CVA Optima Pro / any info from users
08-10-2003 | 05:22 PM
#1
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Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Rochester Indiana USA
CVA Optima Pro / any info from users
This is looking pretty good from the cleaning standpoint, and the longer barrel for longer shots. If you have one or have shot one leave me some feedback. Thanks...
08-10-2003 | 06:00 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Jul 2003
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RE: CVA Optima Pro / any info from users
Here is a review by Blackpowder guru Randy Wakeman
CVA Optima Pro Review
The CVA Optima Pro 29" blued / camo synthetic .45 caliber weighs 9-1/2 lbs., and is surprisingly well balanced. This break open hammer gun has a trigger that breaks at about 4.5 lbs. on the Lyman electronic trigger gauge, with very little take-up and no grit. The already good balance turned out to be even better after adding Warne QR rings and a Nikon Monarch 2 x 7 x 32 scope. A word to the wise, you may want to use the Warne " high" rings if you are mounting a larger scope, as the 32mm tube / medium Warne Ring combination offers enough clearance for Weaver " Polar" caps, but not much more.
The Optima exhibits no blowback at all. Cleaning is a cinch, as you back out the breech plug with the supplied tool (or a common socket set), stick the muzzle in a pail of water, and you are done in a few minutes.
The comparison made by CVA' s ad-copy is versus one of my very favorite in-lines, the Thompson /Center Encore. Surprisingly, the Optima' s synthetic camo stock set is far superior to the T/C camo " instant collapse" stock, which was quickly replaced by a solid T/C walnut set. Additionally, the ramrod on the CVA is big step up from the Encore' s painful factory rod. However, this gun is in no way related to the Encore. The action is virtually identical to the Harrington and Richardson " Topper" shotgun, and is better described as an H&R " Huntsman" with an Encore style stock. Take the forearm off, and the barrel falls to the ground. Even the telescoping ramrod is " borrowed" from the H&R Huntsman.
Aesthetically, the Optima' s cheap looking roll engraving is a small distraction, as is the unappealing (but perfectly functional) trigger guard mounted barrel release (the Topper / Huntsman is an upper tang lever barrel break). I was impressed with the solid synthetic stock of the Winchester X-150, and am equally impressed with the job they have done with the Optima.
The best 100-yard accuracy was in the 3-1/2" range through several shooting sessions, with better groups from the 225-grain Powerbelts and 100 grains of Triple Seven than most anything else. Not awe-inspiring compared the much more accurate Austin & Halleck, Knight Elite, and White rifles tested recently, but adequate hunting accuracy nevertheless. The Optima is also priced far less than these other rifles, starting at well under $200 and has a different intended audience as well.
I' ll offer a two-part theory for this wonderfully adequate accuracy, aside from the normal loose nut behind the trigger dogma, and the fact that this is only one gun of thousands already sold. With the exception of the White Elite .451, most .45s I have shot are much more finicky in specific loadings than .50 caliber counterparts. To cite one gun, the Austin & Halleck 420 .50 calibers seemingly shoot 1" groups with whatever you care to stuff down the barrel. I' ve not shot one .45 caliber gun yet that gives outstanding repeatable with a huge variety of projectile / powder combinations. If nothing else, call it a mildly suspicious trend.
Secondly, few in-lines I have shot give superb accuracy without substantial barrel to stock rigidity. There are different ways individual rifles approach this. The White 98 Elite Hunter has this due to its dual recoil lug system, the Austin & Halleck achieves this via its heavy half-octagonal barrel section, and the Knight Elite finally makes it with its new elongated, forked recoil lug that floats the barrel while offering a bigger footprint. The Thompson Encore gets there due to its sheer over-built action, as one might expect in a muzzleloading firearm that accepts a .375 H & H cartridge barrel.
While ad-copy and anecdotal musings might regale you of the " one ratty hole," " three holes touching," and other colloquial terms-- the reality is that no manufacturer backs their gassiness with a written money-back guarantee if your mainstream rifle shoots 3-1/2" on its best day. This should not stun anyone. Ruger, for example, has an accuracy standard of their popular Mini-14 and Mini-30 semi-auto rifles of 2" -- at 50 yards. Ian McMurchy, in one of the most extensive independent series of scoped inline blackpowder rifle testing in print, awarded an " A" accuracy level to any rifle that could muster a sub 3" group. Mr. McMurchy' s " B" rating was for any rifle that could manage a group from 3-6 inches at 100 yards. McMurchy and his test-shooters discovered their fair share of " B" accuracy grade rifles. That should tell us a little something.
The H&R Huntsman (upon which the Optima owes its parentage) has been available for some time now, but has suffered from sheer ugliness, reputation spillover from the old " Topper" and the fact that it is a form 4473 firearm, precluding its marketability in the same fashion as a black powder arm. The " new" H&R, H&R 1871, has yet to find its niche. Though in the same price category as the CVA, its lack of visibility in the market place and anemic one year warranty apparently have held it back from universal acceptance.
I have no trouble saying that this is the most user-friendly gun CVA has produced to date, and the combination of bargain pricing, easy maintenance, decent trigger, no blowback, and one of the best synthetic break action stock sets I have seen gives this gun great appeal to the price-conscious buyer. It comes with CVA' s limited lifetime warranty. With the formidable sales skills of BPI, the only problem CVA is going to have with this gun is keeping them in stock. Not a terrifically bad problem for them to have!
Randy Wakeman
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You could do no worse by purchasing an NEF (H & R) Huntsman for around $139 or you could climb the ladder by upscaling to a T/C Omega for $330 or a T/C Encore for $460.
