CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

I just purchased a CVA Optima 209 with a 3x9 scope. I am wondering what the best powder bullet combination would be for this weapon. I know each gun is different but I would like to hear what people use and what kind of groupings they get and at what range. I would like to have a tight group out to 150-200 yards if possible. Any info will help. Thanks alot!

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

Many people report outstanding accuracy with the CVA Optima. Especially with a scope, which is a great advantage to shooting longer distances.

As for bullets, since you want to shoot long distances, I would look for a sabot that had good ballistics. Perhaps a 300 grain or 200 grain Shockwave is where I would look. I would start the loads with 100 grains of Pyrodex RS and see how it shoots. My CVA shoots Shockwaves really well. Actually it shoots a lot of things very well. My pet powder charge seems to be 90 grains in the CVA. Anything more or less and the accuracy falls off.

All you can do is try some of the bullets out there and see which ones will shoot well. Then work up a load and practice.

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

Im from an Conical state only so heres some i would give a try:

Powerbelt
Hornady Great Plains
Maxi hunter/ Maxiball "Sometime they need a felt wad under the bullet"
Bullshop


One sabot that i do know that shoots really well is the hornady SST. The sst and shockwave are supposed to be the same bullet i believe. If thats the case, im not to confident in either bullet for hunting.

You'll also have to fiddle around with primers once you find an accurate load. My Omega seems to prefer the remington kleanbore primers.

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

I would recommend Blackhorn 209 noncorrosive powder it is new and expensive but it is the most consistent powder I have ever used and you don't need to worry about cleaning or wiping between shots to get it to shoot good. The next most consistent is Pyrodex, a very good powder and very corrosive, if you use it scrub your gun with soap and boiling water until it is absolutely clean then oil it, and realize that a lot of muzzle loaders have been rusted up by delaying the cleaning. As for long range it some what depends on what game you would shoot, so I will assume deer, hog and black bear size game the 200 gr Shock Wave is the flattest shooting and one of the easier ones to get to shoot good, next is the bonded 250 gr Shock Wave, the 250 Gold Dot is my favorite up to 150 yds. If you are going to go after bigger game than what I mentioned then go to a 300gr either Gold Dot or Bonded Shock Wave. Lee

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

These will not shoot 200 yards in general in most rifles. Need high BC bullet like SW or Barnes TMZ, something like that. Chap

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

:D:D yeah tell Roger Raglin that a big 400 grain slug white powerpunch cant shoot 200 yards. Powerbelt can easily do 200 yards but the question is towards the shooter, Can you?

45-70 i guess is another one that cant kill at 200 yards because its not shooting a sabot?:eek:

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

I have the CVA Optima in the .45 cal. , and I only shoot powerbelt bullets over 777 loose powder. That has been the most consistant combo I have found, and I took 2 - 8 pts. with it last year, and they were dead in a hiccup. I shoot a 174 gr. bullet over 93 gr. of 777.

God bless,

MET

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

I have the CVA Optima in the .45 cal. , and I only shoot powerbelt bullets over 777 loose powder. That has been the most consistant combo I have found, and I took 2 - 8 pts. with it last year, and they were dead in a hiccup. I shoot a 174 gr. bullet over 93 gr. of 777.

God bless,

MET

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

Never tried a PB that far. I know some conicals can shoot that far, but in general they are a closer range bullet in my opinion. Sure some can shoot them that far, but most would want a high BC bullet.
Chap

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

I have the Optima Pro and I shoot the 295gr Powerbelts over 2 50gr pellets of T7.I have also shot the 250gr shockwaves and they shoot very good aswell.

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

If you're looking to shoot out to 150 - 200 yards, I'd highly recommend checking out Precision Rifle - www.prbullet.com

They have a wide selection of bullets that are very accurate and designed to shoot at long ranges. Only downside, they tend to be very expensive[:@], especially after you through in the $10 shipping charge.

Shockwaves or SST's are another option for long range shooting - they are cheaper and tend to shoot accurately in most rifles.

