bronko22000

What caliber XTPs did you buy? Are they .44 (.429") or .45 (.451")? I believe I have Harvester smooth and crush rib in each and I could send you a couple to try for fit. IMO the XTP is all the bullet you need for deer. I've used them with good success in the 300 grain version both .44 and .45. I also use the 295 gr Barnes T-EZ bullet
As for the powder choice its up to you whether you want to use Blackhorn 209. If you do I would recommend the BH209 breech plug as previously stated. But there is nothing wrong with using Pyrodex RS, Just a bit dirtier. Lately I've been experimenting with Alliant Black MZ powder and getting good results out of my Accura V2. And the one thing I've found is that you really have to compress it for good accuracy.

FlaBoy18

Ill have to check when I get home but im pretty sure there 44 cal .429.

Gm54-120

The 240gr 44cals are NOT Mags. They are just a regular XTP. You will need the Harvester green smooth sabot for those.

hunters_life

I know only a little about CVA rifles. The old man always told me if he found out I bought a CVA product from those thieving SOB's then he would disown me. I do know the power belt problem you are having and know many people that have had the exact same experience. While they are probably one of the most accurate muzzleloading bullets on the market, their performance on animals lacks much to be desired in both mine and many others experience. The 250 XTP is about the only saboted bullet that one of my sidelocks will accurately shoot. And it does a very thorough job on deer. Never had one go more than 50 yards and the one that did make it 50 yards was more my fault than the bullet performance. It was heavily quartered away when I took the shot and I only got one lung and some arterial damage. Out of the 15 or so deer I have taken with the 250 grain XTP I have only recovered one bullet. The rest were clean pass through doing a very nice job on the way through. The one I did recover I found just under the hide of the off side shoulder. Shoulder to shoulder at right around 100 yards. Bullet was completely intact and mushroomed perfectly. I push that bullet with 105 grains of Swiss FFG from a Thompson Center .50 caliber Renegade 1:48 twist.

lemoyne

Just remember where you place the bullet is very important when it comes to retrieving deer like I said before just over the top of the heart will get both lungs and the cluster of arteries that will give the best blood trail.
The PB is the most expensive mistake that is common.

FlaBoy18

Thank you i will have to start aiming a lil lower

FlaBoy18

So if you do use the blackhorn lose powder how do you go about using it? How do u measure it and install it in the gun. Like once u pour it down the barrell do u have to compact it down somehow?

cayugad

Get a powder measure. Measure out the desired amount. In my CVA Optima it likes 90 grains of BlackHorn 209. Dump that down the barrel. Then put your sabot/bullet combination into the muzzle. With a short starter seat it in the barrel. Then with the ramrod slide that sabot down onto the powder charge FIRMLY. That will take care of the powder.

Now I am going to get some people upset. I have been shooting Black Horn 209 for years now in my Optima and Remington Genesis. When I run out of that powder, its so long for ever. I know people like Black Horn. You don't have to swab. It has great power. But I never had a powder give me so many headaches in my Optima. And of course the Black Horn lovers had immediate fixes. Your primer was not strong enough. Or you need O rings to stop that back blow. I just jumped through too many hoops to shoot that powder. And discovered, its no better then loose triple Seven 2f. Other then with Triple Seven I have to swab the bore between shots. To that I say big deal, I can swab a bore. But to those that love and shoot Black Horn 209 the best of luck with you and your powder. But like I said, when I run out of this last pound, its "vaya con dios Black Horn 209"

ronlaughlin

The first time i ever shot a muzzle loader was several years ago now, but i remember that first experience like it was recent. The rifle was a brand new Omega. There was a few bullets included in the box with the rifle. Shopped all over town for powder; the only thing i could find was a package of 777 pellets. The only primers i could find were the W209 primers. The package said the pellets were 30 grain each. So i loaded three of them, and pushed a bullet down the barrel till it hit the powder. Put the primer in the socket there, and aimed; pulled the trigger, and BOOM. That was fun!! Plenty of recoil, but fun. Did it again, and another BOOM, and more fun!!

Then, loading the third bullet was quite difficult, but got it done. One more time, BOOM, wow more fun!!. When i went to load the rifle again one of the pellets split in two. It was then i discovered i was loading double pellets. Whoops! Whoops, i had loaded 180 grain of powder those first shots. Well, i never made that mistake again, but now i couldn't get the bullet down to the powder. To get the bullet down to the powder i had to swing the rifle/ramrod into a tree. Bang goes the rifle/ramrod against the tree, and again Bang. A few hits against the tree, and things were ready for another shot. A lot less recoil there was.

Next time out i swabbed between shots. Then i found one should use a special primer. Then i found it may be better to use small rifle primers in a special adapter. Then i found some loose 777. After jumping through all these hoops i was able to settle in and burn 777 powder just fine.



When Blackhorn became available, i got me a bottle. Doing nothing special, i loaded, and shot, and loaded, and shot, and loaded, and shot....... No longer did i need a special primer, W209 worked good. Nor was it necessary to swab between shots. Used the same bullets/sabot. Used the same loading technique, nothing special. All was well; no longer did i put up with the headaches of burning 777. life is good............












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hunters_life

cayugad, I can tell you with no uncertainty what the old man would have said to you about that. It aint the powder it's the CVA. Me on the other hand, I have absolutely zero experience with that blackhorn. That was all dad and alex. I haven't even picked his Thompson Center Pro Hunter up, yet. But Alex wont shoot anything other than that Blackhorn in her Thompson Center Impact. And I have to say, that little rifle is scary accurate in her hands. Just the other day she was banging the gong at 300 yards with me on that smokeless muzzleloader I finished of dads. That's a mighty long poke for a smoke pole. Of all of the kids, she is without a doubt the best marksperson with a rifle among us out to 600 yards. After that she can't handle the recoil from a rifle capable of the extended ranges for taking big game. Poor little midget. Hope she doesn't read this. She may be a midget but she makes up for her lack of size in pure meanness and determination.
FlaBoy18, Alex loads hers pretty much the same as I load my smokepoles. Measure, pour, start, ram, and rock onto the ramrod with about 65 or so pounds of force to seat the bullet/sabot. She says to make sure you try to be as consistent on that as you can with your seating pressure. Swiss is like that for me too. One of my smokepoles is really picky about seating pressure. Over the years, I have found muzzleloaders to be the most picky rifles about the seemingly smallest of things but it's what makes them the most fun. For me anyway.