# CVA Optima - Looking for Load Suggestions



## cbgale2

Anyone have any recomendations/results on sabots for my new CVA Optima? Planning on using tripple seven pellets and Winchester trip seven 209's. Just looking to get a starting point before I take it to the range. Also when at the range what process do you guys use as far as cleaning between shots?


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## November Sunrise

We use 100 grains of Shockey Gold powder, 300 grain Barnes Expander MZ bullet, and Remington Cleanbore primers.


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## ds541

if your going to use t-7 pellets your going to want to clean your barrel after every shot,t7 is water clean-up or use windex or a 50/50 mix of windshild washer fluid and iso acohol.1 damp patch followed by 1 dry patch (use both sides)use very short strokes if not u may bind up by the crud ring.for the range i use 240gr xtp they shoot very well and their cheap (compared to barnes)for hunting i use barnes mz they are a one shot and drop m/l bullet.if you want the most out of your m/l shoot loose powder.try t-7 fg our blackhorn 209 start with 80gr by volume and move up 5grs (by volume) till u find a load your gun likes but dont exceed the max load for your m/l .balckhorn 209 is best cleaned with hopps #9 and no cleaning between shots u will have to change primers to a full strength 209 primer.
hope this helps a little.


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## Whitetail Steelie

I just tried the new Hornady FPB in 300 grain form. With my CVA Optima pro, in front of 100 grains of pyrodex pellets. I had no luck could not get consistant group. It was almost like the bullets would not bite the groovs of the bore. I was a little bummed out, just spent 17 dollars on 15 bullets. These bullets look impresive they seem massive with the true .50 cal diameter. I would love to see what they would do to a flesh target. Overall was not happy with performance. I am going to try one more thing with them since I have 5 left, I am going to put 150 grain pyrodex behind them tomarrow. If this dont work I plan on going back to the Hornady 240 grain HP/XTP, with 100 grains pyrodex.


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## bandit_ad22

Well here was my issue with my brand new optima.

I bought a brand new CVA optima and put a DOA 250 bushnell scope on it the other day and got to shoot it today. I am using the Hornady SST 250 grain rounds (traditions) with tripple seven magnum pellets (suppose to be 2000 fps with only 2 pellets. Oh and the bullets had the sleeves? as one guy referred to them as we were out shooting today.

I couldn't hold a group at all, this was at 100 yards with a bench and gun vise. A friend had the powerbelts and could hold twice the group i could.

I need help also. What should I shoot I'm fed up with it and we also had an accura and they were holding 1 inch groups at 100 yards. 

From my experiences today Im switching to normal triple seven pellets and using 3. and as of now my thought is powerbelt bullets, but what grain?

Oh and I brushed out the bore ever 2 shots, Plan on going out again tomorrow to test with some new rounds. but not sure what grain to get.


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## littlebuck

Friends don't let friends shoot power belts...period

250 grain bullet might be a bit light for your gun, try something in the 300 range. also make sure the bullet is fully seated into the sabot before putting it down the barrel. sst's shoot well out of a lot of guns, I hold excelent groups with my knight with them, my uncle can't hold a 6" group at 100 yards, barns 290's shoot like a dream for him though.

one thing to note is whether you are shooting an easy load sabot, they don't shoot worth a s**t out of my gun. I buy the high pressure sabots and replace.


Muzzleloaders are tricky to find that perfect load for. I shoot 115 grains blackhorn 209 and cci magnum primers with either sst's or barns tipped expanders (prefer barns on game, sst's for going to the range or summer shooting)

took me a couple years with my vision, if your planning on hunting this year go grab some hornady XTP's and sabots, those things shoot decent out of about any gun I've ever seen, distance is limited though.

another thing to try is having someone else shoot it just to check and make sure your not flinching, also make sure your scope is TIGHT right down to the bases. had a hell of a time getting my slug hunter to sight in last weekend, turned out the factory one piece rail had a build up of locktight on one side, and the entire rail was flexing and throwing me way off.

ohh, and 1" groups? shoot a couple picks, i'd like to see that out of any factory muzzy, shot lots, and seen an awful lot shot and still have yet to see a true 1" group


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## ENCORE

littlebuck said:


> Friends don't let friends shoot power belts...period
> 
> 
> *ohh, and 1" groups? shoot a couple picks, i'd like to see that out of any factory muzzy, shot lots, and seen an awful lot shot and still have yet to see a true 1" group*


How about a 3/4" group at 150yds? My Pro Hunter shoots 1" groups all day long. My old Encore did the same exact thing and my favorite nephew is doing it now with it.

Check out a couple of the targets that frontier gander has posted also


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## ENCORE

ds541 said:


> ....balckhorn 209 is best cleaned with hopps #9... .


Well........... there's something much better and top of the line for cleaning other than #9 for BH209.

I highly recommend *MONTANA X-TREME - BLACKHORN 209 CLEANER*. Its hard to find but, its recommended on the bottles of BH209. I ordered 4 bottles of it from www.midwayusa.com . You use it once and you'll save the #9 for your shotguns.......

http://www.montanaxtreme.com/products/?id=6&product=Blackhorn209Solvent


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## ENCORE

Another 1" center to center group.......










