CVA Optima Elite- Opinions on Ammo + Powder
 

I'll start off by saying - I'm new to this forum and this is my first post. So first things first..Hi everybody!!!

Anyway i am somewhat new to black powder shooting. I got hooked because i borrowed my cousin's TC Black Diamond XR one day, first shot with a muzzle loader ever, I sat my Mountain Dew can down and walked what i'm guessing... Honestly 125 yards away. At least 100 yards away i know for sure. I was using pyrodex, 100 grains, and a .50 round ball lol not a sabot or anything fancy. I aimed at that can with sights and busted that can.

So just recently i got a hold of a CVA Optima Elite .50, SS fluted barrel, thumb-hole and all that. Kwik-Sight raised mounts and a Bushnell Sportsman scope. (that camo scope that's at China-Mart for $70). I have a bunch of pyrodex pellets which i hear suck and you can't be accurate with lol i wont be using those later.. I bought alot of cheap sabots and pyro-pellets and 777pellets just to shoot around and get a feel for shooting and cleaning.

ANYWHOO, to the question.. What have you guys found to be accurate out of this gun?
I'm really liking this Blackhorn 209 powder i've been reading about. I'll probably get that eventually. What about ammo though?

Also, side question, what is better accessories and cleaning stuff? CVA or TC stuff.

Thanks everyone :hail:

Pyrodex pellets are actually great in accuracy. I'd suggest the 295gr Powerbelt with 100gr pyrodex pellets and the Winchester W209 primers. SWAB the bore clean between each and every shot.

TC jags suck, they are constantly breaking off in peoples guns. Their clear view powder measure and powder flask are highly recommended though.

I also strongly suggest the plastic style bore brush VS the bronze brush. They last a ton longer and don't jam up down in the bore when you go to pull them backward.

Warm soapy water at the end of the day to flush the powder fouling out will do fine, along with a good quality gun oil like Barricade, RIG #2, Montana xtreme bore conditioner or their gun oil. Stay away from the seasoning patches and bore butter!

why would i stay away from seasoning and bore butter?

Ive always been told that pellets break and are generally less accurate than loose powder.

because its a crock and a marketing gimmick, only the amateurs use it as they don't know any better. Its a poor product against rust and will gunk up your bore over time.

Pellets only crack if you crack them by pushing down to hard. They are not bad, but yes, loose powder tends to be more accurate as you can adjust how much you use and fine tune the charge.

Welcome! People's results with pellets vary a lot. In general they are not recommended because they are expensive and you can't "tailor" your load in small increments for the best accuracy. Personally, I never got good accuracy with pellets, but I know a lot of people who HAVE gotten very good accuracy.

I will also recommend the TC see-through powder measure, I have used it for many years and it is simple and works well. Cleaning supplies, I've used all sorts of different brands and haven't noticed huge differences between them.

I have a couple CVA inlines, and they shoot a wide variety of sabotted bullets well once you find the right powder charge. I would suggest starting with the 240 or 250 grain XTP with 100 grains of pellets if you have pellets on hand. If using loose powder, I would start at 80 grains and work your way up in 5 grain increments until you find the best shooting load. Another bullet that groups well in many rifles is the 250 grain SST or Shockwave. I have also had very good luck with the 200 grain Shockwave- both in terms of accuracy and in terms of putting deer down quickly. Hope this helps!