Had a much better day at the range. No misfires, no equipment breakdowns or powder spilled. I even remembered my target.
From my T/C Omega -
Here are the results at 100 yds:
Hornady 350 gr HPB & 120 grain black horn 209 - 7" group
Hornady 300 gr SST sabots & 120 gr of 209 - 4-1/2" group
Powerbelt aero 295 gr & 120 gr of 209 - 3" group
Lastly - with a dirty barrel & 4 year old pyrodex pellets - not properly stored and taken from my speed loaders which rode in my pockets for 3 seasons:
Powerbelt aero 295 gr & 150 gr pyrodex pellets - 1-1/2" group.
The 209 powder does indeed burn cleaner and much different. It looks & smells a lot like IMR 4350. The extruded powder grains are tubular in shape. This shape must be designed to increase surface area for enhanced combustion, or it may be needed to make it volumetrically equivalent to black powder.
When using 209 the bore must be super clean and dry. No bullet lube left in the bore - period. The natural bullet lubes seem to make the power residue turn into a very greasy, nasty goo.
Having a dry bore requires more effort when loading the first round. Also seems to affect the accuracy of the first shot of the day. I suspect the bore friction is too high on the first shot.
After firing, the 209 leaves a fine dry powder residue in the bore, which acts like a graphite lubricant. For all subsequent shots, the projectiles just glide right down the bore when loading. The fouling never seems to get any worse than the first shot. I have no doubt that one could shoot the entire bottle of powder without cleaning the barrel.
The lack of cleaning at the range can make for a better day of shooting, but cleaning up once you get home is only marginally better than pyrodex. It takes just as long to clean the barrel with 209 as it does with pyrodex - minus the dead possum smell of pyrodex.
209 seems to have a good powerfull "kick" at full load, but for some reason has not given me the accuracy I have seen from pyrodex. I'm sure it will develop close to the same velocity as a three pellet load.
Pyrodex pellets are the most "idiot simple" way to load. Three lumps & a bullet is simple & easy when in the field. It also delivers a ton of energy.
Seems to put powerbelt bullets in the right spot too.
Further testing is needed with the HPB bullets & pyrodex. This bullet design is very interesting due to its high ballistic coefficient, and the skirt/gas check which is incorporated into the body of the bullet, which makes the HPB resemble a modernized version of the Minnie ball.
It seems it may present some challenges to get it to shoot right in an Omega.
The historical reason for devolping the Minnie ball was not for enhanced accuracy - it just loaded easier under battle conditions.
Maybe I'm fighting an uphill battle ---- Charge, dammit!
From my T/C Omega -
Here are the results at 100 yds:
Hornady 350 gr HPB & 120 grain black horn 209 - 7" group
Hornady 300 gr SST sabots & 120 gr of 209 - 4-1/2" group
Powerbelt aero 295 gr & 120 gr of 209 - 3" group
Lastly - with a dirty barrel & 4 year old pyrodex pellets - not properly stored and taken from my speed loaders which rode in my pockets for 3 seasons:
Powerbelt aero 295 gr & 150 gr pyrodex pellets - 1-1/2" group.
The 209 powder does indeed burn cleaner and much different. It looks & smells a lot like IMR 4350. The extruded powder grains are tubular in shape. This shape must be designed to increase surface area for enhanced combustion, or it may be needed to make it volumetrically equivalent to black powder.
When using 209 the bore must be super clean and dry. No bullet lube left in the bore - period. The natural bullet lubes seem to make the power residue turn into a very greasy, nasty goo.
Having a dry bore requires more effort when loading the first round. Also seems to affect the accuracy of the first shot of the day. I suspect the bore friction is too high on the first shot.
After firing, the 209 leaves a fine dry powder residue in the bore, which acts like a graphite lubricant. For all subsequent shots, the projectiles just glide right down the bore when loading. The fouling never seems to get any worse than the first shot. I have no doubt that one could shoot the entire bottle of powder without cleaning the barrel.
The lack of cleaning at the range can make for a better day of shooting, but cleaning up once you get home is only marginally better than pyrodex. It takes just as long to clean the barrel with 209 as it does with pyrodex - minus the dead possum smell of pyrodex.
209 seems to have a good powerfull "kick" at full load, but for some reason has not given me the accuracy I have seen from pyrodex. I'm sure it will develop close to the same velocity as a three pellet load.
Pyrodex pellets are the most "idiot simple" way to load. Three lumps & a bullet is simple & easy when in the field. It also delivers a ton of energy.
Seems to put powerbelt bullets in the right spot too.
Further testing is needed with the HPB bullets & pyrodex. This bullet design is very interesting due to its high ballistic coefficient, and the skirt/gas check which is incorporated into the body of the bullet, which makes the HPB resemble a modernized version of the Minnie ball.
It seems it may present some challenges to get it to shoot right in an Omega.
The historical reason for devolping the Minnie ball was not for enhanced accuracy - it just loaded easier under battle conditions.
Maybe I'm fighting an uphill battle ---- Charge, dammit!
