Yes, Blackhorn has gone up in price, but then what hasn't. There isn't a thing worthwhile is our lives that hasn't risen in price since pre-covid pricing. And like 45-70 mentioned, he didn't buy a $3500.00 gun to sit in a corner. I've been burning BH for quite a few years now and have seen first hand the merits that the powder offers and can say quite clearly that even at today's pricing BH outshines every other black and sub.
I am not a long range shooter so I guess T7 would be my powder choice if I was. After getting any of my inlines sighted with BH any subsequent range time, and its usually quite often, is done with T7 fffg. That makes it affordable. Generally, I take one or two rifles and the pistol to the range and shoot each one on average of 15 shots. In my Accura V2 and the .45 Kodiak, BH charge weights and T7 fffg charge weights are identical and the guns shoot T7 3f to the same identical point of impact as when used with BH. I loose nothing to T7 except its a bit cheaper. The Optima pistol is the oddball and sees nothing but BH because, with the short barre,l T7 does as much burning outside the barrel as inside, which is NOT cost effective. I don't shoot as much for accuracy, as I already know what each gun can do in that department, but I do shoot just to maintain form and trigger pull time. This helps keep me consistent and confident, and these two words are gold when it comes to shooting. One thing that does not follow me to the range, or the woods for that matter, is how much the powder, or bullets, or sabots or primers, are costing me.
I hunt Blackhorn for a number of reasons: its dependable in all weather, no plume of smoke to hinder following a deer that doesn't drop on the spot and I can shoot the first day of the season and not need to clean until the season is over. All of this equates to confidence. I have had exactly one hang fire using BH and that was not the fault of the powder or primer. My fault. I neglected to clean the plug after a pre season session at the range to verify the shots when I switched back to BH from T7 thinking that 10 shots wouldn't foul the plug out, but.... I have never had one single instance while hunting of having a second load be hard to load when using BH. In all the years I've shot it I have never had a rust issue at the end of the season. I cannot say that with ANY of the other powders. So, saying that, I can also say that for me my trust, my confidence, falls squarely on BH and that allows me to be consistent. That's the gold, folks.
For years have adhered to a motto an old timer told me. He said, " I have no one to impress but myself". I live by that. I don't care what other people want to shoot or what components they use. Like 45-70 said, I too am not collecting guns to not shoot. And I am not one to "settle" on a lesser powder product than that which I have a great deal of confidence in, especially in the deer woods: regardless of cost. Its the deer woods, in my life, that is the essence of why I shoot in the first place. As I read some of these blackhorn threads and all the pissing and moaning about the price of the stuff, I wonder just how many posters actually take a serious look at how much they pay for everything else they enjoy today, as compared to pre-covid costs Everything has gone sky high. As I have said before, the top of the powder pile is owned by BH and T7 granular. They've both gone up in price. If neither of these fit your budget, keep search for something that does and that provides you with the confidence you need to shoot effectively. All powders, including BH, have drawbacks. BH needs a hot primer and those can be hard to find at time. T7 has a crud ring when used with primers or hot caps plus its more corrosive than BH. Some have tried the Shooters World sub and like it, but I have no experience with it so I have no idea what, if any drawbacks there may be with it, but it is reported to be quite affordable. Maybe that's an answer for some of you. If you want to enjoy this sport, find a powder that lets you shoot often and that affords you consistency to achieve decent accuracy. This will bring you confidence. And it doesn't get any better than shooting confidently. Don't worry about what Joe Blow says this sucks or how Mr. X says that this is the best of the best: you, your gun and your components are, or should be, sole focus of your shooting. It takes time, it takes some investment, but in the end if you've been persistent and focused, you'll land smack on top of confident, trust me. And there's no other place like it.
