BH209 Loads: Anyone Shooting Less Than 100 Grains?

[General RE LEE]

Ive shot 100 grains BH209 and decided this is going to be the year I drop charge down to 80 grains. I've found 100 grains is a bit overkill for plain ole deer here in Tennessee. Anyone using sub 100 grain loads? 100 grain loads in my Accura MR recoil like a 3.5" magnum turkey load. It gets a bit ridiculous.

 

[5MilesBack]

Ya, this year my daughter used 90gr (volume) loads on her cow moose using 340gr ELD-X Bore-Driver, mostly because accuracy was better than 100gr, and I wanted to reduce the recoil a little bit for her.

 

[CorbLand]

I started at 80 all the way up to 110 and accuracy was best at 100 so I stuck with that. I wish it was better at less than 100. 80 was way more pleasant to shoot.

 

[ElkArcher918]

Ive shot 100 grains BH209 and decided this is going to be the year I drop charge down to 80 grains. I've found 100 grains is a bit overkill for plain ole deer here in Tennessee. Anyone using sub 100 grain loads? 100 grain loads in my Accura MR recoil like a 3.5" magnum turkey load. It gets a bit ridiculous.

Are you measuring BH209 by Volume or Weight? I shoot BH209 77 grs by Weight, equivalent to 110 grs by Volume. Along with a 300 gr bullet plenty of pop for elk here in CO.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

70 grains by weight for me

 

[General RE LEE]

Are you measuring BH209 by Volume or Weight? I shoot BH209 77 grs by Weight, equivalent to 110 grs by Volume. Along with a 300 gr bullet plenty of pop for elk here in CO.

Volume. 110 grains by volume is like an elephant gun in my Accura MR. I’m not shooting 200 yards during muzzleloader here in Tennessee

 

[Mtns2hunt]

I shoot 77.2 grains by weight. I'm surprised about all the concern about recoil and certainly would not compare the recoil from my TC Encore Pro Hunter to a 3.5 mag shotshell. Shot my Benelli with a 3.5 and decided never agian as the recoil was harsh. Gave the rest of the box away. Now with the 77.2 gran of BH the recoil is very manageable and I have shot several deer over two hundred yards.

Now there is one variable that may impact bullet recoil and that is bullet weight. I shoot a 200 grain shockwave and am MOA or under when I do my part.

I keep hearing the shockwave is not the best bullet combo to use. However with the resulting low recoil and great accuracy why change. However, I suggest that those having issues switch to different components. I would like to mention that I have found the Shockwaves terminal performance to be outstanding with good bullet placement.

 

[Novashooter]

I shoot 77.2 grains by weight. I'm surprised about all the concern about recoil and certainly would not compare the recoil from my TC Encore Pro Hunter to a 3.5 mag shotshell. Shot my Benelli with a 3.5 and decided never agian as the recoil was harsh. Gave the rest of the box away. Now with the 77.2 gran of BH the recoil is very manageable and I have shot several deer over two hundred yards.

Now there is one variable that may impact bullet recoil and that is bullet weight. I shoot a 200 grain shockwave and am MOA or under when I do my part.

I keep hearing the shockwave is not the best bullet combo to use. However with the resulting low recoil and great accuracy why change. However, I suggest that those having issues switch to different components. I would like to mention that I have found the Shockwaves terminal performance to be outstanding with good bullet placement.

I think one reason muzzleloaders tend to startle people can be the muzzle blast. By numbers alone a 50 caliber muzzleloader is not comparable to a 3 1/2" turkey load at all. If both 7.5 pound guns, the muzzleloader, assuming 1950 fps, 265 gr projectile (includes sabot), and 100gr powder, makes 43.7 ftlb of recoil. The 12 gauge assuming 1200 fps, 950 gr projectile (includes wad and buffer), 32 gr powder produces 71.5 ftlb of recoil.

The difference is the muzzleloader muzzle blast is quite a bit more than a shotgun which has very minimal blast and flash. Shotguns also tend to fit a shooter better. Another example I've seen this played out was when I had a TC Contender pistol in 309 JDJ. I thought the thing was a joy to shoot. By the numbers 4 lb handgun, 150gr bullet, 45 gr powder, 2400 fps, 27 ftlb recoil. I also have a Ruger Redhawk 44 magnum that I loaded with 355gr bullet, 21.5gr powder, 1250 fps, 3 lb handgun making 32 ft lb recoil. I thought it was a beast to shoot. Despite that, almost universally people would say the 309 JDJ was brutal, and the Redhawk was not as bad.

 

[Mtns2hunt]

The original PO wrote. "Ive shot 100 grains BH209 and decided this is going to be the year I drop charge down to 80 grains. I've found 100 grains is a bit overkill for plain ole deer here in Tennessee. Anyone using sub 100 grain loads? 100 grain loads in my Accura MR recoil like a 3.5" magnum turkey load. It gets a bit ridiculous."

In response; Novashooter "wrote I think one reason muzzleloaders tend to startle people can be the muzzle blast. By numbers alone a 50 caliber muzzleloader is not comparable to a 3 1/2" turkey load at all. If both 7.5 pound guns, the muzzleloader, assuming 1950 fps, 265 gr projectile (includes sabot), and 100gr powder, makes 43.7 ftlb of recoil. The 12 gauge assuming 1200 fps, 950 gr projectile (includes wad and buffer), 32 gr powder produces 71.5 ftlb of recoil."

My response was to the original PO comparing the felt recoil in his opinion being similar to or greater than the recoil of a 3.5 inch magnum turkey load. This was not a by the numbers comparison but is a subjective observation. There would be differences even in Empirical Statistics. How do you account for wearing a T shirt versus a heavy jacket on recoil? How about a thin recoil pad versus a heavy one or a heavy load versus a light? There are two many variables that the "numbers" do not into consideration. But even if they did the comments were made subjectively. I value all opinions and just wanted to clarify my comments.

 

[Zackw]

I recently had a couple of Colorado tags, which require open sights. The open sights limit me to shooting no farther than 200yds, so I dropped down from my usual 75gr charge to 65gr (by weight) with 290gr bore-drivers. There is a noticeable reduction in recoil, and it was still plenty accurate enough for me to shoot a pronghorn at 160yds, dropped in his tracks.

 

[WCB]

Im shooting 90gr by volume with the old Federal Fusion 260gr mz bullets. Started working a load for it starting at 90gr vol. 5shots through my TC Triumph were 2" at 100yds with the Fusions. Called it good and killed a deer with it last year at 150yards.