New to Muzzleloading - CVA OPtima Elite Ordered

[marshall9779]

I am fairly new to muzzleloading. I have shot my Dad's Encore and took it on a hunt but never shot other than at a range. I can't use my rifle where I want to hunt in Maryland where I just moved late last year. I ordered a CVA Optima Elite stainless .50 Cal. I couldn't resist the features and the stainless Bergarra barrel for $389. I have or have ordered everything I need. I picked up a bottle of Jim Shockey's Gold and the 200gr TC Shockwaves. I wanted a flatter shooting round. It won't be in for about 5 more weeks though. I am really leaning toward loose powder. I think I can keep things more consistant that way. Does anyone with a CVA, whether with the Bergarra barrel or not, have any comments of performance, preffered load combinations etc. I would appreciate any feedback. Thanks

 

[cayuga]

Marshall welcome to the forum and the sport. From all I have read, you got a good rifle. You might keep your eye out for some Black Horn 209 powder as it should shoot well in your Optima and might give you better results then Shockey Gold.

200 grain Shockwaves should shoot well, but time will tell. Also the 250 grain shoot well out of my CVA. As do Powerbelts of course, but they can get expensive. All you can do is try different loads.

How far do you suspect your shots will be and can you use a scope?

 

[marshall9779]

Yeah, I plan on starting out at 80 or 90 gr, and then working up from there until the accuracy suffers. If the charge is still fairly light, I might try some sub bases and see if that lets me up the charge some. I plan on using it at a WMA down the road. It has some crop fields as well as some varying density of woods. It is concievable that I could take a shot out to 200yds, but I plan on picking most of my stand trees back in the woods surrounding the fields. I already have one picked out and about the longest shot there would maybe be 75 yds. I can use a scope. I am just using the one that came with my Winchester 270 WSM, as I have a Burris on there now.

 

[johnpb]

Welcome Marshall. I have a CVA Kodiac Magnum that I won on "O'Neill's Blackpowder Guns and Hunting" last year and I"m still working up a load. It has the 28" Bergara barrel. So far the best I have found was T/C 300gr XTPs with 2 Triple 7 50gr pellets. It will average 3 shots in 5/8" at 65yrds. I'm trying to cut down on the cost so I'm trying loose powder and various sabots and bullets because I also have a Knight that likes the loose powder so its alot cheaper. I may be expecting too much as far as accuracy out of it but I'm going to keep on trying to see what it will do. It really doesn't shoot the Powerbelt that great and as stated before they are expensive. Good luck.

 

[frontier gander]

First thing i see wrong with your set up.. Shockeys Gold. That stuff is garbage. Get some triple 7 or pyrodex rs-select.

 

[MLKeith]

I found the same Optima Elite stainless on a used gun rack unfired but have not had time or weather to shoot it yet. I personally plan to try the BH209 powder when the weather drops below 100 degrees. I also will try some of the new conicals available and am not a big fan of the Powerbelts although I have used them in my Omega as a follow up shot since nothing else would load for the second shot when needed. I will try to post when I finally get time and weather to shoot. Let us know how the rifle works. I expect that the Bergara barrels will do very well. Ed Shilin is not known for making bad barrels. I understand they hone the barrels before they rifle them which is not a standard procedure from other barrel manufacturers. My information is that most just drill, rifle and that is it. The honing process in between drilling and rifling should make the barrel more consistent and break in should be a shorter procedure.

 

[marshall9779]

First thing i see wrong with your set up.. Shockeys Gold. That stuff is garbage. Get some triple 7 or pyrodex rs-select.

I'll try it, if it doesn't work I'll try and pawn it to someone at the range sometime. I'm not gonna put it off completely until I try it, but thanks for the input.

 

[marshall9779]

I found the same Optima Elite stainless on a used gun rack unfired but have not had time or weather to shoot it yet. I personally plan to try the BH209 powder when the weather drops below 100 degrees. I also will try some of the new conicals available and am not a big fan of the Powerbelts although I have used them in my Omega as a follow up shot since nothing else would load for the second shot when needed. I will try to post when I finally get time and weather to shoot. Let us know how the rifle works. I expect that the Bergara barrels will do very well. Ed Shilin is not known for making bad barrels. I understand they hone the barrels before they rifle them which is not a standard procedure from other barrel manufacturers. My information is that most just drill, rifle and that is it. The honing process in between drilling and rifling should make the barrel more consistent and break in should be a shorter procedure.

Who carries the BH 209 powder?

 

[MLKeith]

I got mine at Sportsmans Warehouse. Bass Pro also has it but the price at Sportsmans is better. $29.95. Bass Pro is over $32 (can't remember exact price but much higher).

 

[Bucker]

shockeys Gold

My life depends on it, pfffffffft, oh S&%t!