CVA Optima...question

[Durado]

......I have a CVA Optima 50.cal...with a Nikon 3/9 on top. This weekend I tried sighting it in. Started out with 150 grns of loose powder and 223gr powerbelts at 50 yds. Icould not get a decent group for the life of me. lowered to 120 grs...still the same. Lowered again to 100 grains and tried 190 gr sabots. A little better, but very disappointing and I do not feel confident out to 100 yds. Barrel was swabbed after every other shot. Looking for any others that may shoot this gun and the best load and bullet they've found.
Thanks, Chris.

[Scott McGuire]

Try 165gr sabots. and the least about of powder that is reccomended for your gun... sight in there... then tweak.

[mmoss]

One of my buddies with a CVA had to go to lead slugs to get a decent group. Sabots are nice but I would rather shoot a tight group. You may want to give it a shot.

[TIDECRUIZER]

I would try heavier other than lighter. I thought the same thing once and went down to 185 gr sabots.... never again. They just dont have enough punch to do an effective job. I shot a 8 pt a few years back with the 185's, twice. He never reacted. Just ended up walking away. No blood, no nothing. I thought I whiffed. I ended up finding him later that afternoon on my way back to the same stand. He went about 250 yards. With two holes in his chest. That was with 100 gr powder.

I now shoot 348 or 295 powerbelts with 150 gr triple 7and have not had any probs. One thing though, most of these new smokepoles need a couple of shots through them before they start to pattern well. I would not swab it out until it starts to get tough to load bullets.

Another recommendation will be to shoot as much powder as recommended for the gun. Its not very often to get a solid kill with less than 100 grains without having to trail the hell out of them. And they usually dont bleed too much with a muzzleloader hit due to lack of pass thru.

Personally, during black powder, since its usually during the prerut/ rut time frame, you are most likely to see a bruiser. Do you really want to have less power and punch when you have the biggest buck of your life 50 yards out ( this is speaking from experience).

Its just my 2 cents.

[erikharwell]

use 2 tripple 7 pellets behind a 250 grain lock and load sabot and you will get very nice groups. I shoot a cva and had very tight groups at 50 yards I even had a 2 shot 3/4 inch oval. you are trying to push a light bullet too fast. you are probabally stripping plastic off the sabot as it goes down the barrel. you need to use a good plastic solvent and clean the barrel good before you try again

[Durado]

Thanks guys,
295Powerbelts seem to be the favorite among the majority. Gonna give them a whirl with 100 grains and than move up.

[ketch69]

Don't swab after every shot. The more you shoot it the better it will get. I also shoot lead bullets. The powerbelts look nice but seem to blow thru without doing much damage.


DEAN

[eightshot627]

Clean the barrel with a damp patch followed with a dry patch after every shot. For breaking in a new barrel use Bore Butter to season the barrel just like a cast iron frying pan. I run a lightly lubed patch before loading every time. If you are sighting in do it with a clean barrel every shot, just like that first shot in the deer woods. I use 3/50 gr Triple Seven pellets with a 250gr Hornady SST sabot ignited by a Winchester Muzzleloader 209 primer. 2.5 inches at 100yds from a 22 inch T/C Black Diamond w/3x9 scope. I couldn’t get Power Belts to work in any of my muzzleloaders. Loose powder? Only use that for the Flintlock.

Good Luck,
Walt

[mikehn]

I think 150 grains is too much. I use 80 grains of loose pyrodex with good results

[Mightyrjq]

I have the exact same setup, CVA Optima with a Nikon Buckmaster 3-9/40mm. I agree with most of the board, trying to push a ~140 grain bullet with 150 grains of power is like strapping a Triton engine onto a Kia. I use 100 grains of powder and a 245 grain powerbelt bullet. This provides good grouping and knockdown power. Before you hunt, clean the barrel and then shoot a blank 50 grain load (I use triple7). This "tightens up the barrel" by adding a slight residue which adds better friction for the bullet when it travels down the barrel. Then load and get ready for Mr. Brown Coat to come a walkin by.

Powerbelts rock.