Jump to content

CVA Optima - Bullet/powder suggestions?

Steuben Jerry

By Steuben Jerry,
in Muzzleloaders

 Share

Recommended Posts

Steuben Jerry Proficient

Steuben Jerry

Posted
Posted (edited)

Got one of these making it's way to me. I've been using a Knight original DISC style rifle since I bought it in the 90's. It is a very accurate muzzleloader, but such a big pain to clean, and being down to my last few bullets that have been discontinued for quite some time, I knew I'd have to dial in a new load. I can only get 2-3 shots through it and then have to completely disassemble the gun to clean it. I said screw it and ordered this last evening. 

I haven't had to think about powder and bullets in many years, so I am way, way out of touch. Looking for suggestions. Performance is obviously important, but so is general availability. It might be the best combo in the world but that won't help if I can't get my hands on it. The gun is a .50 cal magnum, but I'd be fine shooting just 100 grains.

Educate me?

cva-optima-v2-scope-package-soft-case.jpg

Edited by Steuben Jerry
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Arcade Hunter Rising Star

Arcade Hunter

Posted
Posted

Real nice gun, Jerry.  My son has the same one and I have the CVA Wolf.  Both use 2 white hot pellets and powerbelt bullet... just like the literature that comes with the gun says... Start there and see how you like it.  Both guns shoot very accurate and I get 5 shots between cleaning.  Cleaning is a breeze also.

Enjoy the new toy! 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
sbuff Experienced

sbuff

Posted
Posted (edited)

If your using t7 or pyrodex you'll be hard pressed to get more then 4  shots without cleaning the barrel. 

 

If shooting BH209 you'll shoot all day before swabbing the barrel. The only thing is you'll have to get a BH209 breach plug from cva or western powders . The stock plug will not ignite bh209 100% of the time. 

As for bullets I'm a big fan of hornady 300gr .452 xtp non mag in a black harvester crush 

Speer deep curls in .454 in 300gr in same crush rib sabot .

For conical thor bullets and hornady FPB are my favorite in 350gr.

Edited by sbuff
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites
2012_taco Rising Star

2012_taco

Posted
Posted (edited)

I have the same gun and I use 2 pyrodex pellets with a Hornady 45 cal XTP bullet and a good sabot. The bullets I bought in a box of 100 and the sabots come in pkg of 50. This combo shoots great/accurate and is not expensive. You'll love the gun especially when it comes to cleaning it! Good luck and have some fun sighting it in! 

Edited by 2012_taco
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
doebuck1234 Mentor

doebuck1234

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, 2012_taco said:

I have the same gun and I use 2 pyrodex pellets with a Hornady 45 cal XTP bullet and a good sabot. The bullets I bought in a box of 100 and the sabots come in pkg of 50. This combo shoots great/accurate and is not expensive. You'll love the gun especially when it comes to cleaning it! Good luck and have some fun sighting it in! 

Im not familiar with muzzleloaders but i know for a fact my grandfather loved pyrodex and hornady sabot's in his ML setup!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pygmy Experienced

Pygmy

Posted
Posted

I think I have a few NoExcuses conicals left...I offered them to another member of the forum, but he had already ordered some..  I won;t be using anymore, because for what little ML I do anymore I just use PRB...If I have any left I'll drop them off for you to try

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Steuben Jerry Proficient

Steuben Jerry

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, sbuff said:

The guys at muzzleloaders.com are a good bunch of guys . I've spoken to them on a few accounts 

I didn't speak to anyone there but site was smooth and easy to buy from. I would have liked a Vortex scope and have been watching their stock since last deer season. Like everything else, they were 90% out of stock on everything with recent additions to inventory just recently. This popped up in the last day or two. Thought I should jump on it otherwise I'd regret it when I couldn't get one in time this year. 

As nice as that old Knight shoots, I hate messing with it and it weights a ton. I check every year and the zero on the 1-4X Bushnell hasn't moved an inch in 20+ years. It'll make a good backup or guest loaner - if they clean it, lol.