Heck, if I had a better rest, it would shoot tighter........ When a buddy gets back from Manitoba, he'll be over shooting his Pro Hunter again. I'll save some of his targets if you'd like?


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## bandit_ad22

littlebuck said:


> barns 290's shoot like a dream for him though.


what gun was he shooting out of? most of what i have found from surfing several forums was that the cva optima was saying that powerbelts were used when testing the cva optima and they work the best out of that gun. Its what my brothers shoots from his knight in a 45 and out of a rest holds a solid 2 inch group with 150 grains so it could be flinching.

And 3 different people shot a set of two rounds or more out of it and got no consistency. It was about a 5-6" group. One of them being a marine, that later taught cold weather snipers. he suggest getting a bullet without the sleeve around it cause it probably isn't bitting the twist correctly


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## Whitetail Steelie

Check out this thread, Vary interesting combo. http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3231224


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## bandit_ad22

thread wouldn't work for me


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## Whitetail Steelie

bandit_ad22 said:


> thread wouldn't work for me


 I think I fixed it, refresh and try again.


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## frontier gander

bandit_ad22 said:


> Well here was my issue with my brand new optima.
> 
> I bought a brand new CVA optima and put a DOA 250 bushnell scope on it the other day and got to shoot it today. I am using the Hornady SST 250 grain rounds (traditions) with tripple seven magnum pellets (suppose to be 2000 fps with only 2 pellets. Oh and the bullets had the sleeves? as one guy referred to them as we were out shooting today.
> 
> I couldn't hold a group at all, this was at 100 yards with a bench and gun vise. A friend had the powerbelts and could hold twice the group i could.
> 
> I need help also. What should I shoot I'm fed up with it and we also had an accura and they were holding 1 inch groups at 100 yards.
> 
> From my experiences today Im switching to normal triple seven pellets and using 3. and as of now my thought is powerbelt bullets, but what grain?
> 
> Oh and I brushed out the bore ever 2 shots, Plan on going out again tomorrow to test with some new rounds. but not sure what grain to get.


Ever think about changing sabots to the proper size of the bore? Sabots can be a pain in the butt, finding the correct size for you bore. Thats why i like powerbelts or thor conicals.


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## frontier gander

Or my favorite load, 300gr Thor conical , 100gr blackhorn209 @ 100 yards.

























Personally, i'd ditch T7 and go with Blackhorn209, It spanks them all IMO.


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## ENCORE

Well at least you're starting to show pictures of that $300 rest that you're shooting out of  But, for those that don't know about this specific Caldwell FCX rest......... 

_The Fire Control mechanism is an advanced rest alignment system that is actuated by a "joystick" style control arm. *The Control Arm can be moved in any direction to perfectly align the crosshairs and when it is released it holds the rifle in that exact position*. This precision alignment of crosshairs to target allows the shooter to be perfectly_ _relaxed __when pulling the trigger, unlike conventional rests that require pushing, pulling or leaning into the gun to gain that final bit of alignment. __http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=893697__ or, __http://www.battenfeldtechnologies.com/caldwell/catalog.asp?product=Fire-Control-Full-Length-Rest_

Now, that's good shoot'n frontier gander no doubt. However very few posters are shooting that kind of rest. Granted, most muzzleloading rifles have their "favorite load". However, IMO any "quality muzzleloader" should be able to shoot 1" groups at 100yds and not have to depend on less than perfect bullets to do it. It takes a lot of work and a lot of practice. The debate can and will go on over powerbelt bullets. However, there is so much bad press, bad hunting expierences and poor performance from so many people, they should not be considered a premimum hunting bullet. Not even close......


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## frontier gander

ah ha! Now i remember what i was shooting off of! The Site n clean set up. I removed the front support due to it ruining my accuracy. Replaced it with a sock stuffed full of pinto beans.









Blew the 5th shot with the Accura, but man does she love the 250gr Thors.









Most of my shooting these days is off an $80 tack driver bag. I just like to switch things up over time and get used to the recoil.


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## ENCORE

Start shoot'n GOOD bullets and you'll do even better

150yd, 3/4".........

_NOTE: I must have been having a good day........:lol:_


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## Whitetail Steelie

Have you tried the new hornady FPB they look vary simular to the thor you use, however react quite different uppon impact. As I said below tried them but could not get good groups with my optima pro. I plan on trying a few different powder combos and different ranges. I think part of my problem was starting at to far distance, and a combination of just leaning on the deck railing. Check out this vidio on the FPB.


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## ENCORE

Whitetail Steelie said:


> Have you tried the new hornady FPB they look vary simular to the thor you use, however react quite different uppon impact. As I said below tried them but could not get good groups with my optima pro. I plan on trying a few different powder combos and different ranges. I think part of my problem was starting at to far distance, and a combination of just leaning on the deck railing. Check out this vidio on the FPB. YouTube - FPB Product Overview from HornadyÂ®


:sad:....... man I have dial up.........:sad:


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