Blackhorn 209 - Volume or Weight?

[Pathfinder60]

Coming from a centerfire reloading background it was hard at first to accept a volumetric approach with muzzleloaders. I still weigh my BP/substitute when trying-out new MLer projectiles...other than that volumetric measurements work just fine for me for hunting with a muzzloloader.

We have the same background. I only shoot BH209 so I only shoot weighed charges. The only concession I made to the volumetric method is that for every new lot of BH209 I open up, I throw 10 charges with a volume measure, weigh each one, average them out and it's that weight to volume formula that I use to weigh all my charges. 10ths of a grain of BH209 can affect accuracy which is why I'll always weigh my charges.

 

[AJMav]

Using the powder, and equipment here, and allowing an old person to do the measuring:

110g Blackhorn weighs 83 grain

120g Blackhorn weighs 90 grain

This is almost exactly my results.

We have the same background. I only shoot BH209 so I only shoot weighed charges. The only concession I made to the volumetric method is that for every new lot of BH209 I open up, I throw 10 charges with a volume measure, weigh each one, average them out and it's that weight to volume formula that I use to weigh all my charges. 10ths of a grain of BH209 can affect accuracy which is why I'll always weigh my charges.

-What is the range of weights you have come across?

-I just measured 10 BH209 charges in my most trusted sliding powder measure. The 10 set average came to 95.15bW=120bV

-95bW seems a bit high. Nowhere near 84gW. I've seen others have 90bW, but not 95bW??? Any thoughts, I do chronograph, (340gr ELD-X IS 1947Fps at 15 feet from muzzle@84bW) seen 2020fps posted.

-I have been testing new projectiles this year and just weighed out 84gn and have had great success, but my velocities out of my Accura LR-X are below the posted numbers of other members. 84bW=110bV

-BH209 lot#43 8oz can.

 

[ENCORE50A]

 

[ElDiablo]

Using the powder, and equipment here, and allowing an old person to do the measuring:

110g Blackhorn weighs 83 grain

120g Blackhorn weighs 90 grain

Lot 41

My averages are very close to Ron’s.
120 grV = 90.6 grW ave
115 grV = 86.8 grW
110 grV = 83 grW

 

[AJMav]

Hodgson pushes the by volume measurement pretty hard. Coming from centerfire powder measurements, I struggle putting in 95gn bW of powder, without doing my due diligence. 84gn bW thumps pretty good, but there are scenarios where I would go maxed out.
So you guys use 90gr bW/95gr bW successfully, with no issues? Very open to any thoughts either way. I did notice on the ELR 330, and ELD-X 340 that the primers were tough to remove with 84gr bW, never had that happen with 290gr and lower bullets. Thank you so much for your input

 

[ElDiablo]

So you guys use 90gr bW/95gr bW successfully, with no issues?

Yes - but that’s a stout load on the bench with a hunting-weight rifle (7-9 lbs) with a 300-400 gr bullet! Not much fun after about 5-10 rounds. 110-115 grV Bh208 is what I most often shoot.

 

[ENCORE50A]

............ So you guys use 90gr bW/95gr bW successfully, with no issues? .................

I'm shooting a custom 45 so there's no issue. I'll be shooting over 100 rounds this next weekend through Tuesday using 350gr XLD's. Around 70 of those will be from the prone position. No muzzle brake.

 

[AJMav]

Yes - but that’s a stout load on the bench with a hunting-weight rifle (7-9 lbs) with a 300-400 gr bullet! Not much fun after about 5-10 rounds. 110-115 grV Bh208 is what I most often shoot.

Absolutely agree, I spent the last 2 days shooting my muzzy, the second day I was shooting the heavys 300gr-340gr. A bit painfull off the bench towards the end... Did manage 1"@100Y group with ELD-X , and .75"@100Y with Barnes 250 Magnum MZ

 

[AJMav]

I'm shooting a custom 45 so there's no issue. I'll be shooting over 100 rounds this next weekend through Tuesday using 350gr XLD's. Around 70 of those will be from the prone position. No muzzle brake.

100 rds, o.0
Guess I'll quit complaining about the 20 I shoot a day

 

[ENCORE50A]

100 rds, o.0
Guess I'll quit complaining about the 20 I shoot a day

There are two major matches between this weekend and next week. We'll be shooting 5 relays at 1,000yds at Camp Atterbury, IN. Then I'm heading to Friendship for the fall Nationals to shoot.
I'll get enough for a few days

 

[ElDiablo]

100 rds, o.0
Guess I'll quit complaining about the 20 I shoot a day

You need a 15 lb rifle.

 

[white eagle]

you want consistency you need to be consistent, simple as that
I never trusted the lines on charge tubes

 

[Dennis Stankovitz]

I have been shooting Blackhorn for a few years now. It weighs less than other black powder substitutes. I shoot 88 Grains by weight which is 110 by volume. Since precisely weighing each charge my groups have been cut in half. I now can shoot sub 1" MOA groups at 100 yards out of my CVA.

 

[txhunter58]

The vote is in: you should weigh your charges!!!

That said, the minority (me) who only measure by volume, will rock along just fine. If I ever decide to target shoot for fun or hunt at distances beyond 150 yrds, I will first put a scope on my gun (something I have never done) and then weigh my charges.

Maybe I will do that in retirement. But for what I do, hunt with open sights out to 150 yards, it’s not worth all the extra work to me. I have never missed an animal because I don’t weigh. YOMV

I realize this this is a repeat of what I have said earlier. But I just want newbies to realize you don’t have to weigh to have fun and kill critters

But everyone agrees: never use BH (or any other brand) of powder tubes to measure powder. They should take the lines off them. They are good for storage in the field. That’s all

 

[SDK]

The vote is in: you should weigh your charges!!!

That said, the minority (me) who only measure by volume, will rock along just fine. If I ever decide to target shoot for fun or hunt at distances beyond 150 yrds, I will first put a scope on my gun (something I have never done) and then weigh my charges.

Maybe I will do that in retirement. But for what I do, hunt with open sights out to 150 yards, it’s not worth all the extra work to me. I have never missed an animal because I don’t weigh. YOMV

I realize this this is a repeat of what I have said earlier. But I just want newbies to realize you don’t have to weigh to have fun and kill critters

But everyone agrees: never use BH (or any other brand) of powder tubes to measure powder. They should take the lines off them. They are good for storage in the field. That’s all

Love your post and agree it’s probably not necessary for you.

I will say, that weighing is not extra work. It’s less work and less messy than trying to refill and empty a skinny volumetric measure over and over the same way.

Once I have volume figured out for a particular lot, I can crank out weighed charges much faster and it’s much more user friendly for pouring powder in and out.

 

[Blackrock]

Doesn't matter. At $83.99 for 8 ounces at local Wally's, & at 70 grains/shot that's only 50 shots /bottle assuming no fouling shots and NO waste. I simply cannot afford that. (And that price is before sales tax -- another 6% (another $5.04) or nearly $1.80/70 grain load...)
Meanwhile, Swiss 2f BP is $29.00/pound