Improved Black Mag Powder available soon

[MLKeith]

I just got back from the NRA Convention and while there talked with the new owners of Black Mag. MDM has taken over ownership and manufacturing control of the old Black Mag III (which the new version is being called Black Mag XP) and with some improvements to make it non hydroscopic, more controled in grain size to give much better consistency shot to shot, tumbled and coated to eliminate any chance of clumping. I personally had very good results with the old BM3 but the inavailability was the big problem. MDM tells me this new formulation will be available in major stores soon. They are still selling a form of the Thundercharge but they also have solid powder columns that you can put your own sabot and bullet on to make a drop in cartridge. I mentioned that many shooters would prefer to set their own charge amount and select their own bullet and they are selling canisters of powder for just that use. I think the jug was slightly less than a pound (either 10 or 12 ounces). I think the retail price is to be just under $30. My experience and their claim also is that The new Black Mag XP is cleaner and easier to ignite than any of the other substitutes including Blackhorn 209. They are supplying a fine version to some flintlock people for a pan powder with good results. As far as I know there is no clean substitute that will work in a flintlock pan other than this new Black Mag. If the finer version is not going to be made available the standard one can be made finer by crushing some for pan powder. They know that with the old experience of Black Mag II and then Black Mag III that they have their work cut out for them. Personally I plan to give it a try when available as I loved the old stuff which was not as well controled as this new version.

 

[txhunter58]

I will probably give it a try again as well. If I can find a powder that I don't have to swab between shots and ignites in my KRB, that would be great. Might also work well in my Renegade.

 

[MLKeith]

I also have a KRB7 which I had intended to use BH209 exclusively and then found it would not work. The Black Mag should work fine in that rifle as the ignition temperature is just slightly higher than real black powder. It will ignite in all sidelocks and they claim it now works in flintlocks as well if the powder for the pan is made fine enough. It can be crushed to accomplish that. They are screening the powder for size in the standard containers and the finer stuff has been sent to some flintlock guys for trial with very good results. Once it is available I will try it in my lyman flintlock which I have never shot yet. I was able to shoot several shots in my Omega with the old BM3 without a swab between shots and that was the only powder that would allow that. My Omega is very tight.

 

[Cajun]

How corrosive was the old BM3 and how corrosive will this new powder be?

 

[toytruck]

So if a flintlock will set it off I assume a #11 cap will also??

 

[txhunter58]

How corrosive was the old BM3 and how corrosive will this new powder be?

The old stuff was supposed to be fairly noncorrosive (less than 777) and if it is more nonhydroscopic (won't attract moisture) the new version should be even better.

Here is a website about it: http://www.emainehosting.com/blackmag/index.html

 

[MLKeith]

It is definately able to be used with percussion caps. Even the older Black Mag3 was good that way. One of the writeup guys took some of the old BM3 and set it on fire on a bare steel block and let it set for some time. It did not show any corrosion. There is always a chance that any powder will leave the chance of moisture build up after firing but this new formulation is supposed to be less hydroscopic than the previous formula. I would still clean as soon as possible and oil the bore but it should allow a few days between shooting and cleaning if conditions will not allow quick attention such as a long hunt away from civilization.

 

[bluedog]

BlackMag

I used BM3 for several years.....it was and still is the best BP substitute I have ever used......and I have used everthing on the market except the new Blackhorn 209, and I understand the new BH209 doesn't ignite easily and will not work in many rifle configs......BM3 works fine (unless something was changed).....it ignites easily......if the new BM-XP is really better than BM3, then it will be awesome stuff! The BlackMag powder was always superior stuff, it was the BM company leadership that seemed to be unable to find their butt with both hands in the daylight!

 

[OptimaAndy]

guess we will see. At that price it better do as claimed.

 

[Underclocked]

I could easily be wrong again, but I can't see MDM doing much of a marketing job with the powder either.

Look at how popular much of their other stuff is...

 

[MLKeith]

I felt the same about MDM before I talked with the two people at the NRA Convention. They seem really ready to take on all the previous problems that Magkor had. I talked with them for some time about the problems that Black Mag had before and the fact that many were soured by the on again off again activities. I told them that they needed to get distribution organized and not spend a lot of time with the "Thundercharge" thing and concentrate more on just getting the powder on the market at a reasonable price. After I talked with them I have more confidence that they may be able to make it fly this time. I was not aware that the same people that are making the barrels for the MDM rifles had made barrels for Doc White during the time White was really active. I do know that Doc had at one time selected Black Mag3 as the powder he was using for accurizing rifles. They are being investigated for the marketing of the small powder charges that they could previously ship without Hazmat fees. Apparently another powder company pressured a DOT inspector to stop them from shipping even though they were legal according to the printed rules. There was a previous rumor that this same powder company had pressured the sales organizations to not stock BM3 or they would pull their products. I really don't like to hear that kind of stuff although I know it happens.

 

[Busta]

This is something that I posted over on another forum back on 2-7-09, I just don't feel like re-typing the whole thing. I still feel the same about the Black Mag'. You can get more shots out of two 10oz jugs of BH209 than you can out of three 10oz jugs of BM if the new XP is the same density as the BM'3.

"Black Magic, better known as Black Mag, Black Mag' 2, Black Mag' 3, and now the newest version Black Mag' XP is a very clean burning powder. This burns a lot cleaner than 777 or Pyrodex, but the newest version priced itself on a road to going out of business. MDM (Millenium Designed Muzzleloaders) is marketing the Black Mag (Magkor) powders in 10 oz containers, Lightning Loads, and in their Thunder Charge powder/bullet combinations. They are pricing themselves along side of Blackhorn 209 10 oz containers, but what they fail to see is that their powder is much more dense. So basically you are going to have to buy 3 containers of Black Mag' to equal 2 containers of Blackhorn 209.

