Remington 700ML Badger Ridge 209 modification
Okie743
Member Posts: 2,705 ✭✭✭✭
Before last Black Powder Deer season I converted couple of Stainless Rem700ML BP rifles to the Badger Ridge Industries 209 mod that eliminates the 209 primer blowback through the bolt.
I had previously quit using my Rem 700ML's due to 209 primer breech plug flashback into the face from primer ignition. Did not care for having to wear a full face shield when hunting with the rifles. Remington and others have themselves protected by stating in the owners manuals to ALWAYS WEAR safety glasses when shooting BP guns. My rifles when first bought new were #11 caps, then musket, then the Rem and Canada 209 mods but the bolt allowed the 209 ignition flash to come back through the bolt into the face. The #11 and musket caps ignition was not reliable from the 700ML's even when using the lower ignition temperature of Black Powder and not reliable at all if using Pyrodex or Pyrodex pellets. Most genrally the mis-fires would occur when the Black Powder 700ML was looking at Big Horn Bucks, especially after I had spent several days in the woods waiting for a shot.
I suspect this flashback was why Remington quit making the 700Ml's and went to the Ultimate Black Powder rifle design. I contacted Remington about flash backs through the bolt from the 700ml's but my complaints fell on deaf ears.
The Badger Ridge Industries mod is a really good safety mod and allowed me to bring my 700ml's out of retirement.
The Remington 50 cal 700ml's can be very accurate rifles with the mod when fed the proper recipe for loads and safe to use with the 209's after the mod.
Here is a link to the mod.
Comments
Great information thank you.
I put one in mine and it really works well
You can watch videos of how to install the kit on their site yourself for a Rem700ML
Sometimes they are little slow answering emails but once they answer they come back promptly..
They do ship their kits promptly and provide tracking info.
Once you do one the next are easy if you are a gun tinkerer and can follow simple instructions and have few of the basic tools, such as for pressing on the 209 adapter onto the bolt face.
Keep a heads up about filing down the firing pin for proper protrusion.
I suspect they might quit selling their kits to the public in the near future so if you want a do it yourself kit I would suggest that your do so soon.
You also have the option of sending them your bolt for the install which they will do so at a reasonable price.
I installed a Badger Ridge kit into a guys 700ML 54 caliber few days ago.
Got really good groups from the 54 with 325 gr sabots.
I've had the Canadian kit in my .50 MLS since they were very first released and I've not ever noticed any blowback. In fact, I even use the shroud when needed without noticing anything though it does make it dirtier.
But, I do have a .54 MLS that needs a conversion. My .45 has the longer 26" barrel and if memory serves is already set for #209 but I have never shot the oem version, only the Canadian version. I'll check it out. I've taken a lot of deer with my .50 MLS.
You should ALWAYS wear safety glasses when shooting Black Powder guns FOR EYE PROTECTION. (and especially the Remington 700 Muzzleloader)
Lots of info on-line about the Rem700ML blowback into the face and in-line with the aiming eye.
Also the bolt nipple shroud should not be used with 209 primers because it directs more of the blast blow back back through the bolt towards the shooters eye and face. This was recommended by Remington. Blowback is why the bottom of a scope is gets black as the rifle is fired. The plastic nipple shroud intent was to be used as a rain guard when using the lesser ignition #11 caps.
To get an idea of the blowback spray some Rem oil inside the bolt body then fire the gun holding a white paper behind the bolt at the safety area. DO NOT HAVE YOUR EYE OR FACE BEHIND THE BOLT. The paper will be covered with the Rem oil and if the inside of the bolt has powder/primer residue inside the paper will be black. This is not a good thing when directed into the shooters face and eyes. Possible eye loss.
The blowback will be on the white paper. This is in-line with where your aiming eye would be.
The Remington 700ml was one of my favorite accurate black powder rifles until I discovered the blowback issue into the face and eyes. I was wearing safety glasses and would have probably lost an eye if not for the safety glasses.
I brought 700ML and MLS's out of storage and back in business after I installed and tested the Badger Ridge sealed ignition mod.
I suspect the blowback issue is why Remington eventually designed the Remington Ultimate with the sealed ignition system. I have a Rem ultimate but now I'm back to using the 700ml's with the Badger Ridge kit. The Remington Ultimate is not user friendly as a carry gun, heavy, balance not good, and I had to use the same load I use in my 50 cal 700ml's so as to get consistent accuracy from the Ultimate. My Ultimate does not like the Remington sabots/bullets that came with the rifle.
Here is a article about the ignition mod for the 700ML's that I stumbled across recently AFTER I had converted mine. If the link don't work just search for such.
Stay Safe and protect your eyes.
Upgrade to the older Remington 700ML Muzzleloader
https://www.randywakeman.com/IgnitionSystemUpgradetotheolderRemington700MLMuzzleloader.htm
hello I had a rem 700 ml in the 2000’s. Great shooter but I too popped “just the primer” on two Very Horned Deers. I thought it was oil from the barrel end but a pre fire and other things,I tried to make it better and more reliable. I would crush black and press it down the nipple. It would make the gun almost hang fire it seemed , I remember that thing would rust if you didn’t clean it ASAP. but traded it off.
im a H&r ml guy now , 209 and it’s sealed I back the breech plug out to where the primer head will contact the breechface when I SLOWLY close the gun it’s sealed from flash and somewhat the weather Ros
I also wrestled with the Rem 700Ml's. #11 and musket caps not popping, then hang fires and blowback into the face through the bolt. I contacted Rem about the blowback but complaint fell on deaf ears.
The blowback was even worse when I went to the Canada and Rem 209 kits. If not for wearing glasses I might have lost an eye.
AND the Matte finish Rem 700ML's would rust fast. Had to be cleaned constantly for about a month to keep the rusting in the bore and external surfaces reduced to manageable during storage. The Stainless did not rust or corrode as much but the bore had to be watched for couple weeks and lubed about every 4 days. I found that Kroil is good as final bore lube when storing.
I had retired 4 of them Rem 700ML's, one 54 cal stainless and 3, 50 cal stainless with the magnum barrels due to the flashback into the face and also pitting the bottom of scopes. I even made scope guards. The 50 cal's are very accurate rifles with my recipe loads and user friendly with the Badger ridge 209 kit. I've converted all my Rem 700ML's to the Badger Ridge kits with good results and now use them for hunting again.. I do not use the BH209 powder, I use the Triple 7 2F, 70-80grains and a 300 g Hornady 45 cal XTP/Mag bullet (#45235) with the NLA Hornady 4751 black sabots or the Harvest red or black crushed rib sabots.
I have a 50 cal Rem Ultimate but it's not usder friendly for carrying through woods, heavy, not balanced good, the laminated stock is slick, and the 200 grain long range loads are not accurate. I have to use the same loads that I use in the other BP rifles. The sabot that came with the ultimate also would not consistently group good. (flyers quite often)
About the H&R Huntsman BP 50 cal, 209 rifles. My son bought one dirt cheap and brought it too me to test. One of the most accurate BP rifles I've seen. Ugly but accurate. We now own 4 of them and just play with them and use them as back-up guns. I used a flanged nut and made 209 adapters for the Huntsman's so we do not have to use the NLA Orange 209 plastic adapter holders. Could not believe how accurate those ugly H&R rifles are. A weak link with the Huntsman's is the Ramrod, it's wimpy and must be used correctly to reduce chance of damage.
Do not fully extend (unscrew) the ramrod when first running the sabot down the bore.