CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

I have been having email conversations with Mark Hendricks The Technical Manager for BPI. Due to the lower maximum load recommendations held by CVA I have been asking them to consider getting their recommendations equal to the competition. Apparently I was not the only one, as I just received an email from Mark stating that due to my input and several others the maximum load is going to be raised to 150gr. loose powder (probably on the inlines and maybe not the sidelocks). He stated that it will take some time for all the publications to be corrected but I am impressed that they listened and decided to make CVA competitive with the competition on maximum load limits. Maybe this will stop the comments that CVA should not be purchased due to the lower maximum load recommendations. I knew that CVA has to be as high a quality as Traditions even with the barrels not made by Bergara and those have to be of quality equal to the barrels on the T/C and Knight rifles based on the information I have on how Bergara manufactures. The old limits were based on old testing that indicated that more powder would not burn efficiently, with the longer barrels and new substitute powders I suggested that the old data may not be correct as more than 100gr. loose would burn in my Omega according to my chronograph. They did some testing and the result is the change. Cudos Mark Hendricks and BPI!!!

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

MLKeith

Great news - it is about time that they came out of the dark ages with their powder restrictions. Dis he say any thing about the bullet weight restrictions? I shoot a 460 grain conical and according to the CVA restrictions - I can not shoot it from one of their rifles....

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

Thanks for the information. The CVA decision was long in coming.

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

excellent to hear. I am betting the 400gr limit again was orininally due to the older models. UC reported that CVA did testing on the accura and it took 600grs Triple 7 3f and Three 444gr bullets to make it go kaboom. With a 150gr loose powder load, bullet weight should no longer be a worry. I dont know anyone crazy enough to use a 150gr load for hunting with a 400+ grain bullet. That mental picture alone makes my head hurt. Shooting a ramrod gives more than enough kick:D

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

I hope they have improved the quality of there breach plug also they were a bigger problem than the old barrels. Lee

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

No; we did not talk about bullet weight, but I suspect the increase in powder would go hand in hand with higher bullet weight. As already stated I certainly would not shoot 150gr. powder with a 450-500gr. bullet. I hate recoil!!!!! You could contact Mark directly if interested. He will probably hate me for opening up his name on these sites but I just found him off the CVA main site; I think it was a customer service link. SL: pm me at [email protected] and I will give you direct email for him. I am not going to publish that here.

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

and, although I agree they needed to clarify the load recommendations, I don't think it makes one iota of difference so far as how or what I will load in my Accura(s).

How about this for an industry standard load recommendation - "no more than 120 grains of loose Goex FFg or equivalent substitute and no more than two of those damnable pellets, sticks, or whatever geometric shape the powder producers can make to confuse the issue. Oh, and try very hard not to hurt yourself or any bystanders - it can still be easily done." :eek:

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

Years ago I had a similar email exchange with BPI about heavier bullets. Back then they told me that in magnum rated gunsbullets up to 550 grains were OK as long as the powder level did not exceed 100 grains. I've been shooting 460 conicals over 90 grains of 777 for years with no hint of a problem. I have also tested a sidelock barrel to much higher loadings than recommended with no apparent issues. While things can and do go wrong no matter who the manufacturer is, it is far more likely that operator error comes into play most of the time when something does go wrong. Be safe out there no mater what you decide to load.

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

That is some great news. That will give me some more load combinations to try, especially when I switch to BH. I am only shooting 90gr right now as that gave me a better group than 100gr, and since I couldn't go any higher I stuck with it.

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

all this and all i can say for anyone of you who want to know about the amount of charge.read articles posted by randy wakeman before you shoot any cva/bpi made guns,I say this one month after my cva optima pro shooting 90 grains of loose powder with 300 grain sabot blew up in my face. my scope was 30 feet behind me where it was supposed to be is a hole in the entire back portion of the barrel. you said talk to mark,I DID he just wants to get my gun back asap. wondering what was the hurry I started looking for reasons why this would happen.anyone of you can do the same thing on google, look up;;; ''will my cva muzzleloader blow up'',, ''or cva muzzleloader accidents''. i tell you this in hopes someone else does not get hurt.

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

Here we go again guys,get out your high boots

Charlie

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

Tommy-I did your Google sarch. All posts lead to RW.Perhaps you should post some of your pictures of your "blown up" CVA on this forum. They do not seem to exhist elswhere.

Charlie

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

All thisstuff leads to Wakeman. Wakeman is in the pockets of a Tulsa, OK ambulance chaser.

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

tommy, sorry for your injuries. I wonder if you might elaborateabout exactly what the conditions were and components of the load you were using? 90 grains of what powder?

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

http://www.wsls.com/sls/news/local/new_river_valley/article/police_have_removed_all_toxic_chemicals_from_pembr oke_home/22623/

I just wanted to show you guys that I didn't make that up.

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

UC-How do you find this stuff? You are truely a Guru

Charlie

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

Tommy

When you get a chance, please check out my post here:

http://www.mdwfp.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=58555

Would like to see some detailed pics as well.

Hope you get well soon.

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

if someone could tell me how i will try again to put pics of blown gun on here

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

I spoke to Mark also about this just the other day. I asked why the maximum load for loose powder was at 100gr. and not at least 120-130gr. of loose powderto put it about equal with a charge of 150gr. of Pyrodox Pellets. He assured me the ML I was refering to, the ACCURA, would indeed handle this charge of 150gr. of loose powder, but in there testing, even with the longer barreal, that the powder would;nt fully burn and thus being too much for powder that was'nt needed. And he also said to get the best results of loose powder I would have to use a cronograph to test the velocities of the higher powder charges, and when the velocities started to level off with say a powder charge of 130gr.++ to then back off on the powder to find the happy medium that suited the ML. As I have learned and heard from many of you on this forum, a Magnum charge of 150gr.'s of loose powder does affect accuracy and in most cases is too much and overkill for a good shooting load. It's all user preferance, but why use a Magnum load if it is'nt the best load. Ron

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

tommydelvis
Once he has the gun back you have no evidence to sue with. Lee

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

If Tommy wants me to I can post the pictures of his gun or I can get with him on how to post them. I have them where he sent them to me to look at. I'll just hafta remember to upload them bigger where they can be seen better this time.

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

we've seen this rifle already. Now what kind of powder was it REALLY loaded with ;) ??

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

NITEHAWKJS sure if you can figure out how go ahead I'm not a computer genius, MountainDevil54 the gun was loaded with 90gr pyrodex rs (black and orange can bought @ wal-mart 2yrs ago). I'm not reloader or anything else thats the only powder I have around

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

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RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

http://s559.photobucket.com/albums/ss39/tommydelvis/ok I'm not computer person but maybe this works if not anyone wanting to see just send me an email @yahoo

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

tommydelvis

Hope you do not mind - I'll post them here for you... if this is a problem let me know and I will delete..

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

great thanks just wanted to let everyone see for themselves the gun does exist

RE: CVA and BPI max load recommendation
 

I saw the pics tommydevils of your Optima...wow that is incredible damage. I suppose perhaps that it was just a bad barrel? Much was said in the other forum on this topic..but with all the CVA guns out there and all the rounds it would sure make you think it was a rare thing caused by a weak barrel. I have a Remington and then a CVA wolf...I suppose you could have a issue anytime from any weapon, but, I hope this does not turn out to be an issue for them as it would make me think twice about shooting my CVA.