Blackhorn 209
This all new muzzleloader propellant finally hit the market this past April...and primer ignition muzzleloader shooters/hunters have taken to it as if it is the last best thing. And, in a way it is. It is the last "best thing" to be introduced to make muzzleloading a more consumer friendly sport. Now, there are plenty of other write ups on the powder on this website (just go back to the opening page and scroll down to "Current & Hot Topics"), so here we'll just share that it is a cellulose-based modern powder that, with equal volumes, produces less internal barrel pressure and higher velocities than Triple Seven charges. It burns cleaner, and many shooters have fired 20...30...40 shots - without wiping the bore, and accuracy has remained excellent.
The downside of Blackhorn 209 is that it is harder to ignite than any other black powder substitute. In most modern No. 209 primer ignition muzzleloaders, the hotter the primer used the better. And two of the most favored primers have been the CCI 209M and the Federal 209A. Now, the granules of Blackhorn 209 are somewhat unique looking...for a muzzleloader powder. They are short-cut extruded granules, with a single hole running through the center. And there's something about the cellulose base and configuration of the granules that seem to prevent the higher pressures of "magnum" strength primers from pushing the enitre load forward before the charge ignites.
I have now shot in the neighborhood of 17-18 pounds of Blackhorn 209 - which equates to between 1,600 and 1,700 rounds. And easily 70-percent of that shooting has been done with the hot CCI 209M and Federal 209A primers. I cannot say, even though much of the shooting was done through this past summer, that the higher pressures created by these primers resulted in noticeable fliers. In fact, for the most part out of most No. 209 primer ignition rifles, my best accuracy has come from those loads that were ignited by these two hotter primers - including one test target when I put 50-shots through the same 1.6" hole at 100 yards.
Another primer, which is not a "magnum" primer, that has given stellar performance with Blackhorn 209 has been the Remington STS primer. Developed for clay target loads, this primer apparently throws a hotter flame (without excessive pressures) than other "standard strength" No. 209 primers. At any rate, ignition of Blackhorn 209 has been instantaneous when using the STS primer. Much of my shooting with this primer has been through a Knight DISC Extreme action rifle that has been fitted with one of the Non Full Plastic Jacket conversions. About 300 rounds have been fired through the rifle, using the STS primer, and I have yet to experience a single hangfire. Plus, one benefit of using this primer has been a lot less primer carbon left in the action than when shooting with the CCI 209M or Federal 209A.
So you can get a feel for where the CCI 209M and Remington STS primers fit into the "pressure" range listed in the above report, I ran them through my little .32 Green Mountain "Limited Edition" Small Game Rifle...and got the following velocities - without any powder at all! - Toby Bridges
CCI 209M.........................379 f.p.s.
Remington STS.................338 f.p.s.
