CVA Tracker Carbine .50 caliber
 

It was really cold last night (-28º below zero) and I was hoping it would warm up a little so I could shoot. It finally hit about 12 degrees and I figured that was the best I was going to get. Now I had to decided what rifle to shoot.

I looked over my wall of rifles and discovered I had a rifle sitting there that I had never shot. I remember buying it, cleaning it, and then putting it on the rack with the intention of shooting it, then hunting season hit.. you know how it is. I forgot about it.



Its a CVA Tracker Carbine. .50 caliber with a 1-32 twist barrel. It has a 21 inch barrel and single trigger. Which I might add, breaks very clean and crisp. Also some pretty nice sights on it. I had placed it further back on the rack and I am sure that's why it was forgotten. [&o]

So I pulled that off the rack, ran a alcohol patch down it. Clean as a whistle. Pushed a clean dry patch down it and popped a cap. The fire channel was nice and clean. So I had to decide what to shoot.

I looked at my cabinet and shelves of bullets and found some 370 gr maxi ball. I found a tube of Bore Butter (I had taken it out for an experiment). And I found some 320 gr REAL conicals. I then grabbed a box of 240 grain T/C Cheap Shots also, and a pound of Pyrodex RS and head to the range.

At the range I set up a target at 30 yards. I figured the sights would be close. Very nice open sights too. But the other thing was the wind. It was much stronger then I thought and it was freezing cold out there. But that was not going to stop me I decided.

I loaded up 80 grains of Pyrodex RS and a 370 gr maxiball. They loaded very nice. I held a six o'clock hold on the red inside center square (most rifles shoot high at this distance I figured) and fired four shots. It was too cold to swab. So I just loaded and shot.



Then to be fair, I took the gloves off and swabbed. I then loaded a 240 grain T/C Cheap Shot. WOW!!! get the hammer out. I was worried I was not going to get it down the bore of the rifle. These Cheap Shots did not have crushed rib sabots. They looked like a black MMP HPH-12 but I am not that good at spotting sabots as some. All I knew was if I got it down the bore I was not going to load another one. Same hold as before and it shot pretty good. Maybe with some load development and better sabots, I could make that work.

I then loaded the REAL conicals, and shot three of them. By now I was too cold to stay there. I could have, but it would have not been enjoyable. And after all, I shoot because I enjoy it. Not because I want to see what I can endure. So I called it quits for the day.

Over all it is a nice little rifle. I WILL NOT forget this gun and I will be shooting it more in the future. Next time try some wads, and different powders.

RE: CVA Tracker Carbine .50 caliber
 

look behind ya,luck and skill are travelin your path cayuga. karl

RE: CVA Tracker Carbine .50 caliber
 

Nice looking gun there Dave. Looks like it will shoot pretty good to.

RE: CVA Tracker Carbine .50 caliber
 

This would make a great short range tree rifle or one for sneaking around in the woods. It's tiny.. but with 80 grains of Pyrodex RS and a maxiball it would be a good deer rifle. When it gets warmer I want to get it out to some distances and see if them maxiball will hold true.

RE: CVA Tracker Carbine .50 caliber
 

An interesting gun. Do you think the 1-32 Twist shows much difference from the 1-28? Lee

RE: CVA Tracker Carbine .50 caliber
 

that's too early to say Lee. I have just shot it today, and not even a lot. I found another rifle that needs to be shot too. Its another carbine. So I think when it warms a little, I will take them both to the range.

RE: CVA Tracker Carbine .50 caliber
 

I like the 1:32 twist. My cva mountain stalker has that and with a 295gr powerbelt and 80gr RS, you're looking at a 1" group @ 100 yards. With a 1:48 twist i notice the bigger 348gr + holds tighter group.

RE: CVA Tracker Carbine .50 caliber
 

She does look like a good thicket gun. I'm sure you'll discover a great load forher! ;)

RE: CVA Tracker Carbine .50 caliber
 

Ahhh..... to be Cayugad..... to dig around in your huge pile of rifles, and surprise- Wow, I didn't remember I had this rifle sitting there all nice and unfired;). Maybe when you clean out your garage you'll discover a couple of Hawkens you didn't know about:D.

Seriously, nice rifle and report- especially in 12 degrees and strong wind- I would have stayed next to the heater.

RE: CVA Tracker Carbine .50 caliber
 

The twist interests me, I have a system One which has a 1-38 twist it shoots 230gr 45 bullets real well also will do a good job with the 250gr but when it shot PRB all the way up to 90 gr of P and keep as good a group as the sabot bullets it got me interested, I wish they made a Triumph in a 54 with a 1-80 twist, if they did that would be my hunting gun. Lee