New ML, load questions

[gt2003]

Just bought a CVA Optima V2, 1:28 twist. I’m coming from an old Knight LK-93, also 1:28 twist. In the Knight I shot 80 grains of 777 ffg powder and either a 220 grain precision rifle dead center bullet or a 240 grain precision rifle Extreme Elite bullet. I know, they aren’t cheap but i don’t shoot
Tons of them and they pretty much saved my ML career after i had horrible luck w copper jacketed bullets in my early ML days.

I’m planning to start with similar loads in my Optima. Please comment on what loads you are having success with. The majority of my shots are 50 uards or less.

Looking forward to your input. Thanks folks.

 

[deermanok]

I'm shooting about the same powder charge but Blackhorn 209. I'm also using the Hornady XTP 240 grain bullets, green sabots. If that helps any?

 

[gt2003]

Thanks DMOK, I’m guessing they group well for you?

Honestly, the Knight LK93 grouped everything i put through it from 220-300 grains so I’m hoping for similar performance from the CVA. The problem i had was expansion and performance on game. That was all solved when i went to the Precision Rifle all lead bullets. I did shoot some 300 grain XTP’s and they were tack drivers but were the magnums and just shot right through the deer with no expansion. I’m just hoping the CVA gives me the same performance as the Knight did.

 

[snapbang]

GT, if the Knight was doing so good why the new gun???

 

[gt2003]

I left it loaded one year and pitted the barrel or maybe shot it and didnt clean as i should have and pitted the barrel a bit. Still shoots great but I had the opportunity to upgrade and pass the Knight down to my nephews so I took advantage of it! So, i get a new setup and they get to explore the world of ML’ing

 

[snapbang]

On this forum the only excuse you need is you wanted another one.
Nice you passed it along.

 

[Rvrrat14]

I shoot the Optime V2, too. 3-9x scope.

I chose to use pellets and a 50 cal bullet.

White Hots - 2 pellets ; Hornady Bore Driver FTX 290gr. 50 cal.

 

[Ninering62]

Just bought a CVA Optima V2, 1:28 twist. I’m coming from an old Knight LK-93, also 1:28 twist. In the Knight I shot 80 grains of 777 ffg powder and either a 220 grain precision rifle dead center bullet or a 240 grain precision rifle Extreme Elite bullet. I know, they aren’t cheap but i don’t shoot
Tons of them and they pretty much saved my ML career after i had horrible luck w copper jacketed bullets in my early ML days.

I’m planning to start with similar loads in my Optima. Please comment on what loads you are having success with. The majority of my shots are 50 uards or less.

Looking forward to your input. Thanks folks.

I've been very happily shooting 220gr .40 Dead centers in sabots for 3 seasons now. Awesome bullets, & yes, they ain't cheap. But I'm shooting a .45 with a 1:22 twist, so nothing that I'm doing will help you in any way. I'd say, keep right on shooting the D/C's & sabots & switch to BH 209 if you can & knockem dead with your new gun. Good luck

 

[gt2003]

I love the 220 grain DC’s!

I’ve never shot BH but just looked at the price,WOW! I guess thats not bad since it appears to maintain its velocities throughout the life of the powder unlike the others. I do think it might be difficult for me to stop swabbing w a wet then dry patch between shots but maybe I could. I’ve got a new bottle of 777 that I’ll finish out the year with then will consider changing to Blackhorn. 8 oz of powder will last me years!

 

[vaguru]

We use T7 (3f) 80 gr or 90 gr by volume. with saboted Hornady .430 240 gr XTP. Excellent accuracy and proven performance on deer.

 

[Chundoo]

My son and I use Barnes Expanders 250 gr pushed with 100 gr v of BH209. Shoots great from my Accura and his Optima. Terminal performance is awesome.

 

[snapbang]

I used the 220g DCs to kill this buck. With 80.6 (W) grains of T7.

 

[jd24.5.48]

I'm shooting 80grn blackhorn by volume with hornady xtp 240s out of my accura V2 lr and it's a tack driver at 100yds! I've never had any problems with the xtp 240s and usually it's a bang flop!