Black Powder Substitutes are sold by WEIGHT, but for our purposes are measured by VOLUME equivelants. Not all powders WEIGH the same for VOLUME Equivelant charges. See below.

Example 1:

10 oz BM'3 = 4375 grains WEIGHT
100 grains VOLUME = 105 grains WEIGHT (1.05 VOLUME to WEIGHT multiplier)
4375 grains WEIGHT / 105 grains WEIGHT (100 grains VOLUME) = 41.66 Charges per container.

Example 2:

10 oz Blackhorn 209 = 4375 grains WEIGHT
100 grains VOLUME = 70 grains WEIGHT (0.70 VOLUME to WEIGHT multiplier)
4375 grains WEIGHT / 70 grains WEIGHT (100 grains VOLUME) = 62.50 Charges per container.

You can use the above multipliers to figure out how many charges per container you would have for your typical load.

Black Mag Example: If you typically use a 80 grain VOLUME charge of powder, 80 grains VOLUME x 1.05 (multiplier) = 84 grains WEIGHT. 10 oz (4375 grains WEIGHT) / 84 grains WEIGHT (80 grains VOLUME) = 52.08 (80 grain VOLUME charges per container)

Blackhorn 209 Example: 80 grains VOLUME x 0.70 (multiplier) = 56 grains WEIGHT. 10 oz (4375 grains WEIGHT) / 56 grains WEIGHT (80 grains VOLUME) = 78.125 (80 grains VOLUME charges per container)

MDM
http://www.mdm-muzzleloaders.com/Mercha ... ode=POWDER

http://www.mdm-muzzleloaders.com/Mercha ... Code=LOADS

http://www.mdm-muzzleloaders.com/NewThunderCharge.html

Magkor
http://www.emainehosting.com/blackmag/index.html

The ONLY thing Black Mag' 3 has on Blackhorn 209 is it's ability to be used in #11 ignition rifles. Blackhorn 209 needs a hot 209 primer, but offers several other advantages over Black Mag', price per shot and availability to name a couple. Black Mag' has never been able to get the product on the shelves in more than a few choice locations. They had a deal with Cabelas at one time but screwed that up and Cabelas gave 'em the boot.

Long story short, Black Magic is a clean burning powder, price and distribution are not on their side. I predict, they were too late for the game now that Blackhorn 209 is out there. Western Powders has far better distribution than Magkor, Blackhorn 209 is the best BP Substitute to date IMO, you just need a hot 209 primer to set her off."

Check out their "Lightning Loads". Even if they don't have to pay the hazmat fee, the standard loads (100 gr equiv) will cost you $18.90 for 5, or $3.78 per load, and that is just powder. The magnum loads (150 gr equiv) will cost you $21.90 for 5, or $4.38 per load. Of course the more you buy, the pricer per load will go down because of the one shipping charge, but 30 standard loads will still cost you $68.65 or $2.29 per load. The magnum loads will cost you $86.65 for 30, or $2.89 per load.

Six 10 oz jugs of BM will cost you $208.65 per their website, that will yield you 249.96 100gr VOLUME charges. That is over 83 cents per shot.

https://emainehosting.secureserverdot.c ... buyme.html

Six 10 oz jugs of BH209 will yield you 375 100gr VOLUME charges, 1/3 more for less money. $26.65 per jug at Powder Valley x 6 jugs = $159.90 + say $10 for shipping + $20 HAZMAT = $189.90. Just under 51 cents per shot.

Click on "Powders", then click "Accurate", BH209 is on the top line.
http://www.powdervalleyinc.com/

It's your money!

 

[SwampFox]

While i do like BM3 powder[use-to].they have price them selfs way out of my price line.And the fact that i might not be able to buy it again at some point in time,like before,Is a another big turn off.all i can say now is good luck MagKor,Yall's doing's not ours

 

[deer655]

Monday i placed an order for 2 bottles of balck mag xp while I was online. I received no confirmation that my order had been placed. I tried to call them thru out Monday and Tuesday. All you get is voice mail saying they are with customers and to try back later. Either they have taken a week off or they company works out of the back of a van by the river.

 

[Cajun]

Monday i placed an order for 2 bottles of balck mag xp while I was online. I received no confirmation that my order had been placed. I tried to call them thru out Monday and Tuesday. All you get is voice mail saying they are with customers and to try back later. Either they have taken a week off or they company works out of the back of a van by the river.

That certainly doesn't sound promising. Please keep us posted and good luck.

 

[deer655]

I finally got a person there today who said my order was set up to be shipped next Monday. Sure sounds like they are off this week. I normally wouldnt of gone this expensive route but my sweet wife gave me some cash for my birthday knowing I was in a black powder spending mood.

 

[deer655]

I was told that my powder was going to be shipped last Monday June 8th, I call them on the 10th to make sure order was shipped cause I was going to do some serious shooting this weekend. now they tell me no individuals orders were shipped this week and that they are awaiting stock and that it would probably be next week before i would see it. I wonder now if Obama has shipped this company some stimulis money and that the government now runs it. They sure dont seem very organized.

 

[bluedog]

I

hope those BlackMag folks are monitoring this forum.....this next time around for them will probably be their last time if they don't get it right....both in product performance and service!