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

[rangerod]

Hammer em with a Thor.

 

[Pathfinder60]

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.

I can only offer this. I have a CVA Accura V2 Plains Rifle 50 cal. I have a load that shot very well out of it using a 320gr Fury Star Tip 2P smooth sized (bore rider) over a veggie wad and 77.4gr of BH 209.
Just for shits and giggles I decided to try some of my brother's Bore Driver FTX 290gr.
I had a couple of pre measured loads at 80 gr of BH209 so I decided to just use those. Those 2 shots ended up as 1 ragged hole so I measured out another one and now I have a 3 shot 1 ragged hole group at 100 yards and we're both just shocked. So I measured out 3 more 80gr loads and 3 77.4gr loads just to see how last years load stacked up with this Bore Driver load. The Bore Driver won out. If it performs terminally as well as it does with accuracy I've found my go to load.

 

[WV Hunter]

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.

Deer are tough, there is no doubt. After 40yrs of hunting and killing probably 150, nothing surprises me with deer. I shot a nice 8pt right through the boiler room this year with a rifle, he ran 15yds, fell down and rolled about 10yds downhill. 10 mins later, I look over and he's standing up really wobbly, tail spinning around like a fan. He fell down and was done. I thought for sure I must have not hit him well, but upon further inspection it was right in the boiler room. I have no clue how he was still alive 10mins later. I've seen this many times over the years, with lots of rifles, ML's, etc. They are just tough.

 

[WV Hunter]

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.

I like the 240 deep curl (44/.429) it hammers them. I wouldn't say its really any better than an XTP but they do a great job and expand really well. Shot probably a dozen with them. Also I've probably shot a couple dozen with the speer jacketed hollow point 260gr. Its great as well, even though advertised as a plinker round. Its the bullet Knight sold forever in their pre-packaged offerings - bullet/sabot Knight branded.
If you look at Ron's bullet testing thread, he has most every bullet put to the test you can see how they did.

https://www.modernmuzzleloader.com/threads/rons-bullet-testing-results.34927/

 

[ETipp]

Okay fellas, here's what I came up with. Second time to the range and shot the Hornady XTP 240 grain with black sabots and 80 grains of T7 loose. Right off the bat I went to the 100 yard target. Groups averaged 3.1". Tried the 295 grain Powerbelt and got a 4" group. Not great but I made progress.

Third trip to range. 100 yard target, Hornady XTP 240 grain with the green sabot, straight out of the box. Bumped the charge of 777 loose powder up to 90 grains (V). Group size decreased considerably........1.6 inch groups. Next I went to back to the T7 Pellets, two at (50) grains each and the group shrank to 1.1 inches. The group was more uniform as well.

I am fairly confident I can reduce the size of those groups but that's good enough for the hunting grounds my son hunts. I will need to go back one more time and bring the scope over about 3/4" and then Dad is done with this one.

Next up.............Dads Black Knight he needs to work up a load for and good ole Hershel Magee, my trusty sidelock New Englander. Need to check the POI after I installed a peep on it.

Edit: Shooting off of home made sand bags and a wooden rest I built for the front. Not the greatest but they will make do. Its a sure bet those loads are more accurate than I am.

 

[deermanok]

Those are pretty good groups.

 

[phalanx]

Nothing wrong with those groups at all.