.444 rifle
12-11-2016, 04:17 PM
#21
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,695
You planning on shooting past 200 yards? If not, then your less FPS and energy argument is moot. My daughter just dropped a 245# field dressed buck at 211 yards with a 90gr BH and 220gr Lehigh CF (controlled fracturing) bullet load out of a little TC Impact. That optima, with the proper load, has more than enough energy to drop anything walking on this continent, or any other continent, at proper ranges respective to the animal hunted. My personal load for my TC Pro Hunter .50cal barrel gives me plenty of energy out to 300 for whitetail and out to 250 for Elk. 120gr BH under a 220gr Bloodline would put the hammer of thor on ANYTHING walking this planet. Today's inlines such as your's are 100000000 miles away from the old sidelocks and such. Cleanup of that Optima isn't much more difficult (with BH anyway) than a bolt action and actually EASIER than a lever gun!
12-11-2016, 05:53 PM
#22
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Pasco, Fl
Posts: 272
You planning on shooting past 200 yards? If not, then your less FPS and energy argument is moot. My daughter just dropped a 245# field dressed buck at 211 yards with a 90gr BH and 220gr Lehigh CF (controlled fracturing) bullet load out of a little TC Impact. That optima, with the proper load, has more than enough energy to drop anything walking on this continent, or any other continent, at proper ranges respective to the animal hunted. My personal load for my TC Pro Hunter .50cal barrel gives me plenty of energy out to 300 for whitetail and out to 250 for Elk. 120gr BH under a 220gr Bloodline would put the hammer of thor on ANYTHING walking this planet. Today's inlines such as your's are 100000000 miles away from the old sidelocks and such. Cleanup of that Optima isn't much more difficult (with BH anyway) than a bolt action and actually EASIER than a lever gun!
12-11-2016, 06:36 PM
#23
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,695
LOL...I'm one of them guys that will tell you straight up that powerbelt bullets are about the best fishing weights made 
They are accurate out of most rifles but their terminal performance on game is horrendous for everyone except the people advertising for them!! I'm not a CVA fan at all so I don't know if I'm correct in this but I THINK you will have to get a different breech plug to make the switch to BH209. Now if you are currently using loose powder and aren't having any problems with ignition then you probably already have the right BP. The factory QRBP functions adequately but not exceptionally well with BH209. CVA and Western got together and designed a BP specifically for loose powders that the flash hole doesn't get clogged up every shot and gets a more reliable ignition with BH209.
Your bullet choice to switch too is a functional bullet and has taken a lot of game. I would recommend you take a look at the Bloodline bullets from Knight (made by Lehigh Defense) or the Lehigh lines of CF's (Controlled Fracturing) Both have amazing terminal performance on Whitetail and Elk and with the right sabot, powder load, and weight, have very good accuracy. They aren't high BC tipped bullets for long range paper punching but they are very capable of holding 1 MOA accuracy @100 yards. I hold just over an inch at 150 yard 5 shot groups with the 220gr Bloodlines with my .50cal barrel. So they are plenty accurate for hunting. At least from my rig and my daughters little TC shoots the 220's around the same.
They are accurate out of most rifles but their terminal performance on game is horrendous for everyone except the people advertising for them!! I'm not a CVA fan at all so I don't know if I'm correct in this but I THINK you will have to get a different breech plug to make the switch to BH209. Now if you are currently using loose powder and aren't having any problems with ignition then you probably already have the right BP. The factory QRBP functions adequately but not exceptionally well with BH209. CVA and Western got together and designed a BP specifically for loose powders that the flash hole doesn't get clogged up every shot and gets a more reliable ignition with BH209. Your bullet choice to switch too is a functional bullet and has taken a lot of game. I would recommend you take a look at the Bloodline bullets from Knight (made by Lehigh Defense) or the Lehigh lines of CF's (Controlled Fracturing) Both have amazing terminal performance on Whitetail and Elk and with the right sabot, powder load, and weight, have very good accuracy. They aren't high BC tipped bullets for long range paper punching but they are very capable of holding 1 MOA accuracy @100 yards. I hold just over an inch at 150 yard 5 shot groups with the 220gr Bloodlines with my .50cal barrel. So they are plenty accurate for hunting. At least from my rig and my daughters little TC shoots the 220's around the same.
12-12-2016, 02:40 AM
#24
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: VA
Posts: 1,921
I hear ya. I was shooting 100 grains of triple seven with 245 grain power belts and last year i double lunged a buck and had zero blood for 100 yards. Only reason i found him was the lord. Then this year i shot a buck with the same setup and never found it. Zero blood. Thats mainly why i was lookin into other ideas. I am switching to Hornady XTP mags for my optima. Heard they leave great trails compared to PB
12-12-2016, 05:42 AM
#25
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Pasco, Fl
Posts: 272
LOL...I'm one of them guys that will tell you straight up that powerbelt bullets are about the best fishing weights made They are accurate out of most rifles but their terminal performance on game is horrendous for everyone except the people advertising for them!! I'm not a CVA fan at all so I don't know if I'm correct in this but I THINK you will have to get a different breech plug to make the switch to BH209. Now if you are currently using loose powder and aren't having any problems with ignition then you probably already have the right BP. The factory QRBP functions adequately but not exceptionally well with BH209. CVA and Western got together and designed a BP specifically for loose powders that the flash hole doesn't get clogged up every shot and gets a more reliable ignition with BH209.
Your bullet choice to switch too is a functional bullet and has taken a lot of game. I would recommend you take a look at the Bloodline bullets from Knight (made by Lehigh Defense) or the Lehigh lines of CF's (Controlled Fracturing) Both have amazing terminal performance on Whitetail and Elk and with the right sabot, powder load, and weight, have very good accuracy. They aren't high BC tipped bullets for long range paper punching but they are very capable of holding 1 MOA accuracy @100 yards. I hold just over an inch at 150 yard 5 shot groups with the 220gr Bloodlines with my .50cal barrel. So they are plenty accurate for hunting. At least from my rig and my daughters little TC shoots the 220's around the same.
They are accurate out of most rifles but their terminal performance on game is horrendous for everyone except the people advertising for them!! I'm not a CVA fan at all so I don't know if I'm correct in this but I THINK you will have to get a different breech plug to make the switch to BH209. Now if you are currently using loose powder and aren't having any problems with ignition then you probably already have the right BP. The factory QRBP functions adequately but not exceptionally well with BH209. CVA and Western got together and designed a BP specifically for loose powders that the flash hole doesn't get clogged up every shot and gets a more reliable ignition with BH209. Your bullet choice to switch too is a functional bullet and has taken a lot of game. I would recommend you take a look at the Bloodline bullets from Knight (made by Lehigh Defense) or the Lehigh lines of CF's (Controlled Fracturing) Both have amazing terminal performance on Whitetail and Elk and with the right sabot, powder load, and weight, have very good accuracy. They aren't high BC tipped bullets for long range paper punching but they are very capable of holding 1 MOA accuracy @100 yards. I hold just over an inch at 150 yard 5 shot groups with the 220gr Bloodlines with my .50cal barrel. So they are plenty accurate for hunting. At least from my rig and my daughters little TC shoots the 220's around the same.
12-12-2016, 05:46 AM
#26
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Pasco, Fl
Posts: 272
Yea its insane how many ppl have issues with PB. So this year when i shot that buck with PB, i called this very experienced dog blood trailer named Kenny. He told me that on opening weekend he trailed 8 bucks with his dog, all 8 were shot with PB AND all 8 were shot in the lungs. NONE had a blood trail. Kennys dog found 6 of the 8 just trailing the scent of the deer released after its shot.
