Which powder measure for BH209 and Triple 7 and which vials for hunting.

[bod]

I'm new to muzzle hunting and working on getting everything together so I can practice with the new gear before I actually head out for hunting.

[kselkhunter]

I use these for BH209
https://www.muzzle-loaders.com/accessories/cappers-loaders/blackhorn-209-muzzleloader-powder-tubes-6-20-pack.html

[sagerat]

I use these for BH209
https://www.muzzle-loaders.com/accessories/cappers-loaders/blackhorn-209-muzzleloader-powder-tubes-6-20-pack.html

Me too, they work good

[huntnnw]

I liked BH209 until last year as i had used it in UT years ago and used it all last season practicing for my elk hunt. When I had moisture issues and cost me a huge bull at 20 yards I may never use it again. I had 0 issues with triple 7 for years and hundreds of shots and killed animals.

[sagerat]

I thought any amount of moisture would kill them both? I’d like to hear more details, sounds like good information.

[MountainDevil54]

blackhorn209 is 100% waterproof. Put some in a jar of water and it will never melt down.

Moisture problems = user error - Lack of prepping to prevent moisture from happening. In close to 20 years of muzzleloading, never once have I ever had moisture kill a charge. Including hunting in rain and snow storms. Poor prep by the shooter is what causes folks to have problems, not the product.

[kselkhunter]

blackhorn209 is 100% waterproof. Put some in a jar of water and it will never melt down.

Moisture problems = user error - Lack of prepping to prevent moisture from happening. In close to 20 years of muzzleloading, never once have I ever had moisture kill a charge. Including hunting in rain and snow storms. Poor prep by the shooter is what causes folks to have problems, not the product.

Do you have details on how you keep your powder in the barrel dry in pouring rain for 20 years?

Even with electrical tape, we've had water getting into our breech in heavy rains on the wetside.   

[MountainDevil54]

On my break action CVA's, my breech plug is sealed with an o ring where zero water/moisture can get into the powder charge. As for the muzzle, it always seemed pretty simple to keep the muzzle pointed down during foul weather. A piece of duck  tape, electrical tape, balloon, bore cot, these work as well but IMO, could trap moisture.

Before I sealed my primers with an o ring, I'd treat that rifle just like my sidelock, carry the breech end under my arm pit area or a  piece of tape over the opening to shield off water.

Never had a misfire in the field with an inline or sidelock. The only time my sidelock didn't go off was simply because during the rush, I  forgot to cock the hammer  I can still see his antlers when I close my eyes.

Almost forgot, at the end of the day, I remove the primer, piece an ear plug, cut down to size, and squish it across the breech plug and close the action so no moisture seeps in over night.

Nipples on my #11 sidelocks, have their threads wrapped in teflon tape for a 100% seal. You'd be surprised how much moisture, especially during a rain storm, will build up around the base of the nipple and slowly seep through the threads. Those threads are made to seal gasses, not liquid.

note the finger cot over the muzzle. Place this over the muzzle long BEFORE rain or moisture comes into contact, otherwise, you'll trap moisture in the bore and rust it up.

[kselkhunter]

Thanks for the tips.  Will have to try those out.

[Damnimissed]

I’ve never had wet powder either. But I also dont use a sling like I see a lot of guys do. I carry it with my hand over the breech and muzzle pointed down. I did however get a stupid musket cap wet chasing a herd all morning. Finally caught the bull in range and CLICK @!$&

[Damnimissed]

Those BH209 charge tubes are great. I just throw a few of them and few bullets in my front pocket for quick access, then of course a few more in my pack. Any old powder measure will work. For consistency, I measure one charge by volume, weigh it on my powder scale, and then weigh the rest of the charges.

[huntnnw]

blackhorn209 is 100% waterproof. Put some in a jar of water and it will never melt down.

Moisture problems = user error - Lack of prepping to prevent moisture from happening. In close to 20 years of muzzleloading, never once have I ever had moisture kill a charge. Including hunting in rain and snow storms. Poor prep by the shooter is what causes folks to have problems, not the product.

