CVA Optima v2 pistol loads?

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actionjackson

actionjackson

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I have a CVA optima v2 pistol. Just recently got it out of box and install a 30mm red dot on it. Tools some shots with single white pellet & power bullet(223gr). Its a lot of fun but want to know what loads you guys have come up with that are a home run! Thanks
 
So far 300gr hornaday sst with 80 gr blackhorn 209 and 3 petal mmp sabots. Have some barnes i am going to try but I am a wimp as far cold weather goes. Michigander also, as you you can see by my lptroll moniker. Also using bushnell pistol scope. My best (with limited shooting) results are at 100yds , 1inch left, 1inch right, 2inlow , 2in hi. This is with very limited load/bullet combos. Seriously thinking about losing the Bushnell scope and maybe going to red dot or open sights as pistol scope is really tough to find target near dark. gun is very capable of 100 yds, but pistol scopes have a narrow FOV and light retention seems poor. Did you survive the nasty early storm and actually get out to hunt?
 
lptroll said:
So far 300gr hornaday sst with 80 gr blackhorn 209 and 3 petal mmp sabots. Have some barnes i am going to try but I am a wimp as far cold weather goes. Michigander also, as you you can see by my lptroll moniker. Also using bushnell pistol scope. My best (with limited shooting) results are at 100yds , 1inch left, 1inch right, 2inlow , 2in hi. This is with very limited load/bullet combos. Seriously thinking about losing the Bushnell scope and maybe going to red dot or open sights as pistol scope is really tough to find target near dark. gun is very capable of 100 yds, but pistol scopes have a narrow FOV and light retention seems poor. Did you survive the nasty early storm and actually get out to hunt?
Click to expand...
Hi,
I'm south of bridge but spend lots of time at my cabin in da UP. Very tough start with lots of snow but when I left last week it was all melting. Got a nice nine point buck & couple does.
So are you using a modded breech plug for the BH powder? Sounds like a smack down load. Heavy bullet too..I'll give it a try.
 
Although I do not own a CVA pistol I do have a couple of BP specialty hunting pistols. A few years back I did some chronograph work with a 14" barreled 50 caliber Kahnke M82 pistol. This was posted on another site. ]
New Reply

Range conditions were rough. The temperature was 90 F with high humidity so the real feel was over 100 f. I did not want to stick around too much as I felt the sweat pour out of me.

First load:

90 grains of Goex 3fg with a 240 grain .451 diameter XTP sabot bullet, CCI musket primer. Average velocity: 1417 feet per second.

Second load:

90 grains of Goex 3fg with a 300 grain .451 diameter poly tipped bullet, CCI musket primer. Average velocity: 1446 feet per second.

Third Load: 90 grains of Goex 3f with a 338 grain Powerbelt platinum bullet, CCI musket cap. Average velocity: 1348 feet per second.

I was pleasantly surprised. I expected velocities of these loads to be much lower but it appears that my specialty gun is in the realm of the 44 magnum class of handguns.

I heard that Swiss black powder is considered the best on the market now. I plan to get a couple pounds in the future to see how well it works with some hunting loads. The next step is to do more testing and find a good big game load. After that, hopefully, take some game using a unique handgun.

On Sunday I did some testing with the same gun but used H777 in place of the GOEX. What a huge difference in performance.

I uses the same gun, a M82 Kahnke with a 14" .50 caliber barrel and used a 90 grain volume charge of H777 in 3f granulation. The following is an average of shots taken with three different projectiles.

Load 1: 240 grain Thompson Center XTP magnum sabot. Average velocity was 1702 fps. I shook my head when I saw that but the average was correct. All of the shots were at or above 1700 feet per second. I thought it was a mistake but the numbers were a repeat performance.

Load 2: 338 grain Powerbelt platinum bullet. Average velocity was 1452 feet per second.

Load 3: 300 grain Thompson Center Polytip bullet. Average velocity was 1627 feet per second.

So I have some viable hunting loads with this gun using H777 in 3 F granulation.


My tests concur with others who have tested the specialty pistols. It seems that H777 3 f loose powder is the power champion. I recall shooting some 2f H777 and it was producing velocities of 2-300 fps slower.

My recommendation is to use H777 3 f . You will be shooting a handgun that is in the 445 Super mag realm.
 
bigbore442001 said:
Although I do not own a CVA pistol I do have a couple of BP specialty hunting pistols. A few years back I did some chronograph work with a 14" barreled 50 caliber Kahnke M82 pistol. This was posted on another site. ]
New Reply

Range conditions were rough. The temperature was 90 F with high humidity so the real feel was over 100 f. I did not want to stick around too much as I felt the sweat pour out of me.

First load:

90 grains of Goex 3fg with a 240 grain .451 diameter XTP sabot bullet, CCI musket primer. Average velocity: 1417 feet per second.

Second load:

90 grains of Goex 3fg with a 300 grain .451 diameter poly tipped bullet, CCI musket primer. Average velocity: 1446 feet per second.

Third Load: 90 grains of Goex 3f with a 338 grain Powerbelt platinum bullet, CCI musket cap. Average velocity: 1348 feet per second.