CVA Optima Pro Review
The CVA Optima Pro 29" blued / camo synthetic .45 caliber weighs 9-1/2 lbs., and is surprisingly well balanced. This break open hammer gun has a trigger that breaks at about 4.5 lbs. on the Lyman electronic trigger gauge, with very little take-up and no grit. The already good balance turned out to be even better after adding Warne QR rings and a Nikon Monarch 2 x 7 x 32 scope. A word to the wise, you may want to use the Warne " high" rings if you are mounting a larger scope, as the 32mm tube / medium Warne Ring combination offers enough clearance for Weaver " Polar" caps, but not much more.
The Optima exhibits no blowback at all. Cleaning is a cinch, as you back out the breech plug with the supplied tool (or a common socket set), stick the muzzle in a pail of water, and you are done in a few minutes.
The comparison made by CVA' s ad-copy is versus one of my very favorite in-lines, the Thompson /Center Encore. Surprisingly, the Optima' s synthetic camo stock set is far superior to the T/C camo " instant collapse" stock, which was quickly replaced by a solid T/C walnut set. Additionally, the ramrod on the CVA is big step up from the Encore' s painful factory rod. However, this gun is in no way related to the Encore. The action is virtually identical to the Harrington and Richardson " Topper" shotgun, and is better described as an H&R " Huntsman" with an Encore style stock. Take the forearm off, and the barrel falls to the ground. Even the telescoping ramrod is " borrowed" from the H&R Huntsman.
Aesthetically, the Optima' s cheap looking roll engraving is a small distraction, as is the unappealing (but perfectly functional) trigger guard mounted barrel release (the Topper / Huntsman is an upper tang lever barrel break). I was impressed with the solid synthetic stock of the Winchester X-150, and am equally impressed with the job they have done with the Optima.
The best 100-yard accuracy was in the 3-1/2" range through several shooting sessions, with better groups from the 225-grain Powerbelts and 100 grains of Triple Seven than most anything else. Not awe-inspiring compared the much more accurate Austin & Halleck, Knight Elite, and White rifles tested recently, but adequate hunting accuracy nevertheless. The Optima is also priced far less than these other rifles, starting at well under $200 and has a different intended audience as well.
I' ll offer a two-part theory for this wonderfully adequate accuracy, aside from the normal loose nut behind the trigger dogma, and the fact that this is only one gun of thousands already sold. With the exception of the White Elite .451, most .45s I have shot are much more finicky in specific loadings than .50 caliber counterparts. To cite one gun, the Austin & Halleck 420 .50 calibers seemingly shoot 1" groups with whatever you care to stuff down the barrel. I' ve not shot one .45 caliber gun yet that gives outstanding repeatable with a huge variety of projectile / powder combinations. If nothing else, call it a mildly suspicious trend.
Secondly, few in-lines I have shot give superb accuracy without substantial barrel to stock rigidity. There are different ways individual rifles approach this. The White 98 Elite Hunter has this due to its dual recoil lug system, the Austin & Halleck achieves this via its heavy half-octagonal barrel section, and the Knight Elite finally makes it with its new elongated, forked recoil lug that floats the barrel while offering a bigger footprint. The Thompson Encore gets there due to its sheer over-built action, as one might expect in a muzzleloading firearm that accepts a .375 H & H cartridge barrel.
While ad-copy and anecdotal musings might regale you of the " one ratty hole," " three holes touching," and other colloquial terms-- the reality is that no manufacturer backs their gassiness with a written money-back guarantee if your mainstream rifle shoots 3-1/2" on its best day. This should not stun anyone. Ruger, for example, has an accuracy standard of their popular Mini-14 and Mini-30 semi-auto rifles of 2" -- at 50 yards. Ian McMurchy, in one of the most extensive independent series of scoped inline blackpowder rifle testing in print, awarded an " A" accuracy level to any rifle that could muster a sub 3" group. Mr. McMurchy' s " B" rating was for any rifle that could manage a group from 3-6 inches at 100 yards. McMurchy and his test-shooters discovered their fair share of " B" accuracy grade rifles. That should tell us a little something.
The H&R Huntsman (upon which the Optima owes its parentage) has been available for some time now, but has suffered from sheer ugliness, reputation spillover from the old " Topper" and the fact that it is a form 4473 firearm, precluding its marketability in the same fashion as a black powder arm. The " new" H&R, H&R 1871, has yet to find its niche. Though in the same price category as the CVA, its lack of visibility in the market place and anemic one year warranty apparently have held it back from universal acceptance.
I have no trouble saying that this is the most user-friendly gun CVA has produced to date, and the combination of bargain pricing, easy maintenance, decent trigger, no blowback, and one of the best synthetic break action stock sets I have seen gives this gun great appeal to the price-conscious buyer. It comes with CVA' s limited lifetime warranty. With the formidable sales skills of BPI, the only problem CVA is going to have with this gun is keeping them in stock. Not a terrifically bad problem for them to have!
Randy Wakeman
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You could do no worse by purchasing an NEF (H & R) Huntsman for around $139 or you could climb the ladder by upscaling to a T/C Omega for $330 or a T/C Encore for $460.
08-18-2003 | 07:24 AM
#3
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 71
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From: Rochester Indiana USA
RE: CVA Optima Pro / any info from users
Ordered it, Got it, Shot it, Cleaned it, Love it...
Using 295grn PowerBelt and 70grn Pyrodex RS at 25yds eleven shots in a 10" circle. Not to bad for just out of the package. Cleaned it after every fith round. Thanks Triple Se7en for your input.
Using 295grn PowerBelt and 70grn Pyrodex RS at 25yds eleven shots in a 10" circle. Not to bad for just out of the package. Cleaned it after every fith round. Thanks Triple Se7en for your input.
