New Optima V2 Pistol Owners

[Matthew323]

Back on April 27, deermanok started a thread where the Optima V2 pistols were back in stock at muzzleloaders.com.

Several forum members indicated that they were going to purchase one.

Other than Fourbore, has anyone else that purchased one of these pistols taken it out and shot it?

If so, what were your results? Load information? Accuracy? Feelings towards the pistol? Your intentions as to hunting? Scope choice? Or not? Etc?

I still have several months before I will see my pistol return from DOC White's, and Levi Reed's shops in Utah.

So, I am living vicariously through you all!!!!!

 

[deermanok]

I'll be up to the range with mine sometime this week if I can manage it.

 

[MrTom]

The pistols haven't changed a lick so they will deliver exactly what they have since the V2 series came out.

 

[deerlessbob]

I bought one of those and have been to the range with it 5 times. Per MrTom’s suggestion I’m shooting 63 weighed grains of BH209 and my practice rounds are Hornady 240 grain XTP’s In green Crushrib sabots. I’ll probably shoot 250 grain Barnes TEZ’s for hunting, but will probably try some of the 225 grain XPB’s, too - another of Tom’s ideas. I bought a Vortex Crossfire Scout, 2x7x32, for the pistol and am very happy with it.
I find the pistol somewhat unbalanced but it will shoot as good as I can aim it. I’m really enjoying the challenge of getting used to it and already looking forward to hunting deer with it.

 

[MrTom]

When I started trying the Barnes bullets last year I ordered 4 units of the TEZ 250's for the Accura and 2 boxes of 225 XPB's to try in the pistol. Once the Accura was dialed in...took 6 rounds to get under an inch at 100 yards.... after making the initial adjustments from using 300 grain XTP's. I shot 5 thru the pistol at 50 yards just to see where they'd print and the group wasn't very far off from where 240 grain, .44 cal, XTPs grouped. Then I ran 5 225 grain XPB's at the same target. These grouped about two inches high. I made an adjustment to the scope and shot 5 more. This group hit dead center of the 1" bull, three shots making one jagged hole and the other two all but cutting that hole, touching each other.

While I was tinkering with the pistol a fella showed up to shoot his rifle and shot next to me. He had a chrono and asked if we could get a read on a couple of the pistol shots with the XPB bullets. 63 weighed grains of BH209, 225 grain .44 cal XPB in a green crush rib got 1681 and 1679 fps. No idea what the Chrono was. He said he had the same pistol but had not hunted it yet and also stated that his 250 grain XTP load with BH209 was just over 100 fps less with the 63 grain by volume charge using smooth black sabots. I left him with the remainder of the box of 225 grain XPB's and green crush ribs to match the bullet count so he could try them, along with my name and phone number. He called a couple weeks later and asked where I ordered the 225 grain XPB's from saying his pistol was shooting just like mine with them. Recoil-wise, those 225 grain pills are super enjoyable to shoot and I have no doubt that inside my 50 yard shooting limit they'll put the hammer down on any deer or bear.

The 225 grain .44 cal XPBs were in the woods with me last fall, just nothing presented itself inside my self imposed shooting distances. The TEZ's sold me in the Accura with 2 deer taking, one a very nice 9 point and one the longest off-hand shot I have ever taken at a deer on a severe downhill angle in open woods at a measured 168 yards. Not a huge deer by any means but heart and two lungs and 4 ribs, 1 1/2" exit. Barnes bullets have sold not only in the woods but because of the accuracy on paper.

 

[Matthew323]

When I started trying the Barnes bullets last year I ordered 4 units of the TEZ 250's for the Accura and 2 boxes of 225 XPB's to try in the pistol. Once the Accura was dialed in...took 6 rounds to get under an inch at 100 yards.... after making the initial adjustments from using 300 grain XTP's. I shot 5 thru the pistol at 50 yards just to see where they'd print and the group wasn't very far off from where 240 grain, .44 cal, XTPs grouped. Then I ran 5 225 grain XPB's at the same target. These grouped about two inches high. I made an adjustment to the scope and shot 5 more. This group hit dead center of the 1" bull, three shots making one jagged hole and the other two all but cutting that hole, touching each other.

While I was tinkering with the pistol a fella showed up to shoot his rifle and shot next to me. He had a chrono and asked if we could get a read on a couple of the pistol shots with the XPB bullets. 63 weighed grains of BH209, 225 grain .44 cal XPB in a green crush rib got 1681 and 1679 fps. No idea what the Chrono was. He said he had the same pistol but had not hunted it yet and also stated that his 250 grain XTP load with BH209 was just over 100 fps less with the 63 grain by volume charge using smooth black sabots. I left him with the remainder of the box of 225 grain XPB's and green crush ribs to match the bullet count so he could try them, along with my name and phone number. He called a couple weeks later and asked where I ordered the 225 grain XPB's from saying his pistol was shooting just like mine with them. Recoil-wise, those 225 grain pills are super enjoyable to shoot and I have no doubt that inside my 50 yard shooting limit they'll put the hammer down on any deer or bear.

The 225 grain .44 cal XPBs were in the woods with me last fall, just nothing presented itself inside my self imposed shooting distances. The TEZ's sold me in the Accura with 2 deer taking, one a very nice 9 point and one the longest off-hand shot I have ever taken at a deer on a severe downhill angle in open woods at a measured 168 yards. Not a huge deer by any means but heart and two lungs and 4 ribs, 1 1/2" exit. Barnes bullets have sold not only in the woods but because of the accuracy on paper.

Mr. Tom,
By any chance have you slugged the bore of your pistol? I believe a while back you were contemplating shooting sabotless bullets in the Optima V2, and I wondered if you had slugged the bore at that time?

 

[brucebuilds]

I bought one but I'm in a very intensive school program that leaves me no free time these days. I don't expect to shoot mine until close to the end of the year. I'd like to shoot sabotless and I'm hoping all you guys will get the research done for me. Then all I have to do is buy the right components and I'm good to go.

 

[MrTom]

No, I have yet to try slugging the barrel on the pistol. I may yet. If I do I'll push a .54 round ball thru the barrel. Shooting sabotless was a mere thought really.

I'm super happy with my Barnes 225 grain xpb bullets in the pistol. I have a good supply of 240 grain fodder for it and will burn those up on paper without changing the scope at all....purely practicing the hold and trigger squeeze.