Looking for information for some loads on a new .50 CVA Optima......

[Rvrrat14]

Thank you for the reply. I'm well acclimated to hunting and killing deer, elk and bears with different tools........arrows, rifles, pistols and ML. You are correct, they sometimes appear as if they can defy death. Lived in the mountains most of my life including out west. Not fun to try to pack a critter out for sure. Some places can be rough.

Ya know, I've read many reports and watched many a hunting videos of kills with different ML setups. The interesting aspect of that is, I am amazed at how far many of the animals go after being hit. Doesn't seem to matter if its with a round ball, sabot or bore size bullet. I've killed my fair share over the years with my old sidelock shooting my hard cast Maxi Balls and the farthest one ever went was maybe 20 yards. That includes elk. Those hard cast do not expand at all. Go figure!

Went back to the range today for a short time. I only shot 3 of the 240 grain XTP with 80 grains of 777 loose powder. This time from 100 yards. I did not get the accuracy I was looking for but I did not change the powder charge either as those were the last of them. The group was 3.25" measured. Not good enough for this ole boy.

Next and JFG I shot 3 more of the PowerBelt 395 grain hollow points. Only this time it was with 80 grains of loose 777. It provided a measured 4" group. That too, is not acceptable and again I did not shoot any more to vary the charge.

So indeed more testing to do.

Not sure on what bullet I will settle on for him but I do know that I want it to be a pass through as much as possible. Considering the steep terrain he is faced with, and considering all the research that has shown how far many deer go after being hit with various ML bullets, the least I can do for him is to try to find him a bullet that most likely will pass through for ease of tracking.

At this point I'm considering the Bore Driver 290 grain.

 

[ETipp]

This is my 57th year of deer hunting, 47 with a muzzleloader. I've seen some crazy stuff deer do when shot with what should have been an instant drop shot, so nothing amazes me anymore. I'm a firm believer in off-season shooting and lots of it just to stay in touch with yourself and your guns. Beyond that, deer will continue to do things that people just shake their heads at.

I've killed several deer and dug out bullets, and broadheads. One of which I still have including the 5" of arrow the broadhead (Wasp) is attached to. That deer, which was a ML kill, was walking through the woods like any other deer. It was easy to see the path the arrow had taken and it was very close to the vitals. That broadhead and arrow had been in that deer for a long time. Most of it was healed up. The only sore it had on it was where the arrow was working its way out the opposite side.

 

[ETipp]

Rvrrat, are those Bore Drivers?

 

[michiganmuzzy]

I've killed several deer and dug out bullets, and broadheads. One of which I still have including the 5" of arrow the broadhead (Wasp) is attached to. That deer, which was a ML kill, was walking through the woods like any other deer. It was easy to see the path the arrow had taken and it was very close to the vitals. That broadhead and arrow had been in that deer for a long time. Most of it was healed up. The only sore it had on it was where the arrow was working its way out the opposite side.

I just pulled 11.5” of arrow and broadhead out of a deers back. Someone just took a terrible shot.

 

[MrTom]

Thank God you took hat deer. One set of antlers I have on the wall came from a buck I shot the opening day of the late gun season. He could walk but his hind legs seemed to exaggerate his steps. When I got him home and hung I set out to skin it. I found a large hole right in the big leg joint on one side that went clear thru. On the other hind leg, same joint I found a 20 gauge Brenneke slug on the far side of the leg. How that deer made that far is beyond me but I was glad I took it thinking the way he walked it was going to be a tough winter for him. I shot a nice buck that had a broadhead stuck in one of his femurs. No shaft, just the head. It was messy around the head but other than that the wound had pretty much healed.

I don't like making judgement calls on stuff like this because I know firsthand how things can go wrong in the field. Stuff happens and its nice when we can collect these animals so they don't fall into suffering when winter begins to tax them.

 

[deermanok]

My 3rd or 4th year hunting with a crossbow, I shot a big bodied 6 pointer that was only about 15 or so feet from my treestand.
My arrow struck him in the spine which killed him pretty quickly.
The arrow broke off at the broadhead. When I got him to my butcher, I pointed out where the head was and to be careful cutting around that area.
A few days later, he called me to stop by. He had dug out my broadhead along with a big ole Swickey head and a small caliber bullet. Maybe a 30 caliber or so.

 

[Rvrrat14]

Rvrrat, are those Bore Drivers?

Yessir

 

[ETipp]

Yessir

What powder and charge? Not that this particular ML will like whatever yours does, but its for informational purposes. I have read and seen quite a bit of good about the Bore Driver. One of the best attributes I've seen is complete pass throughs with large exit holes, which is what I would like to obtain for this particular application.

 

[ETipp]

My 3rd or 4th year hunting with a crossbow, I shot a big bodied 6 pointer that was only about 15 or so feet from my treestand.
My arrow struck him in the spine which killed him pretty quickly.
The arrow broke off at the broadhead. When I got him to my butcher, I pointed out where the head was and to be careful cutting around that area.
A few days later, he called me to stop by. He had dug out my broadhead along with a big ole Swickey head and a small caliber bullet. Maybe a 30 caliber or so.