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

If you want to talk range that means trajectory, I dont bother with what somebody can do I look at what I can do and the surest way to get it dead on the money. Heres the facts from some of my loads.
200gr Shock Wave -50/40 sabot- 120 gr BH209 -2250 fps 3" high @ 100yds dead on @174 -3-4" low at 200yds
270gr PPB -80 gr RS- 1400 fps 4.3 inches high at 100 30 inches low at 200yds
Most of us know that the long a bullet is in the air the more air move ment will affect it and the farther an animal could move even if it was standing still when you shot. Also the amout of time you have to shot under field conditiond is often very limited so knowing that your bullet will be just over or just under the cross hair makes a shot pratical and good sportsmanship where it is not when you start guessing. Lee

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

If thats a 270g powerbelt platinum. 100 grains powder. I only drive the copper series @ 80g from the 195 up to the 405g powerbelt. And with the big'N's, that 80g charge is because im a wee skinny guy [8D]

And the drop with the 270/100g @ 200 would be only 7.6"

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

270g powerbelt platinum, 75gr RS -1400fps works fine in thick woods not over driven since the BC that was listed wasunbelieveable I set up the cheonies and caluclated my own 4" is the highest I care to have the midrange trajectory since midrange misses are more likely than a long range shot.Lee

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

270 Plat PB W/100g 2f

Yrds/ Drop

25 / 0.8
50/ 2.39
75/ 3.17
100/3.07
125/2.07
150/ Zero
175/ -3.14

Sounds right to me. Sight dead on @ 150 yards and pretty much everything below will be 3" high.

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

Well what ever works for you, in my gun they a BC of .07 and start out at 1400 and that is not what I use for long range when I can use a 2255 fps200 gr SW with a BC of.267.I limit my self to 125 yds with the PB. Lee

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

SW, SST, Barnes TMZ, Parker Ballistic Extreme, Harvester Scorpion PT Gold are all high BC bullets. I tied them all in my Savage:

http://www.the-gleasons.com/this_is_my_savage_10_ml_page.htm

The most accurate was a SW, but I settled on a Parker BE last year. This year I am shooting a Barnes Origonal 300g using a Crushed rib sabot, the Barnes Origonal is a .458 45/70 bullet. They stay together well and shoot well out of the Savage at high velocity (about 2400 fps). I would bet a SW or a Parker BE would be excellent in your CVA. If you can get the PT Gold to shoot well they are about 1/2 the cost of the others and they come with Crushed Rib sabots. So those are your long range options to get to 200 yards.

Most "regular" bullet--PB, Nosler Partition, Speer Gold Dot, Hornady XTP, etc start dropping pretty quickly after 175 yards, if you sight in 3" hight at 100, which is what I recommend, your shooting thru a 6" pipe from 0 to 175. Beyond 200 you really need the BDC reticule in yourscopeor know your bullet drop very well.

Chap Gleason

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

I have an Optima Pro and Optima. They shoot most 250- 300 grain bullets with excellent results for me. I just started using Blackhorn 209 and it is the best. I agree with Chap about bullets. Shockwave 250 and Barnes 250tmz were about 1.5" groups at 100 for me. 200 yards is a different game 1" group @ 100 doesn’t mean 2" group at 200. If you plan on shooting 200 yards try your bullets at that range. A good 100-yard bullet might not be good at 200 as I am finding out. But a good 200-yard bullet has been an excellent 100-yard bullet for me. The 300 brain Barnes Original has been the most accurate bullet in all of my muzzleloaders.

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

BB, That is good to know. I have not tried the Barnes Originals in any other gun. Chap

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

Chap- From the Savage you now this 300 BO is a great bullet. I just decided to try it in my other ML’s, If you don’t mind $1.00 a bullet and maybe some availability problems. Don’t to shoot it that much for hunting so cost is not a problem. Another one to try is the Remington 300 gr .458. I have a couple of hundred and they shoot as good as he Barnes for me and cost about .25 apiece. I think the Barnes Original will hold up better at Savage velocities but the Remington should do well with a regular muzzleloader but I have yet to try them.

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

Almost bought some 300g Remington at Cabelas, but the 300g XTPs were $13.99 and the 300g Remington were $24.99, maybe that was for 100, have to go back and look. Anyway I thought, well if the Savage was designed around the XTP, maybe I should just stay with that, which is what I did.
I think that is an OK, bullet, but I honestly like "stronger", that is just me though. Stronger is better in my mind, but I don't shoot cast yet, but I have tried them in the Savage 8" group no good.
Chap

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

I need to find a new source for powder.
I just got my first flinter and the places I shop have very limited choices,I have never seen real blackpowder or BH209.
I gues I will have to pay shipping charges and get what I need.
Any suggestions?

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

Do like semisane and buy a 25lbs of goex:D I know i'd go through that in no time. Especially now that i cast my own round balls.

RE: CVA Optima Powder/Bullet Combination
 

Well, it really is the way to go. Bought a case of twenty-five 1 lb. cans of FFFg in April ($10.16 a can with tax). Sold 12cans to a hunting club buddy who shoots competition. I've only used up five of the remaining thirteencans. With the summer heat I haven't been shooting as much, so the last eight cans should last me until October.