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Generally speaking, the hottest part of a hydrocarbon flame is the area that appears white. It should be no surprise, then, that IMR named its newest blackpowder substitute "White Hots," as it would suggest that these are the hottest burning pellets on the market. They may be, and that would be a cool selling tool, but IMR White Hots really are white. Chemically, the folks at IMR tell me that the formulation is basically the same as for Triple Se7en Magnum pellets, only without the ingredient that makes them grayish-black.

This review started like any other for a blackpowder substitute--with an inline muzzleloader boresighted in my shop. In this case, it was Knight's KP1 with a freshly mounted Leupold Ultimateslam scope. No particular reason for choosing either, other than I know what accuracy to expect from a KP1 and like how it handles. As for the Leupold, it's set up with what the manufacturer calls the SAbot Ballistics Reticle (SABR) that gives you aiming points out to 300 yards with different muzzleloader loads, and I'm always anxious to give such things a try.

The KP1 is a break-action design that accepts interchangeable barrels. Because barrels are available for cartridges and shotshells, the KP1 is treated as a firearm for FFL purposes. As a muzzleloader, it's a simple and user-friendly design. The hinged action permits the KP1 to have a true 26-inch long barrel as measured from the face of the breech plug without being unwieldy in overall length. It tips down with the press of a tang-mounted button for easy insertion or removal of a 209 shotshell primer with no need for any special disk to hold the primer. Knight even went so far as to magnetize the "nipple" so all you have to do is get the primer close to seated and it gets zapped right in to place.

Another thing the magnet does is allow Knight to make the nipple hole for the shotshell primer slightly oversized, yet still keep the primer secure from falling out. If you've ever tired to pry a primer out of a fired shotshell using your fingers you know it's not easy, so a tight-fitting shotshell primer in the KP1 would be a disaster to try and remove. Yet with the KP1, the fired primer lifts right out. That said, my experience is that after about 20 rounds, there is enough primer residue in the nipple hole that you have to stop and wipe it out with a cotton swab or fired primers can mechanically lock in place from the build up.