Dang, that deer was like a warrior.

 

[ETipp]

Thank God you took hat deer. One set of antlers I have on the wall came from a buck I shot the opening day of the late gun season. He could walk but his hind legs seemed to exaggerate his steps. When I got him home and hung I set out to skin it. I found a large hole right in the big leg joint on one side that went clear thru. On the other hind leg, same joint I found a 20 gauge Brenneke slug on the far side of the leg. How that deer made that far is beyond me but I was glad I took it thinking the way he walked it was going to be a tough winter for him. I shot a nice buck that had a broadhead stuck in one of his femurs. No shaft, just the head. It was messy around the head but other than that the wound had pretty much healed.

I don't like making judgement calls on stuff like this because I know firsthand how things can go wrong in the field. Stuff happens and its nice when we can collect these animals so they don't fall into suffering when winter begins to tax them.

I too, shot a buck one time that had a rear leg blown almost off above the joint.

 

[WV Hunter]

Most of my .50cal 1:28 rifles have shot saboted bullets in the 240-260gr range very well with 90-100gr. I would bump your charge some and see how the XTP do. You could also try the 300gr XTP, or 290 Barnes. Both work very well in .50 cal rifles typically.

 

[ETipp]

Most of my .50cal 1:28 rifles have shot saboted bullets in the 240-260gr range very well with 90-100gr. I would bump your charge some and see how the XTP do. You could also try the 300gr XTP, or 290 Barnes. Both work very well in .50 cal rifles typically.

Indeed, that is the plan. They are accurate and flat shooting for sure. Just need to try to increase the charge a little and see what happens. I ran out of 240 XTP's before I could up the charge. I do have some 260 grain JHP of some sort I could try in the meantime. I may be trying some Hornady Bore Drivers, FTX 290 grain as well. It feel it would best suit his steep hunting terrain if he got a pass through.

Guess we shall see.

 

[ETipp]

Arrow and broadhead I dug out of a deer.

 

[Rvrrat14]

What powder and charge? Not that this particular ML will like whatever yours does, but its for informational purposes. I have read and seen quite a bit of good about the Bore Driver. One of the best attributes I've seen is complete pass throughs with large exit holes, which is what I would like to obtain for this particular application.

I use White Hots pellets and load with 2 pellets. I have killed several hogs with this load out to around 100 yards. One dropped and the other ran about 40 yards, bleeding good. It was a high shoulder shot where the bullet struck rib and ricocheted down through the lung and heart. I can’t see where this would not stop a deer. My shots on hogs have been where the bullet stopped on the far side, with no exit.

Also, someone posted an elk killed with this bullet. POI is always critical on any shot.

 

[ETipp]

I use White Hots pellets and load with 2 pellets. I have killed several hogs with this load out to around 100 yards. One dropped and the other ran about 40 yards, bleeding good. It was a high shoulder shot where the bullet struck rib and ricocheted down through the lung and heart. I can’t see where this would not stop a deer. My shots on hogs have been where the bullet stopped on the far side, with no exit.

Also, someone posted an elk killed with this bullet. POI is always critical on any shot.

Thank you for the reply. I've watched several videos where large whitetail bucks were shot with Bore Drivers. Pass throughs appear to be common. One of which the buck went about 100 yards (so the hunter stated) before expiring. Interesting aspect was, it had a large exit hole. Plenty of blood on the ground.

 

[BigBoresmokepole]

Most of my .50cal 1:28 rifles have shot saboted bullets in the 240-260gr range very well with 90-100gr. I would bump your charge some and see how the XTP do. You could also try the 300gr XTP, or 290 Barnes. Both work very well in .50 cal rifles typically.

I found that when I get to the max powder load my accura groups best with the 240 grain xtp it is my favorite gun to use for both of my gun seasons. I have clovers on paper at 100 off bags and bench. They really open up. Going to try the speer deep curls 170 grain sabots they are supposed to expand even larger than xtp. Going to shoot water jugs and check expansion. The xtps are great out of my gun but with 3 whitehots you pay for it at the shooting range with the recoil. I'm hoping that a lighter bullet it will be somewhat less.

 

[ETipp]

I found that when I get to the max powder load my accura groups best with the 240 grain xtp it is my favorite gun to use for both of my gun seasons. I have clovers on paper at 100 off bags and bench. They really open up. Going to try the speer deep curls 170 grain sabots they are supposed to expand even larger than xtp. Going to shoot water jugs and check expansion. The xtps are great out of my gun but with 3 whitehots you pay for it at the shooting range with the recoil. I'm hoping that a lighter bullet it will be somewhat less.

So you have the Magnum series Accura?

 

[GM54-120]

All CVA Accuras were rated for upto 150gr loads. I had a pre 2010 model, it was also. There was only the Accura and Accura V2 with QRBP until the MR line came out.

 

[BigBoresmokepole]

So you have the Magnum series Accura?

Yes 150 gains of powder

 

[BigBoresmokepole]

Yes 150 gains of powder

150 for pellets
120 for bh209