I was pleasantly surprised. I expected velocities of these loads to be much lower but it appears that my specialty gun is in the realm of the 44 magnum class of handguns.

I heard that Swiss black powder is considered the best on the market now. I plan to get a couple pounds in the future to see how well it works with some hunting loads. The next step is to do more testing and find a good big game load. After that, hopefully, take some game using a unique handgun.

On Sunday I did some testing with the same gun but used H777 in place of the GOEX. What a huge difference in performance.

I uses the same gun, a M82 Kahnke with a 14" .50 caliber barrel and used a 90 grain volume charge of H777 in 3f granulation. The following is an average of shots taken with three different projectiles.

Load 1: 240 grain Thompson Center XTP magnum sabot. Average velocity was 1702 fps. I shook my head when I saw that but the average was correct. All of the shots were at or above 1700 feet per second. I thought it was a mistake but the numbers were a repeat performance.

Load 2: 338 grain Powerbelt platinum bullet. Average velocity was 1452 feet per second.

Load 3: 300 grain Thompson Center Polytip bullet. Average velocity was 1627 feet per second.

So I have some viable hunting loads with this gun using H777 in 3 F granulation.


My tests concur with others who have tested the specialty pistols. It seems that H777 3 f loose powder is the power champion. I recall shooting some 2f H777 and it was producing velocities of 2-300 fps slower.

My recommendation is to use H777 3 f . You will be shooting a handgun that is in the 445 Super mag realm.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the detailed loads..will experiment with a few of these. Great information.
 
Very detailed report. But would like to see an accuracy vs power update with these loads and a comparision with BH209. Let alone the Approx 50% reduction in smoke which makes recovery of animal a faster/easier chore. Don't get me wrong, love the FPS info and any details which we can use to determine our best course of action. Sorry, but as you can tell I am a Blackhorn fan
 
one more thing, this MK Kahnke that you are using (reporting as a 14" barrel might not be the same, similiar, barrel to compare to the CVA Optima pistol barrels, the Optima has only 12" of working barrel,(ask Busta). So velocity results could be somewhat skewed.
 
My optima v2 pistol liked 80 grains of 777 ffg and a 250 grain TC shockwave with supplied sabot.
Took a Iowa doe with that load last year.
 
fliowa said:
My optima v2 pistol liked 80 grains of 777 ffg and a 250 grain TC shockwave with supplied sabot.
Took a Iowa doe with that load last year.
Click to expand...
I'll give it a try..just happen to have both those on hand. You using a scope or open sights?
 
My V1 Pistol will shoot the 200 gr Shockwave over 80 grains VOLUME Blackhorn 209 into one hole @ 50 yards benched. Seriously accurate, and seriously deadly. If you want pics, I got 'em.


Here is a link to my first range session with the V1.

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=20984&p=157662&hilit=Optima+pistol+thoughts+and+range+report#p157662


The first buck with the pistol.

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=21010&hilit=Optima+Pistol+Buck

I've got pics of the inside of the body cavity and entrance and exit holes if anyone wants to see the damage that little 200 gr bullet can do?
 
Yes. The Kanhke has more useable barrel space. The breech plug is more hollow and allows the powder charge to sit in the breech more. So you would get more barrel burn. I have a .50 caliber G2 barrel with the pin taken out to use in my older Contender frame( at the time I was living in Massachusetts and the stupid AG used the states consumer protection laws on handguns mandating safety test,et al. The net result was and still is that you cannot get a new G2 -Contender-Encore handgun after Oct 1998. Whatever is in the state at the time) .

I had the barrel sent to a gunsmith with instructions to cut it to 16 1/2 inches. He actually cut it so there is 16 1/2 inches of useable barrel. The G2 breech plug is 2 1/2 inches long so my "handgun" barrel is 19 inches. That was ok as I can still use it as a very big pistol or carbine( in all honesty this is my most used gun as it is legal for MA-CT-RI where I do 99% of my hunting for deer)

I did some testing but I can't find the data. I want to say I was getting 1700 + with a 300 grain sabot and BH 209. That is fine for all of my 100 yard and under hunting in the brushy Northeast. Besides I use an aimpoint on top of that.

It seems that there is a blurry line with what powder to use at this transition between pistol and rifle barrels. All in all, the way to go for velocity is the H777 at 3 f granulation. Unfortunately a sabot destroyed my shooting chrony thus I have not resumed testing in this realm of muzzleloading.
 
actionjackson1 said:
fliowa said:
My optima v2 pistol liked 80 grains of 777 ffg and a 250 grain TC shockwave with supplied sabot.
Took a Iowa doe with that load last year.
Click to expand...
I'll give it a try..just happen to have both those on hand. You using a scope or open sights?
Click to expand...

Nikon red dot scope
 
Ive had my CVA for a couple years now. I shoot 100gr 777 lose powder with a 245 gr powerbelt hollow point. Ive killed a Russian Boar and a Whitetail with it so far. Cant wait for Deer season here in Michigan to start.
 

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