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Sat Jul 03, 2010 12:36 pm
Boy, you can say that again. Oh, you did! :lol:
T/C came out with a NEW Impact muzzleloader this year, what a PIECE of SH...WORK that is, and at around $250 to $300. The NEW 2010 CVA entry level Wolf can be had for $169, a NOS blued Bergara barreled Accura for $200, a 416 Stainless 2010 Optima for $216, a NOS 416 Stainless Bergara barreled Accura for $250. All of the CVA's are much better rifes, for less money. The Bergara barreled 416 SS/Synthetic stocked Apex can be had for $472 + FFL & SH, the premium switch barrel tip-up rifle on the Market IMO.
The only IMPACT, the Impact is going to have on T/C, is a negative one IMO. The Triumph is a great shooting rifle, but without a real stainless option, and a stock I don't care for, I'll never own one. The Omega has had a great run, as well as the Encore. All of these rifles will find you digging much deeper in your pocket, for less rifle. WHY should anybody have to buy a trigger kit, spring kit, 1x or 2x hinge pins to get a $900+ rifle to lock up and shoot solid? The QLA being nearly an inch long on the T/C's are another reason I don't like them.
Knight has got a very hard row to hoe, and their re-entry to the market will either make them, or break them. At least they got a deal with Green Mountain to make their barrels, a very good thing. Knight has to let go of the models that brought them down in the first place. The management was far more responsible than the poorly though out half-baked rifles IMO. The models that need to go IMO, would include the Revolution/II, KRB7, Vision, Shadow. These rifles are all capable of shooting very well with the GM barrels, however the mechanics are some real "Engineering Marvels" (sarcasm added).
Those Bergara barrels are the best quality OEM production barrels in the industry at the moment, IMO. The barrel is the most important part of the rifle, then add a great trigger, very good breeching system, great synthetic stocks, and the best QRBP, CVA has several things to be happy about.
Hopefully Knight can work the kinks out of the Knight Disc Ultimate Slam, and Improve on the KP-1 platform. A QR breech plug design for the KP-1, as well as a totally NEW tip-up designed muzzleloader only rifle. Of course this will all have to be done to compete with the NEW 2010 quality CVA line up, a very challenging task that may be impossible at this point.
The best thing going for them is that people are "Brand Loyal", the only thing keeping T/C in the game at the moment as well. Don't get me wrong, all my muzzleloaders were built in the US, and are quality. But, the speed and direction CVA is going in, it will only be a matter of time before the biased "brand loyal" crowd realizes that CVA is playing "hardball", and at the Major League Level as well. You will be hard pressed in 2010, to find a better production muzzleloader than what CVA is currently putting out, at even twice the price.
My prediction is that CVA will be eating T/C's lunch in less than 2 years. Lets face it, the muzzleloader market has been pretty well saturated. The only companies that will be able to stay in the game are the ones with truely good innovations, like better barrels, triggers, breech plugs, stocks.
I do not personally own, nor have never owned a CVA rifle, but I know people who do. I own 3 Whites, 6 Knights, 3 H&R/NEF's and a T/C. I have shot and compared these newer rifles to the Knight's and T/C's. If CVA comes out with a brown laminate stock for the Apex, there will be no holding me back. If you haven't looked at a CVA lately, take a look at the 2010 rifle line-up and accessories, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. And you don't have to pay Shockey, Waddell or the Drury's a thing to own one. Maybe Raglin! :lol:
Like I said, I wish Knight well. I think this is a whole new market than it once was.
