CVA Optima V2 Review

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Give power belts a try. Maybe they'll work better.

Ever looked at a recovered sabot or check it with a borescope?

Talk to CVA about your problem?

 

[356]

Give power belts a try. Maybe they'll work better.

Ever looked at a recovered sabot or check it with a borescope?

Talk to CVA about your problem?

I'll be talking to CVA. I've tried three powders (all pellet, as that is what I use in the field) and multiple sabots, including:
Hornady Bore Driver Muzzleloading Bullets 50 Caliber 290 Grain FTX
Hornady Bore Driver Muzzleloading Bullets 50 Caliber 240 Grain FTX
Powerbelt ELR Muzzleloader Bullets 270 Grain

Powers have been:
Hornady Pyrodex
Hodgdon 777
IMR White Hots

Best groups are 6".

The Thompson Center groups 2" and my el-cheapo 20 year old Traditions also does a 2" group. This is not a "don't by an CVA, as they make good guns. It's just this one is bad.

 

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Figured out why I haven't been too happy with my lyman GPR last time or two at the range. Weighed the roundballs before getting ready for this weekend at camp. Some weight 223 grains and others 231 grans. Had some 530 roundballs mixed in with my 535's. PAtch needs to be tight to make good contact with the rifling.

Made some new patches tonight too. Wetted patches with 7:1 water n ballistol. Letting them air dry a few days. Leaves a bit of ballistol on the patches when dry.

I had a henry 22lr lever gun with would puke bullets down range, like 6-8 inches at 25 yards. Sucks getting a dud new gun.

 

[RGrizzzz]

Update: The Optima v2 continues to disappoint. I replaced the Konus with a Leupold VX-FREEDOM 3-9X40 Muzzleloader Ultimateslam. No improvement, regardless of pellets or sabots, so it was not the Konus scope. Three shot groups are 6" to 9. As a former dealer/gunsmith, this is frustrating to say the least. I checked confirmed/torqued everything, and was expecting an improvement.

I am going back to the Thomson Center for my upcoming Management Hunt and will be working with CVA on a barrel replacement.

I had a similar issue with my Accurav2 when I was first shooting it. After the first shot or two with Power belts, I couldn't get the bullet seated all the way down, and the groups were inconsistent, around that 6"-9" mark you're seeing. It was my first time shooting an inline, so I wasn't paying close enough attention. I switched to Hornady SSTs and I could always get them all the way down, without a good brushing, and the gun is a tack driver.

You could always trying a quick brushing between shots to see if that helps. With white hots, I was getting crud ring close to the breech plug, and I needed to make sure that's where the brushing happened.

If you have a Chronograph or radar, you could verify consistent velocities too. That might tell you something related to seating.

 

[Feelslikefar.]

CVA has gotten more people into muzzle loading than any other company. CVA has gotten more people out of muzzle loading than any other company.

While I have not had any interaction with any of their products made in the last 25-30 years, I would not buy anything from them based on the past. I have experience with several rifles and a couple pistols. They could be amazing now and I wouldn't buy, but they lost me long ago.

 

[356]

I had a similar issue with my Accurav2 when I was first shooting it. After the first shot or two with Power belts, I couldn't get the bullet seated all the way down, and the groups were inconsistent, around that 6"-9" mark you're seeing. It was my first time shooting an inline, so I wasn't paying close enough attention. I switched to Hornady SSTs and I could always get them all the way down, without a good brushing, and the gun is a tack driver.

You could always trying a quick brushing between shots to see if that helps. With white hots, I was getting crud ring close to the breech plug, and I needed to make sure that's where the brushing happened.

If you have a Chronograph or radar, you could verify consistent velocities too. That might tell you something related to seating.

I am brushing between shots. I gave away my chronograph to the guy who bought my press and dies. The gun fouls worse than the Traditions or TC. I've had numerous other CVAs, including seven CVA Wolf models we use for the senior deer hunts, and don't have any issues with those guns.

I am done wasting time (except on the phone with CVA), money, powder and sabots for this gun.

 

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I am brushing between shots. I gave away my chronograph to the guy who bought my press and dies. The gun fouls worse than the Traditions or TC. I've had numerous other CVAs, including seven CVA Wolf models we use for the senior deer hunts, and don't have any issues with those guns.

I am done wasting time (except on the phone with CVA), money, powder and sabots for this gun.

We all got a gun or two like that over the years.......