FYI...here is Mike Belms latest news letter and it's about the Apex. Granted, Mike is primarily a center fire guy but there is some good info here for those interested in this gun. I will post the ML portion when he sends it out.
This ole TC tech of 30 years with Illinois Yankee pig farmer roots is just a whistlin' Dixie today after his CVA conversion last Sunday through Wednesday this week at BPI headquarters in Georgia.
Shortly after returning from our gunshow tour, I got a call from Mark Hendricks, head technician and now vice president of BPI. He informed me that (after about a 2 year long brain storming exchange between the two of us) it was time for me to go to the company offices at Norcross, Georgia for a little bass fishing, getting better acquainted, and above all doing some hands on work with the new CVA Apex rifle.
So early last Sunday I found myself on a plane to Atlanta.
Frankly it took a day or two being there before the full impact of the invitation sank in. It is one thing for two techy types like Mark and me to brain storm about barrels, guns, accuracy, etc., by phone and email, but entirely another when you find yourself the sole guest of both the president, Dudley McGarity, and the vice president of a company as large as BPI/CVA who set aside this block of time during their busy work week for a one-on-one tour of their facilities, socializing, and serious shooting at the company lodge.
It was simply a genuine privilege and tremendous opportunity to brain storm and work with two of the most progressive, dedicated, and innovative minds in the hunting firearms business today, minds backed and fueled by the ultra modern Bergara manufacturing plant in Bergara, Spain.
I was the sole guest invited, yes, but at my suggestion we all took the opportunity to invite Russell Lynch of M.A.X. Muzzle Loaders down from neighboring South Carolina to the meeting and some range work as well. Russell, www.maxmuzzleloader.com , is getting ready to do video on Encores, starting with trigger work. More on Russell's work later.
The fishing was great! Catching wasn't so good, but the conversation lively.
The next morning Dudley ruined me. The morning started with my first ever round of sporting clays. Given the choice of shotguns, I simply had to satisfy for the first time my lust from youth for the Browning over and unders I could never bring myself to buy. I've been away from shotguns for years, but had a ball, rusty as I am, hooked on the sport, and could never ask for better hosts than Dudley and Mark. Great guys!
Then the REALLY serious fun began.
Remember the request I made for load data for the Apex .308 Win. so many of you graciously shared your .308 Win. data for? Well, it didn't show up before I left for Georgia, as planned, so Tuesday morning was the first trip to the range with the Apex, and it was everything I expected it to be..... and more!
After the natural feel of the gun in my hands, the first thing I noticed was the absense of that "twaaaang" you get closing the barrel on an Encore. The weight, 25" length, contour, and fit of the Apex barrel make it close more like that high quality Browning o/u shotgun I had just put 50 rounds through, nice and solid.
The overall weight, balance, and feel were every bit what I expected from the photos of the Apex. The recoil pad is super, cheek piece a tad sharp on top compared to a custom rifle roll over cheekpiece, but VERY comfortable for an ambidextrous stock. Trigger pull on the actions I shot were a tad heavy, probably in the 3 1/2 pound range, but adjustable from 3-5 pounds I understand. The important thing is the trigger is quite clean, is a new, patented design, one far less prone to "bump off and representative of the state of the art engineering going into the CVA/Bergara product lines.
Unlike the TC "Pro Hunter" hammer, the Apex comes with a hammer extension that screws INTO the hammer from either side AT A VERY FUNCTIONAL RIGHT ANGLE FOR BEST GRIP/CONTROL. Since most people put hammer extensions on the right side, the extension has LEFT HAND THREADS so that when thumb pressure is applied, it tightens the extension instead of loosening it.
Unlocking the barrel is very easy and smooth.
It also comes with a "Claw" sling and Durasight scope base specific to the Apex, so no hunting around for a scope base is required.
Barrel changing is just like with the Encore. Remove the two 8x40 screws, tap out the hinge pin, and install another interchangeable barrel.
Not the least of the purposes for the trip was helping make the Apex be all it can be like we have done for the Encore, and with the quality Bergara barrels it should be a snap!
Folks, I don't get to do serious shooting very often, so my bench techniques are not as refined as I would really like for them to be, but here is one prime example of what the Apex will do with factory ammo:
http://www.bellmtcs.com/store/index.php?cid=455
Scroll down the website page for target and gun pic.
Then we got to black powder CVA style! What a surprise for a muzzle loader rube like me AND a muzzle loader pro like Russell! Again.... more on that later!
