Is it a shooter? I found a good price on one. What type of groups at 150 and 200 yards? What powder and bullet loads? Is it hard to load? How is the recoil?

From all I have read, the Optima is a good rifle. I do not own one. As for it shooting 150-200 yards, that would require some load work up and a lot of range time.

The Optima Pro is a nice gun for the money and should shoot well. My 14 year old son has the standard Optima and his load this year was 100gr of Pyro P and a 250gr Shockwave. That load is more than enough to get you out to 150 yards with a 6" point blank range sight in. It still has over 1000 foot pounds of energy at 150. His gun shoots them at 1780fps with a 26" barrel, the Pro has the 29" barrel so the velocity should be a bit higher than that. The load should be good for a 200 yard shot with proper bullet placement and is only down around 9" at 200 with the 6" PBR sight in mentioned above, the energy is down to the mid 800's at 200. My son has not shot it at 200 but I have and it is cappable of 3 to 4 inch groups at that range, maybe better if I do my part.

I prefer the 300SW when going for longer ranges due to the fact that energy retention at 200 yards is about 200 foot pounds higher even when launched at 1680fps. The 300 actually shootsjust about as flatout to 200 yards, when set up for a 6" PBR. It is only down about10" at 200 even though it starts out 100fps slower.

I have a CVA Optima Pro and love it. Didn't know much about muzzleloaders until I joined the forum and these good folks got me all set up. I'm shooting 100 grains of T-7 loose powder, a Nosler .451 260 grain HP bullet, MMP-24 sabots and winchester primers. Here are the results:

2" high @ 50 yards
2.75" high @ 100 yards
1.5" high @ 125 yards
0 (near gead on) @ 150 yards
4" low @ 175 Yards

Here's a photo of a 100 yard group:


I took this doe opening day @ 180 yards.I held right at the top of her back and hit her right in the boiler room. That Nosler does some serious damage.



Took this buck last Thursday at 136 yards. I held it right on his shoulder and that's where I hit him.



Like I said, I love this gun. I hope that this helps you.

Yeah optima's are great guns, I have the pro and the optima both are great guns...........Shaun
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I love my Optima Pro last year I shot 2 deer using 2 50gr T7 pellets and 245grHP
powerbelts,this year Iam using 295grHP's.If it's a good deal I would say buy it.

$179 for the nickel/camo thumbhole optima pro. I just checked prices on them. I need to go pick that up tommorow. That's a steal.

Wow, that is a deal. I'd grab it.

I'd snatch that thing up in a heartbeat. Is it on clearance somewhere and is it the only one?

I'll let you know.