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Okay, @Adisiwaya, you found a pretty good gun shop. He's right about the pelletized powders. And not only that, its seems he has real black powder. What brand? Pre lubed patches are handy, but often have spent too much time on the shelf and tend to fray and tear when fired. You can get pillow or mattress ticking and cut at the muzzle or simply cut 1 1/4" square patches from the ticking.

I'm glad to see that @Eterry added detail and emphasis to the suggestions we have been making.

I do recommend that you go Dutch Schoultz's web site, blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com, and order his system. It's 94 pages of instructions that will help you get the utmost accuracy from your rifle.
 
Yupp my dumbass didn't realize that till I got home. Good enough reason to buy another muzzle loader right? LMAO took 3 caps to get it to fire like yupp this isn't right. Guess I cant trust gun shops selling me everything...
Most modern gun store employees are clueless when it comes to traditional muzzleloaders. You mention black powder to them and the first thing they think of are modern "muzzleloaders" which are a whole different animal.
 
Your traditional style rifle will serve you well once you have collected the proper equipment to use it.
Modern muzzleloaders are probably easier to operate but they truly lack the romantic experience of traditional guns.
 
Yupp my dumbass didn't realize that till I got home. Good enough reason to buy another muzzle loader right? LMAO took 3 caps to get it to fire like yupp this isn't right. Guess I cant trust gun shops selling me everything...
Getting a muzzle loader just to fire that Blackhorn 209 powder? That's just unmentionable! Some gun shops just shouldn't be trying to sell muzzle loading supplies. If you go into that shop again, you better have the Forum loaded up on your speed dial.

Modern (unmentionable on this Forum) muzzle loaders really aren't easier to operate. The problems are different.
 
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The "209" in Blackhorn 209 powder's name is there because it is designed to be fired by using #209 shotgun primers. #209 primers deliver a LOT more fire to the powder charge so the powder can be harder to ignite but it will still work.
Basically, it is made for modern unmentionable guns that use shotgun primers and other non-traditional things.
 
If you can't return the Blackhorn 209, and don't wanna fertilize your lawn with it, you can, I think, first pour like 10grs of real black or pyrodex as a booster , then the remaining charge of Blackhorn.
I have ZERO experience with it, and I'm certain someone will challenge me if I'm wrong, (or right)!😁

I wouldn't try to win a match with it, but it'll go bang and make smoke.

I always cut my patches at home, and use empty cap tins to store them in, but your mileage may vary.
 
I didnt see it mentioned yet,
A: ask around and find a local group or club of BP shooters, go visit then watch listen and ask questions ! Take what you have and show, ignore any scoffers .
B: go to you tube and search BP shooting loading etc, lots of good info there ! Watch with the kids !
 
Most modern gun store employees are clueless when it comes to traditional muzzleloaders. You mention black powder to them and the first thing they think of are modern "muzzleloaders" which are a whole different animal.
Yes, the ignorance regarding real black powder is great. Most of the local shops I have talked to lately seem to think that anything that is black in color and is granulated is "black powder." A couple of years ago one could still obtain black powder from the local Bass Pro Shops. I walked up to the gun counter and asked the sales clerk for black powder. He quickly told me that he thought it was illegal to own and that I wouldn't be able to obtain it anywhere. After speaking with the manager, he went into the back and got me a few pounds out of the safe. Point being, the sales people didn't even know they had it. Now days, I don't really know any stores where I can reliably obtain real black powder so I just order it online. I'm sure the day is coming when we won't even be able to do that. Anyway, good luck to the OP in getting a decent propellant. As has been mentioned, Pyrodex will work and seems to be readily available. I have also had decent results with the Hodgdon 777. Don't get discouraged, the effort is worth it.
 
welcome to the fascinating addiction .. bye bye money - don't forget to write ...

patches and such can be had at Track of the Wolf, but i avoid the pre- lubed stuff because you don't know how long they've been laying around ( having said that, Track probably has pretty good turn over, so you're probably safe) ... Dutch Schoultz' method is really good - the best non-shooting accessory you can buy, to my mind. If you follow his instructions, your groups will shrink: he guarantees it.

If you can get real black powder locally, by all means do so! It supports the merchant (who has to jump through all sorts of BATF hoops and really doesn't make much (if any) profit on the deal- i have to drive about 45 minutes one way to buy BP, or pay the HazMat charge... grrrrrr ... don't use anything other that black powder or Pyrodex in your rifle. I worked for an attorney who got a decent start by taking a case where the newbie was told that "it's all black" by the sales clerk ... ta da!!! instant pipe bomb... even though there were warnings all over the barrel, and in the instruction booklet (which the plaintiff freely admitted he never read) the jury found his way ... this proves that juries aren't all that smart, but that's a tirade for another day.

When you go to clean your barrel, as described earlier, just un hook it, plonk it in warm (not hot) water, and run a patch up and down - the suction will draw the water in and you'll get an impressive cloud of funk. change the water. Do this until the water runs clear and you're all set. Then pick a rust inhibitor. Some folks run isopropyl alcohol as a final swab before the oil. If you want to start a fight, tell someone that their secret rust preventer is no good and they should try your secret formula ... no -don't - just go down into the Cotton Club and drop the N-word a few time, that's safer ... I like Ballistol, but go with what works for you. You do want to be really something of a fuss budget about keeping the bore spotless.

Any one who tells you that their magic gadget makes cleaning unnecessary is trying to separate you from your hard earned, over taxed, God- entrusted dollars, and when you use their junk and your bore turns from a nice shiny tube to a rusted sewer pipe, they won't be around. Get a good cleaning jag and use it often. Dutch Schoultz' method tells you all about this.

powder measures can be had just about anywhere. i've used one like this for about fifty years:
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/85/1/MAS-120eventually, you might become interested in making your own horn, and then you'll have a "most accurate" load for your rifle, so a single volume measure will do fine. Until then, go with the adjustable.

I'm not a fan of scopes on muzzle loaders, but it's your rifle. I believe that if you have reasonable visual acuity (i.e. if you're safe to drive an automobile) you should be able to get groups tight enough to drop Bambi out to about 80 yards, so a scope is another gadget to break or malfunction at exactly the wrong time. But that's just me - do what works for you.

As regards "sabot" and all its works: humbug ... what you're shooting here is a muzzle loader, not a WinMag 300 macho-man CF rifle. If you want to turn Bambi into little white packages at two klicks, go with the WinMag. But for the traditional hunting, a patched round ball will work fine, and you need not succumb to magnumitis and try to get the PRB going a zillion feet per second: a 'rule of thumb' is one and a half times the caliber for a good 'starting load.' Thus, if you're shooting 50 cal, go with 75 grains of powder, and see where your groups hit, then back it down five grains and see where it goes... follow Dutch's instructions.

You'll do fine. Practice. Have fun and, as always, Make Good Smoke :)
 
You need to undo everything you know about shooting and stuff it in a sock somewhere.
Petroleum products are worse enemy. Oil plus burnt powder equals sludge.
This stuff breaks ramrods, and make grown men swear around the lady folk.
Hot soapy water to get rid of all the crud thats in your barrel, then T/C 1000+ bore butter, pre lubed patches and Number 13 cleaner. You gun will love you, and no foul words will fall about nubile ears.

The Davenport formlua shows that heavy loads are a waste of powder most of the time. My 45 cal uses 75grs are a max charge, and 55gr for shots under 100 yards.
 
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