 

[gt2003]

I think the issue w the XTP’s i had was they were magnum. I did love how they shot though. I don’t remember what sabot but they were tack drivers.

You all have eased my mind. Thank You. Will hopefully be sighting it in next weekend.

 

[Patched]

I used a 240gr DC bullet on top of 110grs of FFgT7 for an 83 yd one shot kill on a Nevada 340 bull elk this past October. He waffled 30 yds before piling up.
My gun is a 1st generation CVA Optima 45 cal 1:28 26” barrel.

Harvester crush rib sabots and any of the 200-240 gr 40 cal bullets seem to work well atop 100 to 110gr of T7 in my 1:28 twist.
DeadCenter bullets and No Excuses brand bullets gave me the best accuracy…though they cost more than XTPs they did an exceptional job on a large elk.
my 2 cents on an in-line load

 

[gt2003]

Dead centers pretty much saved my ML career. I lost a couple of deer w jacketed bullets and swore if i lost another that i was done. At others advice I gave the all lead precision rifle bullets a chance and have never looked back. I’ve used the dead centers and extreme elites w great success. And no, i have no connection w the company whatsoever. Are they more expensive, YES. For as much as I shoot are they worth it? Also Yes. I’m glad to hear other folks are shooting them w success out of their Optimas. I’ve got some 220 grain dead centers and 240 grain Extreme Elites that i’ll be shooting in 6 days. I expect the results will be outstanding.

 

[Patched]

Dead centers pretty much saved my ML career. I lost a couple of deer w jacketed bullets and swore if i lost another that i was done. At others advice I gave the all lead precision rifle bullets a chance and have never looked back. I’ve used the dead centers and extreme elites w great success. And no, i have no connection w the company whatsoever. Are they more expensive, YES. For as much as I shoot are they worth it? Also Yes. I’m glad to hear other folks are shooting them w success out of their Optimas. I’ve got some 220 grain dead centers and 240 grain Extreme Elites that i’ll be shooting in 6 days. I expect the results will be outstanding.

I took a chance on Dead Center with an elk tag that took 17years to finally draw…I recovered the bullet just under the hide on the off side…I only tested accuracy out to 100yds (open sights only in Nevada) I was shooting consistent 2 1/2”-3” groups…I started with 80 gr of T7. Groups shrunk with 90 grs then 100gr…groups didn’t open up at 110grs so I stuck with that…costs with a primer is about $1.75…

 

[gt2003]

I took a chance on Dead Center with an elk tag that took 17years to finally draw…View attachment 28602I recovered the bullet just under the hide on the off side…I only tested accuracy out to 100yds (open sights only in Nevada) I was shooting consistent 2 1/2”-3” groups…I started with 80 gr of T7. Groups shrunk with 90 grs then 100gr…groups didn’t open up at 110grs so I stuck with that…costs with a primer is about $1.75…

I love it! I’ve got a few bullets i’ve kept that were recovered just under the skin on the offside as well. I guess Dead Centers are ‘designed’ to pass through but that hasn’t been my experience. However, they do so much damage and release so much energy in the animal that it hasn’t ever been a problem for me.

 

[gt2003]

More bullets! Fronts and backs. A couple shot with the animal almost directly underneath my stand.

 

[Patched]

I love it! I’ve got a few bullets i’ve kept that were recovered just under the skin on the offside as well. I guess Dead Centers are ‘designed’ to pass through but that hasn’t been my experience. However, they do so much damage and release so much energy in the animal that it hasn’t ever been a problem for me.

More bullets! Fronts and backs. A couple shot with the animal almost directly underneath my stand.

The All lead bullets, in my experience mushroom and flatten out inside a game animal to some degree. That may be a velocity to sectional density thing…I never shoot the heavies for caliber bullets…”speed kills” until you drop below 2200 fps. (hydrostatic pressure shock wave threshold)
Nothing I’m launching is hitting anywhere near that speed…I’m guessing the heavy spinning ”saw blade” is grinding through lung tissue…to cause heavy internal bleeding.
Muzzleloader hunting success is more dependent on good bullet placement for just that reason…our relatively slow bullets don’t literally liquify tissue 6” from wound channel…it may appear bruised but not modern rifle bullet gooey.