gleason.chapman

What is the criteria you want the evaluation on? Cost? Accuracy? Workmanship? Reputation? Ability to shoot multiple calibers? Customer Service? After market products to support it? In my opinion based on not owning either rifle (My brother owns an Encore):
Cost CVA beat TC
Accuracy About same
Workmanship TC beats CVA
Reputation TC beats CVA
Multiple calibers equal
Customer Service TC beat CVA
After market product TC beats CVA.
So what is "best" ? TC based on above back of envelope non-scientifiic evaluation, but what is best value CVA. Both are excellent gunsand will serve you well. If you have a "lot of money", buy the TC, if you have not a lot of money then buy the CVA.
Chap Gleason

frontier gander

actually if you look at reputation, cva #1 selling muzzleloader. But thats beyond the point. You can compair each muzzleloader on the market and each and everyone is going to have something that makes the gun worthless to that certain person. As for customer service, theres not much difference between the two, cva's willing to work with you until you get your problem fixed. Take MO acher for example with his cva kodiak,which cva sent him a laminated stock. How many with the omegas and the flexy stock have gotten a laminated stock to fix the problem for free? i dont see this thread going anywhere. There is no answer for what is the best between the two.

HODZA

i have cva optima magnum
i am looking to buy another gun because i can't get nay grouping whatsoever.i'm not sure what the problem is.
150 gr 777 powder
175g powerbelts

i'd go with tc

frontier gander

you're problem is, #1 you're shooting to much powder with that tiny bullet! drop it down to 80-100 grains powder and use a 225 bullet and it will be on. Thats a .45cal i take it?

cayugad

I think your problem is too much powder and maybe simply not the right bullet.

Just because my rifles are .50 caliber, that does not mean that ANY .50 caliber projectile will shoot well out of it, with ANY powder charge. You have to work a load up. I have no experience with a .45 caliber rifle. Personally, get a hold of CVA and tell them that the .45 caliber barrel you purchased for the rifle will not shoot accurate and see if they would trade you for a .50 caliber. I think you would be more happy with that.

In my CVA Magnum Staghorn.. the magnum is 90-100 grains of powder. Anything more then that and the accuracy suffers. Keep that rifle in 90 grains range and it will shoot a lot of different projectiles very well.

Nimrodder

CVA's outsell TC because they are cheap, most people are not muzzleloader nuts and buy the cheapest gun they can find for the muzzy season. Nothing wrong with that, its their money. Personaly I wouldn't buy either one of these guns.

frontier gander

they have a few cheaper versions but they do have rifles that go up there in price like the apex,x150,optima pro, and the elites. But shoot, the elite runs around $350 for SS and a centerfire barrel.

Underclocked

I would and have certainly chosen TC, but not without somereservations (QLAand trigger).Own an Encore and a G2 Contender - have only owned one CVA (an early Optima Pro) and that was 1 more than enough. I like rifles from any source and like them better if reasonably priced, but there is a certain level of quality and aesthetics missing from the CVAs and Traditions inline rifles that I've seen and handled.

I would also suggest the Knight KP1 may blow any similar offering off the map. It's going to be a very interesting specimen and might be worth the wait. Pay attention to the may and might though.

lemoyne

They are on oppsit ends of quailty. check the recalls for the past 10 years. CVA has improved which is good but comparison is not practical look at the differance in price.You will always have to pay more for quality. Lee

srwshooter

i have been shooting a cva magbolt for a long time ,i've killed 33 bucks with this gun. i shoot 100 gns pyrodex pellets with 295 powerbelt hp . out of the 15 guys that i hunt with this gun out shoots them all on the bench. they own ,traditions,tc,knights and cva's. i did do some hand lapping on my barrel . i'm getting 100 yd groups under a inch. cva's service is excellent a friend had trigger problems with a cva ,he called ,they sent a new trigger no questions asked. his gun was five yrs old.

tc also has good guns and good service ,i have seen about as many problems with the tc guns as cva .
i think the cva's are the best buy . encores are way over priced.