Tuesday's session at the Redneck Rifle Range proved that my ultra-modern muzzleloading system is ready for muzzleloader season.
In short, it fired every time I pulled the trigger, and almost every shot hit the target in the desired spot.
We're talking about a highly modified Thompson/Center Omega. It is about 7 years old and was originally designed to use 209 shotgun primers to ignite the powder charge.
For years I enjoyed excellent results with this rifle using two Hodgdon Triple Seven pellets, Winchester Triple Seven primers and all manner of bullets from 195-300 grain. It was consistently accurate and lethal with tipped and hollow point Powerbelt bullets. It excelled with 250-gr. Barnes Expanders, and it did OK with Hornady.
A muzzleloading dabbler in the 1990s, I plunged into the sport in 2002 when Hodgdon introduced Triple Seven. It was more consistent than Pyrodex in my Knight DISC rifle, and it is lower maintenance.
Even though I clean my guns meticulously, Pyrodex seemed to lust for rust, and their tawdry little affair vexed me no end. While Triple Seven does not share Pyrodex's obsession with rust, it burns filthy and coats the bore with soot. If I don't swab the bore after two shots, it is difficult to push and seat a bullet. Triple Seven cleans easily, but it is a little too labor intensive for high volume range shooting.
I hoped IMR White Hots would be an improvement. I was dismayed to learn that White Hots are merely Triple Seven pellets colored white designed to appeal to IMR loyalists.
Blackhorn 209 is the latest and greatest muzzleloader propellant, but neither of my muzzleloaders that employ 209 ignition would fire it. Blackhorn is available only as loose powder and requires a hotter flame than a standard 209 primer provides. If it fired at all, it was usually a hang fire.
Last year, I discovered a product called the Vari-Flame II Primer Conversion. Designed for Blackhorn 209 and Triple Seven, it uses large rifle or large magnum rifle primers, which provide the hotter flame required for Blackhorn.
Essentially, the Vari-Flame is a breech plug machined to hold a stainless steel cup which is machined to hold a large rifle or large magnum rifle primer. It comes with 10 stainless steel cups, or adapters, which you can prime with a Lee Auto Prime device using a No. 7 or No. 20 shellholder.
I stood my target 88 yards from my portable shooting bench. That distance gave me the most level position on the hillside. From there, you have to go another 80 yards to get a level spot.
The scope on the rifle, a Bushnell Banner 3-9X40, is sighted dead on at 100 yards with two Triple Seven pellets and a 250-gr. bullet.
A 100-gr. charge of Blackhorn 209 placed a 250-gr. T/C Shock Wave 4 inches high and 2 inches left. Two subsequent shots still printed 2 inches left, but they climbed to 5.25 inches and 6 inches, respectively.
I cleaned the bore with a T17 patch, followed by two passes with a dry patch and two passes with a 50-cal. Bore Snake. Blackhorn 209 cleans much easier than triple Seven, and it does not replicate Triple Seven's thick "crud" ring.
It also does not produce the massive smoke cloud that is characteristic of blackpowder, Triple Seven and Pyrodex. With most shots I didn't lose sight of the target.
I reduced the charge to 90 grains and clicked the elevation down 12 clicks, and the windage eight clicks to the right.
The next shot clipped the left corner of the diamond bullseye. The next three shots bracketed the orange bull ring, printing 1 inch low and right, 1 inch high and right, and 1 inch high and left. I cleaned the bore again and fired two more shots. The next one enlarged the hole at the edge of the diamond.
I flinched on the final shot when a horsefly bit me as I squeezed the trigger. It hit dead center and 3 inches low.
In conclusion, Buckhorn 209 is good, but probably not enough of an improvement to justify all my trouble.
But since I did take all that trouble, I'll use it and do so confidently.
Sports on 10/06/2016