Today the talk of cold and not shooting made me want to shoot all the more. Granted it was sunny, but only 19 degrees outside and Windy.

I looked at the rifles and realized I had not shot my carbine selection in ages. So I picked out the CVA Tracker Carbine.

This is a 50 caliber rifle. According the Buckskinner Barrel Chart it has a 1-32 twist in it. My shooting card listed no loads, and then I remembered.. this was a rifle that gave me lots of troubles early on. So I had not picked a load for it. I do remember shooting sabots and even conicals out of it. But could not remember anything that stood out enough to make me make a mental and written note. So I checked the photo files of targets I have and again.. nothing. Wow.. this was like a mystery for me.

I decided, with that 1-32 twist, if sabots and conical bullets had not impressed me.. what about roundball? It has a 21 inch barrel. So there is no use in shooting large powder charges. Small powder charges and roundball work even in a 1-28 twist. So what would they do in this carbine?

I made up a target and with the new snow was not about to go trudging through it.. So we set up at 25 yards. Which this rifle IMO was made for. Stalking around in a thicket and shooting at very close ranges. So maybe the roundball might work.



The rifle has nice wood. Very modern rifle sights. And I had a new ramrod for it. So we were all set. Now what powders to try? Well I grabbed three different ones, and out the door I went.



I started out with 60 grains of Graf's and Sons 3f black powder. I was shooting Winchester Mag #11 caps. Using pillow tick patch and Moosemilk.

The group, other then being to the left was right on top of the front sight. So I was pleased. I looked at the rear sight on the rifle and it was actually moved left of center. So I took a screw driver and moved it dead center.

I then loaded up 70 grains of American Pioneer Powder 2f. I had a little of it left and wanted to shoot it off. And normally it does well with roundball. The first two were a little too far to the right. So I made one more little adjustment and shot that next group of hits. It did well with 70 grains of APP. BUT if recoil is an indication of power.. 70 grains of APP was less recoil then 60 grains of 3f black powder. Much less in fact. APP gave lots of pretty smoke though.

I was going to adjust the sight a little more, but it was really windy. So I decided .. lets leave it dead center. I then got out some Pyrodex P and loaded 80 grains of it. I was kind of surprised when it hit that much higher then the APP, but kind of in line with it. So I then ran into the house and loaded up one round with Triple Seven 3f just for kicks. And kicks it was. Now that load had the sound and the recoil of a load. But I think I might have been pushing the ball too hard.

I took the target down, and went back and loaded 60 grains of 3f black powder and just for fun shot at the paint cans 86 yards away. Aiming dead center on them, the first shot did nothing. I was kind of bummed. So I loaded again and this time aimed for the top of the can since 60 grains was hitting low. Fired and there that can was.. just a swinging down there. Pure luck!! But it was nice to get lucky. I shot one more time, and no swinging. But with that short of a sight plain.. any little thing, even that strong wind gusts could have pushed me off can.

But for short range, walking around.. 60 grains and a roundball would do the trick on a deer any day.

That 70gr APP is a good group!

Fun little rifle, especially when carrying through the mountains.

Actually in my cedar/black ash bog... where you can see maybe twenty yards.. this would make an excellent little rifle to carry through there.

I really like that rifle.

As always another good report Dave. Boy that sucker is Short! Im 6'6" tall, a short rifle just does'nt fit me no matter wich one it is. I dont have to worry about manuevering through thick stuff with any gun, it's me that gets in the way.
(BP)

Good shooting and good post Dave.

Good report Cayugad. Those groups are pretty good and certainly fine for hunting. But dang, it would seem you ought to be able to find at least one load that would have all shots touching at 25 yards. I wonder if you've ever tried Lee REALS in that 1:32 twist.

The wind and short sight radius sure make it tough. But with that cold I would be shivering so bad I'd likely be happy with a six inch group.

I did try REALs. I cast both sizes in both 50 and 54 calibers. And with 60-80 grains they did not shoot that well. I also thought that with that twist it would shoot those small REAL 250 gr (I think they are) real well. It did shoot them but no better then the roundball. I also expected all shots touching at that distance.

I use the thick wads that TOW sells and when my lube is still liquid, i dip some wads in and let them soak it up. These wads are crucial to getting good accuracy with the REALs.

Well I am going to have to try that. I was not using wads when I shot REAL conicals a while back in this rifle. Thanks for the heads up.