Shot my new CVA Optima Elite yesterday and was extremely pleased with the results.It's shooting 1 1/2" groups at 100 yds using barnes 250 gr Spitfire TMZ with 100 gr 777 (2-50gr pellets).My only problem is how tight these buggers are to get started and if I don't run a patch in between shots they're almost impossible to get all the way down.What do I need,new starter,different projectiles,or bigger muscles.Any suggestions would be of help.
Different sabots. But that can be hard to do when you shoot a Barnes as I think their sabots are custom made for the bullet. I might be wrong on this point. Another thing you can do since you have such an accurate first load, is work up an easier loading second load. Something with a Crushed Rib sabot. Or you just have to swab the devil out of the barrel before loading the second shot. Nothing really wrong with that. A lot of us take the time to swab. After all if you place that first shot, especially with a Barnes, you will not have to track too far. So take some time, swab the bore, load a second one and have fun.
Someone once told me in their hard loading rifles, they swabbed and then ran a patch with a very light coat of gun oil on it, down into the bore but not all the way to the base. Now I would think the powder you dump would catch on that light oil, but then I thought... that sabot would kind of scrap it off the sides of the bore on the way down if it was tight fitting. He said it was still accurate. I never tried that. Since my rifles load sweet.
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Shot my new CVA Optima Elite yesterday and was extremely pleased with the results.It's shooting 1 1/2" groups at 100 yds using barnes 250 gr Spitfire TMZ with 100 gr 777 (2-50gr pellets).My only problem is how tight these buggers are to get started and if I don't run a patch in between shots they're almost impossible to get all the way down.What do I need,new starter,different projectiles,or bigger muscles.Any suggestions would be of help.
You have two options, swab between shots or switch to Blackhorn 209. I shot 777 with Nosler partitions and Crushed Rib sabot, and I had to swab between each shot.I switched to Blackhorn 209 and Barnes MZ 300g, and I don't have to swab. If you want accuracy, they gotta betight. In the field I used some bore butter to swab with since alchol dried up in my plastic bags, I have heard of some guy buying some of those alchol swabs in packets at a drug store, that would be a good choice also. Chap
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Chapman Gleason
Purcellville Va
http://www.the-gleasons.com
I have an Elite as well. I am currently shooting the 200gr TC S/W's. The factory sabot loads really tight as well. I too amost have to swab in between every shot. I am going to try the crushrib later on and see how that goes. I tried some 250gr Hornady SST HS/LD. They loaded a lot easier but didn't group like I wanted.
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Win. Model 70 270 WSM
Bear Instinct
CVA Optima Elite ML & .243 barrel
I just don't see that swabbing between shots is a big deal, especially if it gives you superior accuracy. Then again, I'm retired and do everything slow. Try swabbing with a fairlywet patch of straight 91% rubbing alcohol - both sided of one patch - nothing else needed (no dry patch).
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Tight fitting sabots !!!!
Try swabbing with a fairlywet patch of straight 91% rubbing alcohol - both sided of one patch - nothing else needed (no dry patch).
