CVA Optima Pistol

[retrieverman]

After reading about these pistols on here, I decided I had to have one, and thanks to @eekjellander I now do. I normally prefer a red dot on a hunting handgun due a more forgiving parallax, but I had this Simmons 2x in a drawer and decided to give it a try. After a dozen shots, the scope will more than likely be a permanent fixture. I sighted it in at 25 yards using 50 grains (by weight) BH209 and a 260 gr lead hollow point bullet in a black ribbed harvester sabot, and then I back up to 50 yards. It’s very obvious that this gun has way more inherent accuracy than my ability to shoot it. My goal now is to try to kill a pig or two with it.

 

[deermanok]

You'll love it for hunting. I sure do mine.
I think it's the most accurate muzzleloader I own.

 

[MrTom]

Congrats on the pistol acquisition. You're going to love shooting it. I have taken more deer with my pistol in recent years than any rifle I own. I'm sure you've rad where I do the range stuff with T7 and hunt with BH and I'd suggest doing that to keep costs down, but shoot that thing often so it becomes first nature to you in the field. Just so you know, my gun's accuracy really tightened up at 63 weighed grains [both powders] using a 225 grain, .44 cal XPB Barnes or the 240 grain XTP. Plain green sabot with the BH will load a little stiffer but keeps the pressure on the charge better, green crush rib with the T7 powder where load pressure is less an issue. I hunt the Barnes load, T7 is not in the field.

 

[JIMYJAC]

Congrats! Looks like a nice piece. eekjellander did you right. Keep us posted the the pig hunt!

 

[retrieverman]

I shot the pistol again this afternoon, and I sure do like this thing.

All I’ll be shooting with it for the next several months is paper or pigs, so I decided to try to cheapen up my load a little. I have a bunch of 230 grain Berry hardball 45acp bullets and cheap short smooth black sabots, so I loaded them up with 50 grains of BH. I evidently pulled the first shot, because the other 4 stacked up nicely. Any pig that comes within 50 yards+/- will be in trouble.
Sorry for the clutter, but I reused the target I tested turkey loads yesterday.

 

[deermanok]

Looking good. I almost don't want to hunt with anything but my pistol.
Your shotgun throws a nice pattern too.

 

[retrieverman]

Looking good. I almost don't want to hunt with anything but my pistol.
Your shotgun throws a nice pattern too.

You and Mr Tom are main reason I bought this dang pistol.

Thanks, my handloaded turkey ammo did really well, and I’m already anxious for the OK spring season.

 

[MrTom]

You'll be bumping up the load before long. I shoot my pistol every trip to the range just to stay in touch with it. In the last eight years I have taken more bucks [and deer in general] with the pistol than any of the rifles combined. You're going to love that gun.

 

[JIMYJAC]

Nice work. Thanks for sharing

 

[MrTom]

Retrieverman.... if you can round up some Barnes .44 caliber XPB's in the 225 grain bullet or the XPB Barnes in the .45 caliber at 225 grains, those bullets are super accurate and ready smoke deer so they should be absolute poison to a pig. I run the .44 cal out of my Optima pistol with 63 weighed grains of BH, 90 grain by volume equivalent. I'm seeing just under 1475 fps with the load. The last three bucks I've taken with the pistol and that load have dropped right on the spot at the hit. All in the boiler room. I hunt in a cooler environment that you, so I use plain, un-ribbed sabots to keep the load tight in the barrel. I'd suggest plain sabots too. At least try them.

Try jacking the charge up a bit with those Berrys, that's the same bullet I shoot at the range during the off season when I am shooting only to maintain shooting form. The Berry bullets print a bit different from the XPBs but then I am not concerned with that since I am not hunting them, but they typically print very tight groups, just a bit wide to the right and an inch lower than where the XPBs print.

Let us know how things are progressing with that puppy pistol.

 

[Harley469]

Mine is super accurate, but I am yet to harvest a deer with it. The one time I had a crack at one with it I had forgotten to put the primer in. I hunt with many pistols, so I usually only take this one during actual ML only season, which is only three days here in IL. When I hunt late ML in Iowa though, late ML is almost a month long. I simply use two 50gr Triple Seven pellets with a 270gr Platinum Powerbelt.

 

[11th Corps]

I shot the pistol again this afternoon, and I sure do like this thing.

All I’ll be shooting with it for the next several months is paper or pigs, so I decided to try to cheapen up my load a little. I have a bunch of 230 grain Berry hardball 45acp bullets and cheap short smooth black sabots, so I loaded them up with 50 grains of BH. I evidently pulled the first shot, because the other 4 stacked up nicely. Any pig that comes within 50 yards+/- will be in trouble.
Sorry for the clutter, but I reused the target I tested turkey loads yesterday.
View attachment 41144

View attachment 41145

You would think a guy who can afford an ATV and a new pistol could scrounge up some new cardboard.

J/K. Nice pistol.

 

[Bkusch53]

Retrieverman I just acquired one from SaunaTime on here. I knew I shouldnt have posted WTB.... Is there a rehab for muzzleloader addicts? We are both lucky to have 2 weeks of muzzleloader hunting in parts of Texas

 

[retrieverman]

You would think a guy who can afford an ATV and a new pistol could scrounge up some new cardboard.

J/K. Nice pistol.

I bought the 4 wheeler third or fourth hand a couple years ago, and it’s 23 years old. The pistol came to me at least second hand, and I actually have a healthy supply of cardboard but didn’t see the point in wasting that piece when it still had plenty room for more holes.

 

[retrieverman]

Retrieverman I just acquired one from SaunaTime on here. I knew I shouldnt have posted WTB.... Is there a rehab for muzzleloader addicts? We are both lucky to have 2 weeks of muzzleloader hunting in parts of Texas

I’m glad Texas finally has a muzzleloader season, but in my opinion, the timing makes it appear to be more of an afterthought. I prefer to hunt muzzleloader season in Oklahoma, because it’s scheduled during a good time of the year.

 

[MrTom]

Good luck with rehab Bkusch53. I've tried and it hasn't helped me a bit.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Retrieverman I just acquired one from SaunaTime on here. I knew I shouldnt have posted WTB.... Is there a rehab for muzzleloader addicts? We are both lucky to have 2 weeks of muzzleloader hunting in parts of Texas

This forum is the closest thing to ‘ML Rehab’ that you’re going to find.

 

[Bkusch53]

Good luck with rehab Bkusch53. I've tried and it hasn't helped me a bit.

I needed a pistol like another rectum...

 

[phalanx]

I guess [ have 4 rectums then! Well, actually 5 if i count the natural one! Three Optima V2 pistols and one Traditions Vortek pistol.

 

[eekjellander]

You would think a guy who can afford an ATV and a new pistol could scrounge up some new cardboard.

J/K. Nice pistol.

That's why he has the ATV / pistol , he's economical !/Ed