Primers for Blackhorn powder

[Limbhanger1950]

Okay, I've been smoke pole hunting since the early '80s. Have T/C Renegade .54 and T/C Hawken .50, in '97 bought first inline (CVA Apollo .50) and have only used percussion caps. Traded in Apollo recently for CVA Accura V2 LR and have been reading about BH powder and decided to try it, learned it needed special breech plug & special 209 primers but can't find primers anywhere in stock locally. Will regular 209 primer work or not? Also what's this about o rings for breech plug.

 

[elkeater]

Yes the "special 209 primer" needed for BH powder is the primer you would use to load your own shot shells. Not the one for inline MZ.

 

[Limbhanger1950]

Thanks for the reply, I've been scouring the internet and BH web site. Can't find CCI 209M or Federal 209A locally or online the places I looked. Hazmat charges are ridiculous, cost prohibitive. I did find Winchester W209 primers at BP so will try them even tho' BH doesn't list them as recommended.

 

[exMember]

Win w209 primers will work just fine.

 

[Limbhanger1950]

Thanks, like I said I haven't used BH or 209's before and my son-in-law just purchased his first muzzle loader, CVA Accura V2, we appreciate the info. I went digging in posts from years ago and learned something extremely important about BH 209 breechplug, that you can't use with pelleted powder. Also want to give shout-out to CVA for customer service and Muzzle-Loaders for there service, I recommend both.

 

[Old and grumpy]

The 209 primers will work but I think you will find better accuracy using the low power primer (black powder and if I remember right, 410 shot shell primer). The full power 209 supposedly moves the charge down the barrel before the charge ignites. I don't know how this is possible but I do know that I get better accuracy with the lower power primers intended for black powder / BP sub use.

 

[Muley Hunter]

The 209 primers will work but I think you will find better accuracy using the low power primer (black powder and if I remember right, 410 shot shell primer). The full power 209 supposedly moves the charge down the barrel before the charge ignites. I don't know how this is possible but I do know that I get better accuracy with the lower power primers intended for black powder / BP sub use.

I'd agree with you for any other powder than BH 209 which he's using. He needs the hottest primer possible. Personally, i'll only use the Federal 209A primers. They're the hottest one.

 

[Old and grumpy]

I'd agree with you for any other powder than BH 209 which he's using. He needs the hottest primer possible. Personally, i'll only use the Federal 209A primers. They're the hottest one.

If it's that hard to light off, I'd switch to real BP, just sayin'.

 

[Muley Hunter]

If it's that hard to light off, I'd switch to real BP, just sayin'.

BH 209 has big advantages for those who shoot inline muzzleloaders. It has much more power than black powder. It doesn't need swabbing between shots. You can take 50 shots and never have to swab and you'll lose no accuracy. It's not corrosive unshot or shot. It doesn't absorb any moisture.

It has two disadvantages. It's expensive and it's hard to ignite. The reason for this is the same reason it has all the advantages. It's a detuned smokeless powder that's legal to use in muzzleloader seasons.

The advantages by far outweigh the disadvantages for the modern muzzleloader hunter. I will use nothing but real black powder in sidelocks. However, I will use BH 209 in a modern inline muzzleloader. I feel if someone decides to go traditioinal they should go all traditional but if someone goes modern muzzleloading they should go all the way and use modern gun, bullets, primers, and powder.

I don't like doing anything half-assed.

 

[exMember]

Hard to ignite theory IMO has been put the rest. Its hard to ignite if you are using the incorrect primers or breech plug set up. After shooting 60+ lbs of it, theres nothing hard to ignite when properly set up. Ive had rifles hang fire with real black powder before in the past. Understand what you are using and whats required and its not an issue.

 

[Muley Hunter]

You know I agree. We were using BH 209 on CVA's long before the special breech plug was released. However, if we didn't do the right things we'd get slow fires.

The point is BH 209 has a much higher temp ignition than any other BP or BP substitute powder. That in itself makes it harder to ignite. Even now, when doing everything right you still need a tight fitting bullet/sabot or ignition will fail. The same loose fitting bullet will work with all other BP powders. It shows BH 209 is harder to ignite. My last point is BH 209 can't be ignited in sidelocks with #11 cap or even musket caps.

 

[Doug1968]

I’ve been using CCI 209 caps without any problems but I did swab every shot . I did notice that there is a lot on the patch so I’ll swab every shot just like I do on my T/C hawken .

 

[Muley Hunter]

It's not the same kind of fouling. You don't need to swab and your accuracy may improve if you don't swab. Keep in mind it's basically a smokeless powder that's been tweaked to black powder velocities. Do you swab a centerfire gun between shots?

Don't anybody reading this take that to mean you can use smokeless powder in a muzzleloader made for black powder. You can't and will hurt yourself if you try it.

 

[Doug1968]

I know my optima did better swabbing between shots but that’s cool and thanks for the info .

 

[Muley Hunter]

You may be the first one I heard say that. It sure wasn't the case with me.