CVA Mountain Stalker
I've been planning to buy a muzzleloader forthe upcoming whitetail blackpowder seasons this fall, and itjust so happens that a friend gave me a CVA Mountain Stalker .50 recently. My first impression was that it's a cheap piece of junk, but I've handled it and decided that I'll give it a try while I get started with BP hunting. An American-made Kentucky or Hawken rifle would be great, but I'm not in a hurry to spend a lot of money, if you know what I mean.
I still need to do some reading before I go out to shoot it, and I might even take an NRA BP course. The initial problem is that the former owner lost the manual, and that makes me a little nervous, being a BP newbie. I know it's a .50 with a 26" bbl, but that's about it. I have a few question for those who have used this rifle before.
[ol][*]What kind of loads can/should I shoot? I'm fairly certain it wouldn't hold up to magnum powder charges, but how much can it? The twist rate is 1:32", so which projectiles would probably give me the best accuracy?[*]What kind of percussion cap does it use? I'd imagine it's designed for #11's, but I want to be sure before I go and do something I regret.[/ol]
Thanks in advance!