Figured I would post exactly what I’m shooting. Maybe it will help someone.
T/C Pro Hunter FX .50 Cal
3x9x40 scope with BDC reticle
Powder- 77 grains of Blackhorn by weight
Bullet- .44 caliber 300 grain Hornady HPXTP with green harvestor crush rib sabot.
DT
Happy with that group DT? lol
Happy with that group DT? lol
It’s 1/8 to the right. Lol. Wish I could have shot at 200. The range I was at didn’t have a 200 yards bench.
DT
It’s 1/8 to the right. Lol.
Gonna quibble now? lol
Here is my 3 shot group at 100 yards after switching to 300 grain XTP’s and 77 grains of Blackhorn. The shot marked off was already there. The ones in the bullseye were my 1st and 3rd shots. Didn’t even need to adjust my scope.
DT
Nice, I’m hoping the snow doesn’t get too deep so I can play around at longer ranges this winter. Highly unlikely I’ll ever have a 100+ yard shot, but be nice to know how it behaves.
The range I usually shoot at apparently closed at the end of November. 
DT
Just to be clear, I’ve never used the 209 powder. I shot triple 7 seven the last 2 years with the Powerbelt bullets. 245 grain bullets.
Tonight I purchased blackhorn 209 powder and Hornady SST LOW DRAG SABBOT. 250 gr.
I’m shooting the standard Winchester 209 shotgun primers.
Ok tonight I got a chance to shoot after work with my above mentioned stuff. I only had about a half hour of shoot time. Not much time. I never shoot powder or these bullets. I measured into the 209 tubes not by weight but volume. And I did this quick before I left home. Again I was rushed. I loaded too the 100 grain line as best I could, quick before going to the range.
I shot off my gun case rolled up for a rest. Nothing fancy by any means.
This was 3 shots at 50 yards. This circle is around 2″. I think its shooting ok. Any thoughts with this sighted in at 50 yards?
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One thing I forgot to mention. The 3rd round I loaded was as easy as my 1st round. This would have never happened with the pyrodex or triple 7 pellets I’ve used in the past.
Gun will stay dirty until next week when the season is done. Then it’ll get cleaned and put away.
On those 209 tubes, they are notoriously inaccurate. Buy an adjustable measure and use it to set your loads, then pour the powder into the tubes.
Just some tricks I have found over the years shooting sabots.
If air temp is over 50 degrees leave gun in the house.
Weight your powder.
Clean bore with a solvent that removes plastic. Like shotgun wads
Inspect your shot sabots. If pedals are bent back your good. If they are missing your a little hot. If they look like a lab chewed on them for a spell then your bore is built up and or load is really hot.
Let barrel cool between shots. Remove primer and leave action open so air can move threw.
Number one thing is take yur time. Perfection can’t be rushed.
Just my 2 cents.
Good stuff on the sabots Yellowriver. Sabots can tell a lot so picking up the spent plastic can be beneficial, plus it helps keep the range free of debris.
Personally I shoot all year and have yet to experience any plastic fouling regardless of how warm the air is or how hard I push the load. Honestly I think that todays sabots from Harvester or MMP are made of plastics that stand up to the rigors of the 209 powder and T7 products, both much hotter than any of the other BPs or subs. If people are seeing sabot shedding in the barrels they are probably dealing with a bore or rifling issue, both of which can be pretty much remedied with some JB Bore Paste and an hour scrubbing it thru the barrel. I always use a solvent to clean the barrel when shooting the 209 powder, never anything water-borne or made with water.
Weighing the powder and cooling the barrel are really a must on the bench if one wants the best accuracy. And definitely take your time or make certain you have enough time to make the range time worthwhile. Six quick shots really won’t tell much. About the only thing I’d add is that before you hunt a bench sighted gun, take a few shots both off-hand and using a roofing post. It has been suggested that there is a difference between the zero of a bench sighted gun with the rod out to use for loading and the same gun used with the rod in place under the barrel, often by two or three inches. So if you shoot using a rest under the forearm of your gun with the rod out of it at the range, you’ll want to do the same in the blind where the rest is. I leave the rod in the gun and use a range rod for loading. And when you and the gun are in sync off the bench be sure to take a couple shots using an upright rest of some sort and a couple off-hand just to avoid any surprises.
Tom,
I saw a late post of yours about CVA Acurra loads. I just started weighing loads. I know this is the way to go but can’t quite get dialed in. I have shot 250gr. Barnes TEZ 50 cal for years. And Blackhorn is fantastic but going from volume to weight is a pretty precise game and I can’t quite get dialed in. you said you shoot 300 gr bullet, do you have any experience with the Barnes 250 I mentioned? Any ifo would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance
Tom,
I saw a late post of yours about CVA Acurra loads. I just started weighing loads. I know this is the way to go but can’t quite get dialed in. I have shot 250gr. Barnes TEZ 50 cal for years. And Blackhorn is fantastic but going from volume to weight is a pretty precise game and I can’t quite get dialed in. you said you shoot 300 gr bullet, do you have any experience with the Barnes 250 I mentioned? Any ifo would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance
I shoot a Barnes 250 grain, .45 cal, XPB at 77 weighed grains of BH209 in a black sabot. The XPB bullet is basically the same as that TEZ. You HAVE TO use a powder scale to weight the charges.
A rule with blackhorn is 70% by weight of a 100 grain charge of black powder by volume, or 70 grains [w] equals 100 grains [v]. Since the original posting of this information was done in 2019, its very likely that any Blackhorn purchased within the last three years has a different lot number than the product lot I used. To determine what your powder’s proper weight is, measure out ten charges by volume with your powder measure and weigh each charge, add the ten totals together and divide by ten. This is the weight you’ll use for a 100 grain charge of BH209. Now divide the single charge weight by ten and add that number to the 100 grans to determine, say, a 110 grain charge of blackpowder. Little noticeable benefit comes from single grains or even five grains so just use multiples of the 1/10th of your 100 grain equivilent weight.
Also, and this goes for any inline gun using any powder that is ignited with 209 primers of any sort, clean the carbon from the flash channel in the breech plug every 15 shots or so. The flash channel is the hole immediately in front of the primer, not the tiny hole on the powder end of the plug. Generally it takes a drill bit about 1/8″, +/-. I wrap masking tape around the smooth end of the bit until it makes a good finger grip. All of my in lines let me clean the channel with the plug left in the gun. Excess carbon in that channel can mess with accuracy and eventually cause hang fires or prevent igniton at all.
When you load the bullet/sabot, it should go down with some fair resistance. If it slides right down without some decent pressure you need to use a slightly larger diameter bullet with the sabot brand you’re using, or cheaper, use a sabot that offers the resistance needed with that bullet….. BH209 likes and needs to stay well compacted for consistency in ignition and in accuracy, Check Harvester or MMP sabots. Since these muzzies can have a wide range of diameters even within a brand of gun, the sabots that come with , say Barnes bullets, may or may not offer that needed resistance.
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