BS! I have seen BH that has sat in a barrell  for a few days hunting and it gets greasy. I have read multiple forums of guys saying the same thing. I have been muzzleloading for over 20 years with 0 issues with triple 7 in the wettest conditions possible. I am methodical about my powders being dry and my gun cleaning regime on my gun.  The incident that happend to me on that bull elk last year was bone dry outside. I shot my gun 3 times at camp I always run a cleaner patch, then a dry one after each shot 0 issues. I made dinner then prepared my stuff for the morning hunt and before bed I loaded my gun put it in case. Morning arrives its 24 deg out and sunny I hunt till about 2 pm than day and return to truck gun is in passenger seat. Ate lunch then went out for a evening hunt (still sunny) the last 10 min a light I call a bull in cock hammer and get a fizzled, half burnt smoky charge bullet comes out enough to hit the elk in the side and bounce off. I found the sabot with hair on it. I shot the gun the next day everything was fine. I load my gun everynight with a new charge. Gun is a CVA optima with sealed breech and 209 primers and electrical tape over muzzle. I have shot hundreds of rounds with 0 issues in my life.

[MountainDevil54]

no BS.  Greasy is the moisture you allowed to build up in the bore.. Sounds to me like some cleaner was the culprit that caused your fizzle.
 Triple 7 will highly degrade when introduced to moisture. It is my least favorite powder even on dry days on the shooting range.

Out of the 70+ lbs of BH209 I've shot so far, never any issues in the field, even on a foul bore for days at a time.

[huntnnw]

gun was bone dry

[bod]

OK people this is a learning thread if you want argue start your own thread or better yet pm each and argue all you want.
 Scott

[James]

Couple questions for Mountain Devil (or others) to get the learning theme back on track:
What O-ring are you using on you CVA break action breach plug?
Where do you hunt?  Some of the technics you discuss (breach under arm during rain storm) seem maybe a little optimistic in places like the rain forest.
Other than BH209, what other powders have you had good experience in wet conditions?
Do you run the hottest primer you can in wet conditions?

[kselkhunter]

Mountain Devil has a great write up on the o-ring:  https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,239607.0.html

Thanks Mountain Devil for your inputs and assistance on muzzleloaders.

I hunt wet side, and even with BH 209 I've had water in the barrel in the heavy rains.  But I'm going to try out some of Mountain Devil's ideas as well as better handling ideas from Damnimissed.

Some lessons from my brief muzzleloading years:
Electrical tape over the barrel can cause condensation with temperature variations and high humidity.  I've had rust build up at that tip of my barrel on one of my modern rifles because I left the tape on too long years ago. Lesson learned.  I change the tape at least once per day and make sure I keep it off while in the tent so it can dry a bit.

I take out the powder ever night, let the barrel dry out, and put in new powder every morning.   I keep my BH209 tubes in vacuum sealed bags in the tent, except for the two spare tubes I put in my front pocket in the morning. 


Don't use the pellets.  My buddy did, and had a 5x5 bull at 25 yards broadside and "pop" cap went off but not pellets.  Unfortunately I wasn't in position to get a shot off on the running bull with his cows around him.   Still a great day to have an elk herd walk in around us so close.  And to be fair, I don't know if my BH209 would have gone off in that nasty heavy rain storm either as I didn't shoot it off, I pushed the powder out (as we camp in the backcountry).


We've researched some of the old time leather covers over the breech that some of the flint lock guys use to put over the breech, but haven't found one commercially available.  Most guys make their own.  Am still thinking of trying something out there.


But there are far far more experienced blackpowder hunters on here than I so I'll let them chime in. 

[dilleytech]

Is there any issues with using pyrodex with 209 primers? Besides it being dirtier.. I don’t care about having to clean the gun more I just want it to go off every time..

[bod]

Another thanks to MountainDevil