Shot the Optima pistol today!

[Matthew323]

Last word on the subject. When I get the pistol from Doc White, and start shooting it, I only intend to have a handful of different loads for it.

Patched ball, 0.495" diameter ball load.
Hornady PA Conical, 240 grain load.
Hornady Great Plains, 385 grain load.
Accurate Molds #51-385I load.
.400" bullets in .50 caliber sabot loads.
.451"-452" bullets in .50 caliber sabot loads.

After spending the first 6 months to a year working up those loads, all I intend to do is stump shoot. I'll have a rangefinder on my person, but the object will be to relearn how to judge distance. I expect to do the vast majority of the stump shooting with home cast lead balls, and Goex black powder purchased in bulk.

I'll practice at distances out to a 100 yards, but I have set a personal limit of 50 yards for hunting.

 

[kd8jgu]

I love mine

 

[MrTom]

Deermanok 's last post sums it up nicely with his comment that the way the gun is loaded is not a one and done deal. Not everyone's hands are going to fit any pistol perfectly and loaded to the max with a heavy bullet will certainly deliver some heavy recoil. Personally when I shot the heaviest loads I had no intention of ever hunting them but wanted to see what the gun did with them.....I do not blame the grips for the bruising. I blame the heavy load and heavy bullets. If CVA changed the grips to suit a few then equally as many would find then uncomfortable after the change. Why does one find so many after-market grips for popular handguns? Simple. Not one grip will satisfy the masses who own the guns. Grip makers are the ones missing the boat here, not CVA.

I shoot my pistol often, as in every time I hit the range. I shoot at least ten, often 20, rounds thru it on each occasion. I shoot 240 grain, .44 cal XTPs for the range work and casual slinging at the cabin in front of a 63 weighed grain charge of BH209 and in a green crush rib sabot. I shoot the identical load except a .44 cal 225 grain XPB Barnes bullet while hunting and shoot each to the identical point of aim at 50 yards. I don't fart around changing to round balls or lead bullets simply because they are not going to shoot where the bullets I currently use will shoot to. XTP's are cheap, sabots are cheap and I want to stay as consistent as I can stay. That's why I bought the guns....they are super consistent. I'll note here that I do shoot T7 3f at the same charge of 90 grains, only by volume, with the same level of accuracy at 50 yards IF I cannot round up the BH209, but I have plenty of 209 and haven't really felt the need to go to the T7. Both bullets, both powders are as consistent as one can get and make the most use out of the gun.

 

[dbowling]

Im not a big guy as far as hand size or height,5`9 and 245#. When it comes to shooting pistols Im not recoil shy at all,but the Optima pistol just ate my hands up due to stippling on grip, ears on grip by trigger guard and just bad design. I can shoot heavier loads in my homemade pistols due to the fact that the grips allow the guns to recoil up and over the hand instead of directly into the palm if that makes sense.
If I could of found aftermarket grips for the Optima I would still have it, it was a hunting pistol and should handle stouter loads w/o punishing your hand..if you want to hunt bear or other large game should you be limited to 70 gr loads?

 

[MrTom]

One has to keep in mind that there's a huge difference between working off the bench where several shots are probably taken as opposed to in the field hunting where its one shot. Its the several repeat shots that get the hands. Maybe every 4th trip to the club I shoot 5 300 grain XTPs just to keep in touch with where they are hitting the paper. I didn't dink around with the bear lottery this year but if I can grab an over the counter tag from the surplus tags available in the zone where the cabin is at I will hunt bruno with the pistol this fall and the 300 grain pills will be in the gun. Even a very large bear will not need more than a 300.

 

[deermanok]

Don't think I mentioned that before I got the carbine stock, I started to wear a light weight leather shooting glove which helped a lot.
Like Mr. Tom just said, when hunting, you're probably only going get one shot anyway. Plus the weather during deer season is typically chilly and you would most likely be wearing gloves.

 

[eekjellander]

Don't think I mentioned that before I got the carbine stock, I started to wear a light weight leather shooting glove which helped a lot.
Like Mr. Tom just said, when hunting, you're probably only going get one shot anyway. Plus the weather during deer season is typically chilly and you would most likely be wearing gloves.

Most likely (HOW EVER) you want confidence you will not get it on a one shot deal ! You practice (train )with what you carry . Thats true in self protection (OR) hunting ,surprises get you or the critter grief or not if you choose to be as proficient as possible being comfortable and confident and that comes with practice . My carry gun uses the same load for practice as I will need that one time it is needed ,same for hunting as they "re both critical when needed/Ed

 

[deermanok]

I couldn't agree more. I'm also and foremost a bow hunter. Have been for close to 50 years. Even though I have switched to the crossbow, I still have to shoot it to keep sharp.
I was just trying to say that wearing gloves helps the hands while shooting the pistol.

