More BH 209 questions

[Chick]

I got the BH209, but have not had time to work with it. Does it have smole comparable to 777? Also, I am told that the bullet shoots better on a fouled barrel. As I will always be hunting with a clean barrel, what kind of problems will this present? Will firing a primer through the barrel foul it enough for the bullets to fly consistantly>

 

[Bucker]

Chick

Does it have smole comparable to 777? I think it smokes less. It is not as dirty as other subs.
I am told that the bullet shoots better on a fouled barrel. If this is your worry 2 ways to handlkle it, 1) Clean or wipe your barrel out after each shot, and have the gun sighted in on a clean barrel. BUT I think BH shoots better fouled and I let off 2-3 primers prior to going out. In my case it seems the patterns tighten the more (25-30 )rounds I put out of the barrel. The argument is BH and not cleaning your gun. Some are super clean after every hunt , several like myself do a quick dry patch and leave a lodad gun for 2-3 weeks and have no problems with the weapon. It doesn'r seem to erode it at all and charge is fine. I leave it outside in a garage so it stays outside temp.
Now you probably have a million more ?'s but that is a good thing. Review on this site about BH 209 lot's of good info.

 

[GM54-120]

Smoke is much less and yes...firing about 3 primers adds a bit of fouling.

Point of impact is a bit different when its totally clean. I fire 3 magnum primers prior to a hunt because they seem to have the most fouling and then i check the flash channel/hole for any obstruction.

IMO IF you can fire a normal load before the hunt, point of impact should be very close for the hunt.

But options vary....

 

[Lee 9]

Different things work for different people mainly because the use different cleaning methods and different metal preservative to keep the barrel from rusting.
Personally after many experiments I use Hoppes #9 in a 50/50 mix with alcohol and synthetic oil for a metal preservative.
Done a lot of experimenting on that first shot out of the barrel to, ended up cleaning the barrel with alcohol to get the oil out firing 2- 209 cleaning again firing 2 more 209 and loading this shoots right in a minute of angle group for me. I can not explain why and really do not care as long as it works every time.

 

[txhunter58]

I am going to try Lees method this next year. I have always just loaded it (powder and bullet) and fired a fouling shot before I load for a hunt. Generally this is not much of a problem, but depending on the circumstance, could be a pain.

 

[Reese]

I got the BH209, but have not had time to work with it. Does it have smole comparable to 777? Also, I am told that the bullet shoots better on a fouled barrel. As I will always be hunting with a clean barrel, what kind of problems will this present? Will firing a primer through the barrel foul it enough for the bullets to fly consistantly>

Only time on the range will tell. I have one rifle that does not seem to care from the first shot to the twentieth shot. I also have one that places the first shot almost 4" higher at 100 yards than the second and following shots. I need to spend more time with this second one and try some of the suggestions posted above.

 

[minst7877]

My savage gets a complete cleaning and then one round fired out of it a day or two before the season starts on Nov 15th and doesnt get a full cleaning until after the season ends on Jan 1st. This year the first shot of the season was on Nov 16th. Reloaded and it stayed in my garage when it was home. Traveled to the Upper Peninsula on the 5th of Dec and then back down to Hillsdale County on the 17th of Dec when it harvested the second deer of the season. Reloaded and hunted thru Dec 28th without any further shots. Took it to the range on Jan 7th and fired off the round that was in the gun brought it home and cleaned it and put it away until some warmer weather rolls in.

DC

 

[Chick]

Here's the deal, I talked to the chief ballistic technician at Western Powders, and he told me that the powder is somewhat corrosive, if the barrel is not cleaned and you live in a high humidity area. I live on the Texas Gulf Coast. I do have a SS barrel, but I don't want to leave the barrel dirty, due to the corrosivness. On my other hunting rifles, I clean them before checking scope zero, then leave them dirty after zero is checked. Zero it dirty, hunt it dirty. If I end up hunting in the rain, I will run a dry patch / oil patch / dry patch through the barrel, as I can think of nothing that will mess up a good barrel more, than rust.

Anyway, I plan to fire a few primers through it, prior to loading.