Musket cap and blackhorn

[yoyodoc]

I'm not new to muzzleloading. I have a .58 Zouave repro that takes musket caps, but it doesn't have a patent breach and clean up can last an hour.

If I understand it right, Blackhorn is really a smokeless powder, and clean up is much easier, but a #11 percussion cap doesn't have enough fire to reliably ignite. A musket cap has a LOT more fire. I'd like to hear from anyone who had tried (successfully or unsuccessfully) Blackhorn in a rifle that takes a musket cap.

 

[MrTom]

I'd question whether the gun can handle BH209"s pressures. Big difference in pressures generated by the 209 powder vs true black or pyrodex. I think even T7 might be a bit hot. Its not so much the gun's barrel handling the higher pressure but rather the type of ignition....sidelock or plunger styles may want to be re-thought.

 

[deermanok]

I think that if you had an inline rifle, musket caps could fire off BH209, but with a side hammer gun not sure if it would work. Better to stick with good ole black powder.

 

[Confederate rifleman]

Tried it in my Black Diamond and it didn't work. The powder was right up against the nipple, and it took 2 musket caps, RWS, to light it.
BH209 is designed for closed breech rifles and 209 primers. Use in other types will disappoint.
Swiss Holy Black is the gold standard for me. Even use it in my BH209 capable Omegas

 

[eekjellander]

And not to beat a dead horse but for $25-30 you can buy the Mag Spark conversion and shoot 209s if you have those primers/Ed

 

[Dave951]

I'd like to know why clean up is taking you an hour. I shoot muskets in competition and in no case does it take that long but I use real black powder.

 

[Bad Karma]

I'd like to know why clean up is taking you an hour. I shoot muskets in competition and in no case does it take that long but I use real black powder.

+1...

 

[Henry Miles]

Even the hot 209 primers fail to ignite BH209 if the breech plug isn't right. Musket caps and BH209 will not work in a sidelock. It is made for inlines with direct ignition only.

 

[eekjellander]

Even the hot 209 primers fail to ignite BH209 if the breech plug isn't right. Musket caps and BH209 will not work in a sidelock. It is made for inlines with direct ignition only.

Works in all my TC Renegade/Hawkens and custom shop Buckeye special on 12 different barrels using Magspark and 209 primers ,perhaps you need a new BP/Ed

 

[michiganmuzzy]

I have shot bh209 in my Renegade with a Magspark also. Shot really well. It is a Green Mntn barrel, not a TC tho.

 

[eekjellander]

Barrel does not matter ,just the fact that we get sidelocks shooting with 209 primers /BH209 (I've been doing it for yrs and in these times of scarce options it certainly works and does it well if you want choices . / Or hunt for the elusive primer of your choice ,I like options /YMMV Ed

 

[michiganmuzzy]

I lke options too. The GM flame channel is different than the TC so i wonder if it would be more likely to light bh209 off of a musket cap?

 

[sabotloader]

It has been my experience Musket caps will not reliably (if any ignition is achieved) ignite BH209 in a side hammer or inline.

 

[rugerbh103]

I tried, against better advice, to make it work in a Knight plunger inline. I was using Winchester 209's in the red jackets. It worked well enough doing load development in the summer. I was out hunting on a really cold day. Nice buck came into the area. First shot did nothing. I checked the round with a ramrod and recapped. A big doe walked in. Second shot was a long hang fire and a miss. I reloaded and moved over a rise finding the buck feeding in a draw. Third shot, long hang fire and a miss. I packed up frustrated went home and switched my powder back to T7.

Based on my experiences with the Knight, I would be hesitant to use it in a sidehammer without considerable testing in the conditions it would be used.

 

[Henry Miles]

BH209 is made for inlines, not sidelocks. Been there, tried it and it don't work. Suit yourself but it will fail to fire, at the worst possible time, I promise you that...

 

[eekjellander]

I lke options too. The GM flame channel is different than the TC so i wonder if it would be more likely to light bh209 off of a musket cap?

It does on my 3/Ed

 

[eekjellander]

It has been my experience Musket caps will not reliably (if any ignition is achieved) ignite BH209 in a side hammer or inline.

I do not use musket caps ,having no musket ,but it works in my side locks(all I said)/Ed

 

[michiganmuzzy]

BH209 is made for inlines, not sidelocks. Been there, tried it and it don't work. Suit yourself but it will fail to fire, at the worst possible time, I promise you that...

Well aware of its intended use.
I shot my renegade with the magspark and bh209 at the range on a few cold michigan winter days. It fired just fine every time. Ive had misfires with bh209 in my Accura and Lehigh breech plug with Fed 209As on the same cold winter days. We're not necessarily talkin bout hunting with it, just our experiences with it in sidelocks. You know? For knowledge sake. I personally wouldnt risk it hunting with it in my sidelock, magspark or not.

 

[yoyodoc]

I'd like to know why clean up is taking you an hour. I shoot muskets in competition and in no case does it take that long but I use real black powder.

It does not have a patent breech. I have to take the barrel out of the stock to get at the places where the BP residue has spread. I am however willing to take tips on speeding up the cleaning process.

 

[Dave951]

It does not have a patent breech. I have to take the barrel out of the stock to get at the places where the BP residue has spread. I am however willing to take tips on speeding up the cleaning process.

In all my muskets, all shot with real black powder, in no case, does bp residue get under the barrel and into the tang/lock areas. There is only cap residue outside the barrel. Since my guns are all glass bedded, I only remove the barrel once a year after the competition season is over for the year because the torque on the barrel bands and tang screw will affect accuracy. I've never seen any problems in that area thus far so that's mostly a preventative procedure.

My cleaning process for black powder- remove spent cap and squirt windex down the barrel till it runs out the nipple. Scrape breech area with breech scraper. Patch bore till dry and pretty clean. Repeat with ballistol till patches are clean. Remove nipple and wipe area clean and scrap any fouling off including hammer. Clean flash channel. Put nipple back in with just a touch of grease on the threads. Wipe down with oil inside and out. About 29 minutes and done.