 

[GBG]

I found this thread while searching for info on 400+ grain bullets in the Optima pistol. I purchased a V2 in 2015 after a lot of research and emails to CVA and other companies. I've shot and chrono graphed a number of loads including a 400 grain modified Lee 500-515F over 100 grains of T7 2F.

I posted some of my initial test results in another forum. Just google search " CVA Optima V2 Pistol and Heavy Bullets?" I also bought the CVA BH209 breech plug and tested loads up to 70 grains of powder with all bullets listed on the other forum, plus the Lyman 50 caliber 395 grn Plains Bullet.

The poor pistol grip and recoil with 300-400 grain bullets are exactly as described in this thread - Fierce. But my hunting partner is an experienced big bore hand gunner (with large hands) and he calls these loads "sweet shooting, definitely deer worthy", so YMMV.

The biggest powder charge I've used is 120 T7 2F under a Lee 310 grain .430 bullet in a green Hornady sabot. I use a sling to help absorb recoil with my free hand. On this shot, I had the sling around a 50 lb cement block, and the grip wrapped in 4 layers of large bubble wrap. The recoil jerked the block off the top of an old car, and burst every bubble in the wrap between the web of my hand and the grip. Sorry, chrono broke so I didn't get an MV (and didn't fire a 2nd shot).

I am 100% confident the V2 pistol will safely shoot 400 grain bullets with the maximum allowed powder charge. I was going to ask here if anyone had tried the Lee C501-440-RF bullet, which is 10% overweight, with a reduced powder charge like 70-100 grns Pyrodex RS.

After reading this thread, I'm first going to look at a muzzle break, new grip, and possibly a wrist brace attached to the grip sling swivel bolt.

 

[deermanok]

Welcome from Oklahoma.
Interesting read about your experiences with the pistol.
For me personally, I haven't shot any bullets over 240 grains or used powder charges over 80 grains by volume.

 

[GBG]

Welcome from Oklahoma.
Interesting read about your experiences with the pistol.

Thank you. My reason for using heavy bullets and powder charges are the state WMA and muzzleloader laws, "One Projectile Per Barrel, Black Powder Only" which excludes modern pistols plus cap and ball revolvers for backup.

If you've ever been charged, or even had a big boar hog run right beside you while you're holding an empty ML rifle, it really gives one a helpless feeling. I'd carry a Ruger Bisley 44 Mag if it were legal, especially since these mountain bred and raised hogs don't seem to know when they're dead.

Anything less than a brain shot isn't guaranteed to anchor one. Although I've seen 3 dropped with a 17 HMR at 20-30 yards while standing still, it's hard to hit the brain when they're running. They can be turned away sometimes with a second hard hit to the vitals. So I needed the most powerful, single shot BP pistol that could be carried along with my rifle. CVA's Optima was the only (affordable, production) BP pistol for the job.

 

[Matthew323]

GBG

Thanks for the posts on heavy bullets in the Optima V2 pistol.

 

[deermanok]

Thank you. My reason for using heavy bullets and powder charges are the state WMA and muzzleloader laws, "One Projectile Per Barrel, Black Powder Only" which excludes modern pistols plus cap and ball revolvers for backup.

If you've ever been charged, or even had a big boar hog run right beside you while you're holding an empty ML rifle, it really gives one a helpless feeling. I'd carry a Ruger Bisley 44 Mag if it were legal, especially since these mountain bred and raised hogs don't seem to know when they're dead.

Anything less than a brain shot isn't guaranteed to anchor one. Although I've seen 3 dropped with a 17 HMR at 20-30 yards while standing still, it's hard to hit the brain when they're running. They can be turned away sometimes with a second hard hit to the vitals. So I needed the most powerful, single shot BP pistol that could be carried along with my rifle. CVA's Optima was the only (affordable, production) BP pistol for the job.

I know where you're coming from with the hogs. They are tough animals. Last year I shot one with a 12 gauge slug. I'm sure it died somewhere but I never found it.
During our muzzleloader season, I carry a pistol and rifle.

 

[Bad Karma]

Get Doc White's phone number off of the White Muzzleloading website. If you plan to visit LR Customs, then call Doc & see if he has time for you to visit. He is as knowledgeable of a person, on all aspects of muzzleloading, from the hand cannon, to the latest inlines, as one could hope to find. You won't regret the trip. He lives only 20 minutes away from LR Customs in Roosevelt, Utah.

Thanks for that Doc! I will do that!

 

[Lpcstrider420]

Will your state let you elk hunt with the pistol? With a 400 grain lead conical it's fully capable of taking an elk. No Excuses has lead conicals in sabots that go up to 425 grains, I think.

No excuses start at 420gr... go up to 600gr in 50cal.

Will your state let you elk hunt with the pistol? With a 400 grain lead conical it's fully capable of taking an elk. No Excuses has lead conicals in sabots that go up to 425 grains, I think.

420gr up to 600gr in 50cal... ive shot the 420gr out of my 14in ported pistol.

 

[No Second Place]

Nice accuracy. Great hunting rig setup ...