Blackhorn in TC Impact - range report
Ok, I said I would post a range report with my experiences with my new muzzle loader. Just to recap, I am using blackhorn 209, Barnes spitfire TMZ 250gr bullets, and a cheddite 209 shotgun primer. The rifle is a TC Impact with a Nikon Inline 3-9X scope with the BDC reticle.
I started of at 85gr (volumetric measure) of powder and worked up to 105gr. The gun seemed happiest at 100gr of powder. Measured on a chrony, the average muzzle velocity was around 1920fps. The TMZ bullets were seated with a Barnes "aligner tool" that screws on the end of the rod. They are VERY tight. All my shots were with a cold clean barrel. I pulled the plug every time and cleaned the barrel. The Cheddite primers never failed to ignite. Some observations:
1) Blackhorn is less smoky than the Pyrodex pellets I have used in my Dad's gun. It does not form a "crud ring" and is easy to clean with a regular patch soaked in bore solvent. No water based cleaners needed. The powder itself looks like tiny extruded "tubes". It flows easily and resembles some smokeless powder I've seen.
2) The TMZ bullets are really tight in the Impact. Not a bad thing I suppose.
3) The Cheddite primer was plenty hot enough to ignite the powder. After 30 shots, the flash hole was still clear. I scrubbed it out at the end, but you could always see light through it. I also used "Gorilla Grease" on the plug and it never seized.
After all the testing was through, I ended up with this...
100yards
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...pswq1nwa92.jpg
200yards
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...psmqynsxlw.jpg
If you want to see what the smoke is like, here is a little video.
http://vid238.photobucket.com/albums/ff257/dilly541/muzzleloader_zpsbre1e8ps.mp4
It was a bit windy today so the 200 yard pattern may have blew a bit right. The BDC reticle and the "Spot on" app did work. Once I got the muzzle velocity entered right in the app, it pretty much told you what the hold over was for the given magnification level.
The goal was to be able to make a reliable shot at a deer at 200 yards. I think I am there. Thanks for the tips I got from some of you, and a special thanks to Ahsan who gave me the powder spout. It sure made things easier.
