cayugad

Mike... You are right. I used to think the Beartooth, Wolf, and all the low end BPI rifles were a great way to get into the sport. I own a $89.00 CVA Staghorn. It is a great shooting rifle.How much lower could I get? For what people are spending for the rifle they are an impressive rifle. These things will really shoot. My Staghorn for instance will shoot as well as my Knights or Thompson Centers from 100 yards in.

The BPI brand of rifle does not impress me much anymore, purelyfrom a reason of safety. For that reason alone, I can not endorse a rifle that someone might get hurt shooting. The recent last event of a Kodiak Rifle blowing a barrel and injuring a shooter waskind of the final straw for me. In thepast, I'd readreports ofOptima, Winchester 150's, Magbolts, and Eclipse barrel failures, and it bothered me. What do all these makes of rifle have in common, BPI barrels.Since I own and shoot a CVA Staghorn with a BPI barrel, I guess I was looking for any reason to justify the barrel failures. I used to always consider, operator error as the reason. The operator must have done something wrong, against the recommendations of the manufacturer to cause these catastrophic failures of the barrel. Ifinally decided that there are just too many BPI barrels doing this. How often do you read ofa Knight or Thompson Center blowing a barrel? The last Knight rifle I read about blew a barrel because the user loaded smokeless powder. Not to bright an idea there, and I could understand why the barrel failed in that case.

I'm not saying that the Beartooth or the CVA Wolf will not shoot some excellent groups. They do. The Beartooth I shot was well balanced. It was not in the class of balance of say my Knight Disc rifle. Overall I liked the rifle. But it brings me back to the barrel issue. The friend who I helped sight in his rifle bought that rifle without any recommendation from me. I was called and asked to help sight in a rifle and it happened to be a Beartooth Magnum. And for the money he spent he seemed pleased. And for the money he spent (around $100.00 if I remember right) it was an impressive little rifle. I have heard in fact,that he took a deer during out doe season with the rifle and about 35 yards shooting a 245 grain Powerbelt and dropped it where it stood. Since he shoots Triple Se7en FFg powder I told him his rifle limit was 85 grains. It is what he used to shoot the deer with I was told. He got complete pass through.

It all boils down to feelings of guilt on my part. I used to consider all the reports of BPI failures as nothing to be concerned about. I owned one. I shoot one. I hated the idea that my rifle might not be safe. I used to recommend them to anyone looking for an inexpensive way to get into the black powder sport. Face it the more in the sport the better for all of us, the way I look at it. As more people started buying the Wolf, Beartooth, etc. and I then began reading posts of 3 pelletsor worse yet 150 grains of loose powder (which is not allowed according to your manual) and this projectile. I really began to get concerned. I worried about barrels blowing because of the pressures some of these loads were creating, and people getting hurt or worse yet, killed. I strongly advised anyone against 3 pellet loads. Even though some of the rifles out there shoot excellent with that strong a charge.That fact of the BPI barrel issues does not take away the fact, CVA, Traditions, and other BPI rifles makers out there produce a great shooting rifle, which is well balanced, and for the money a heck of a deal. They are impressive rifles for the money.

To all the owners of BPI rifles which include Traditions, CVA, New Frontier, Winchester and many others.. I really hope you read and follow the directions of the manufacturer. (Of course the Kodiak owner from my understanding was shooting a considered safe load according to the manufacturer when the rifle blew. Although there is no confirmation on that fact.) I personally limit the powder charge of my Staghorn to 100 grains of 2f or less powder and follow the projectile weight guidelines now. Granted it is a magnum rifle. It will shoot 150 grains of pellets (not loose powder - check your manual) but it will never see such a load as long as I own it. I wish more information about the cause of the barrel failures would come forth. I really wish BPI would end this barrel pressure issue once and for all. Granted testing the barrels in the United States after they are being imported will add additional costs to the rifle. But it might end this issue once and for all.