 

Edited by Steuben Jerry
Link to comment
Share on other sites
sbuff Experienced

sbuff

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Pygmy said:

I think I have a few NoExcuses conicals left...I offered them to another member of the forum, but he had already ordered some..  I won;t be using anymore, because for what little ML I do anymore I just use PRB...If I have any left I'll drop them off for you to try

Big fan of the 460gr no excuses they shoot lights out in my white thunderbolt 

 

50 minutes ago, Steuben Jerry said:

I didn't speak to anyone there but site was smooth and easy to buy from. I would have liked a Vortex scope and have been watching their stock since last deer season. Like everything else, they were 90% out of stock on everything with recent additions to inventory just recently. This popped up in the last day or two. Thought I should jump on it otherwise I'd regret it when I couldn't get one in time this year. 

As nice as that old Knight shoots, I hate messing with it and it weights a ton. I check every year and the zero on the 1-4X Bushnell hasn't moved an inch in 20+ years. It'll make a good backup or guest loaner - if they clean it, lol.

 

I like bh209 but its big bucks . I do a ton of shooting so I just stick to T7 and deal with swabbing the barrel often .

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sbuff Experienced

sbuff

Posted
Posted (edited)
3 hours ago, G-Man said:

100 grains , and  a saboted f .452 Hornady flex tip 150 grain bullet .. ( inise same.bullet I reload for my.45 70 as I have about 1000 of them on hand

150 or 250 grain bullet  ?

Edited by sbuff
Link to comment
Share on other sites
rob-c Experienced

rob-c

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, Steuben Jerry said:

I didn't speak to anyone there but site was smooth and easy to buy from. I would have liked a Vortex scope and have been watching their stock since last deer season. Like everything else, they were 90% out of stock on everything with recent additions to inventory just recently. This popped up in the last day or two. Thought I should jump on it otherwise I'd regret it when I couldn't get one in time this year. 

As nice as that old Knight shoots, I hate messing with it and it weights a ton. I check every year and the zero on the 1-4X Bushnell hasn't moved an inch in 20+ years. It'll make a good backup or guest loaner - if they clean it, lol.

 

You may want to hold off on the vortex, I was looking at scopes for my cva optima and after looking through a Burris full field E1 I bought it. Got it home and compared it side by side to my vortex diamond back on my 300 savage and liked the Burris better. 
As for powder etc. I could only find 777 powder, I went with crush harvester sabots (from the recommendations of the guys on here) I bought the ones  for 44 mag projectiles as I have a bunch for my 44 mag SRH. If your going to run loose powder you do need  the QR breech plug I got mine from Amazon for like $34 . 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
Untwisted Pretzel logic Collaborator

Untwisted Pretzel logic

Posted
Posted (edited)

I also have an older Optima, which I have had for at least 12 years with a nickel finish barrel.  Extremely accurate with 2  50 grain sticks of Jim Shockey gold, a blue color plastic sabot, a yellow tip 200 grain Shockwave bullet and Win 209 primer.  Have only shot one deer with it - in the season right after I got it.  The deer was only 5 yards away and I was sitting on the ground so the bullet went right through it, so no expansion which was probably due to the close range.

I haven't shot a deer with it since, mostly due to getting enough deer during bow and regular gun each year, as well as the fact that the weather is usually a total crap show; wind, heavy snow, ice, rain - or all of these at once in the last weekend that is late muzzleloader season. 

One word of warning. Do not waste your money on the bullets that have the plastic attached at the bottom - powerbelts? I tried these and they were all over the place, could not get them to group

Edited by cutbait
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 months later...
suburbanfarmer Veteran

suburbanfarmer

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, Steuben Jerry said:

Oops, forgot that important piece of info. 2 white hot pellets and Hornady Mono flex 250g.

E5D29987-CA8F-4FB5-AABA-EE016DBA6524.jpeg

Awesome, thx

The good news for me is that I found the Hornady sabots at SportsmanWarehouse with my trip to Rochester a few weeks back.

Now to find T7 or WHots and some 209 primers ..lol 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...