season this year my groups start red opening up. It went from cloverleafs at 100 yards to double that or greater.

same charge, same lot of powder, same sabot, same bullet, same powder measure, same primers, etc.

made me wonder if my breech plug vent hole was eroding.

 

[Sideshow]

this seems like a very cost effective option.

my current BH209 has around 2.5 small bottles of powder through it (about 25 oz I think at 10 oz per bottle).

just before deer season this year my groups start red opening up. It went from cloverleafs at 100 yards to double that or greater.

same charge, same lot of powder, same sabot, same bullet, same powder measure, same primers, etc.

made me wonder if my breech plug vent hole was eroding.

Maybe so . You got any precision drills or guages to measure it ???

 

[Tannhauser]

Maybe so . You got any precision drills or guages to measure it ???

I have a pretty minimalist home shop, so all I have are standard Dewalt drill bits.

 

[Sideshow]

I have a pretty minimalist home shop, so all I have are standard Dewalt drill bits.

Torch tip cleaners----access anywhere ?? And a dial caliper or micromiter ??

 

[Tannhauser]

Torch tip cleaners----access anywhere ?? And a dial caliper or micromiter ??

Yes, yes and yes.

which diameter would be considered “within spec” for a breech plug?

 

[Sideshow]

Yes, yes and yes.

which diameter would be considered “within spec” for a breech plug?

.030 to.032 is beautiful
@ about .035 groups start to open in my experiance

 

[GM54-120]

You can buy a .036 pin gauge for about $5. Get one when you order vent liners from Badger Ridge Ind.
https://www.badgerridgeind.com/store/p11/LehighVentLiner.html

 

[Sideshow]

You can buy a .035 pin gauge for about $5. Get one when you order vent liners from Badger Ind.

Good idea....

 

[GM54-120]

Badger is actually cheaper than Lehigh direct on the vent liners. Not a big deal if getting a Lehigh plug at the same time but if you are just ordering vents it will save you $7-8 bucks.

 

[Sideshow]

Badger is actually cheaper than Lehigh direct on the vent liners. Not a big deal if getting a Lehigh plug at the same time but if you are just ordering vents it will save you $7-8 bucks.

GM54--120 that is awesome information !!!!