All the best!
Mike Bellm
..... I wish I was in Dixie.......
_____________________________
This ole TC tech of 30 years with Illinois Yankee pig farmer roots is just a whistlin' Dixie today after his CVA conversion last Sunday through Wednesday this week at BPI headquarters in Georgia.
Shortly after returning from our gunshow tour, I got a call from Mark Hendricks, head technician and now vice president of BPI. He informed me that (after about a 2 year long brain storming exchange between the two of us) it was time for me to go to the company offices at Norcross, Georgia for a little bass fishing, getting better acquainted, and above all doing some hands on work with the new CVA Apex rifle.
So early last Sunday I found myself on a plane to Atlanta.
Frankly it took a day or two being there before the full impact of the invitation sank in. It is one thing for two techy types like Mark and me to brain storm about barrels, guns, accuracy, etc., by phone and email, but entirely another when you find yourself the sole guest of both the president, Dudley McGarity, and the vice president of a company as large as BPI/CVA who set aside this block of time during their busy work week for a one-on-one tour of their facilities, socializing, and serious shooting at the company lodge.
It was simply a genuine privilege and tremendous opportunity to brain storm and work with two of the most progressive, dedicated, and innovative minds in the hunting firearms business today, minds backed and fueled by the ultra modern Bergara manufacturing plant in Bergara, Spain.
I was the sole guest invited, yes, but at my suggestion we all took the opportunity to invite Russell Lynch of M.A.X. Muzzle Loaders down from neighboring South Carolina to the meeting and some range work as well. Russell, www.maxmuzzleloader.com , is getting ready to do video on Encores, starting with trigger work. More on Russell's work later.
The fishing was great! Catching wasn't so good, but the conversation lively.
The next morning Dudley ruined me. The morning started with my first ever round of sporting clays. Given the choice of shotguns, I simply had to satisfy for the first time my lust from youth for the Browning over and unders I could never bring myself to buy. I've been away from shotguns for years, but had a ball, rusty as I am, hooked on the sport, and could never ask for better hosts than Dudley and Mark. Great guys!
Then the REALLY serious fun began.
Remember the request I made for load data for the Apex .308 Win. so many of you graciously shared your .308 Win. data for? Well, it didn't show up before I left for Georgia, as planned, so Tuesday morning was the first trip to the range with the Apex, and it was everything I expected it to be..... and more!
After the natural feel of the gun in my hands, the first thing I noticed was the absense of that "twaaaang" you get closing the barrel on an Encore. The weight, 25" length, contour, and fit of the Apex barrel make it close more like that high quality Browning o/u shotgun I had just put 50 rounds through, nice and solid.
The overall weight, balance, and feel were every bit what I expected from the photos of the Apex. The recoil pad is super, cheek piece a tad sharp on top compared to a custom rifle roll over cheekpiece, but VERY comfortable for an ambidextrous stock. Trigger pull on the actions I shot were a tad heavy, probably in the 3 1/2 pound range, but adjustable from 3-5 pounds I understand. The important thing is the trigger is quite clean, is a new, patented design, one far less prone to "bump off and representative of the state of the art engineering going into the CVA/Bergara product lines.
Unlike the TC "Pro Hunter" hammer, the Apex comes with a hammer extension that screws INTO the hammer from either side AT A VERY FUNCTIONAL RIGHT ANGLE FOR BEST GRIP/CONTROL. Since most people put hammer extensions on the right side, the extension has LEFT HAND THREADS so that when thumb pressure is applied, it tightens the extension instead of loosening it.
Unlocking the barrel is very easy and smooth.
It also comes with a "Claw" sling and Durasight scope base specific to the Apex, so no hunting around for a scope base is required.
Barrel changing is just like with the Encore. Remove the two 8x40 screws, tap out the hinge pin, and install another interchangeable barrel.
Not the least of the purposes for the trip was helping make the Apex be all it can be like we have done for the Encore, and with the quality Bergara barrels it should be a snap!
Folks, I don't get to do serious shooting very often, so my bench techniques are not as refined as I would really like for them to be, but here is one prime example of what the Apex will do with factory ammo:
http://www.bellmtcs.com/store/index.php?cid=455
Scroll down the website page for target and gun pic.
Then we got to black powder CVA style! What a surprise for a muzzle loader rube like me AND a muzzle loader pro like Russell! Again.... more on that later!
All the best!
Mike Bellm
..... I wish I was in Dixie.......
_____________________________
