ok, i have had my CVA Optima for about 4 years now. i have always shot pointy sabot-ed bullets (either Hornady SST's or T/C Shockwaves) thru it over 120 grains of 777. last fall, i bought a can of real bp, and tried it, and found those bullets work just fine under all the way up to 150 grains. this year, the local spot that i have found, that IS holding deer, is quite thick. the longest shot i will be able to get is about 60 yards. so, i was thinking that when hunting this spot, i might be better off with plain soft lead bullets, like the 385 grain hollow base Great Plains offered by Hornady. i have posted about using hollow base bullets in my 45/70 before using smokeless in the reloading section. i was told in no uncertain terms that to much pressure in that scenario will blow the skirt apart. which makes me wonder about a "magnum load" in the bp gun. will a full charge like i am used to shooting do the same with this bullet? i am also wondering about pressure. the sabots are 250 grains, and the lead is 385 grains. in smokeless, using a full charge for a lighter bullet in a heavy bullet load will get you disastrous results. obviously, i have shot tons of smokeless rounds, vs. not much in the way of front stuffers. so i figured i had better ask, before i did something i would regret, if i survived.
"magnum" load???
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arcticap
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The thread below provides some answers.
The CVA manuals have warnings about loading too much powder with the heavy weight conicals and the heavy weight saboted bullets.
50 cal BP elk loads?
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=618288&highlight=manual
The CVA manuals have warnings about loading too much powder with the heavy weight conicals and the heavy weight saboted bullets.
50 cal BP elk loads?
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=618288&highlight=manual
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MCgunner
Member
I shoot 70 grains of 3F 777 behind a 385 grain Hornady great plains Minie. It's plenty. 777 is hotter than black or Pyrodex and it's 3F, so I figure it's close to 90 grains of Pyrodex RS, though my chronograph needs screens and I've not tested it. But, it's plenty for deer/hog to 100 yards. I think of it as a .50-90 sharps...or "big fifty" as known back in the day, but without the brass. 
It's an accurate load and it recently penetrated a big bodied buck from in front of the right shoulder to exit the back at the tenderloin, face on shot. It left an impressive wound channel and exit hole and he was DRT. Now, it was only 30 yards, but I don't know that I need any more for deer/hog.
BTW, that load kicks pretty hard. I don't think I'd appreciate much more.
It's an accurate load and it recently penetrated a big bodied buck from in front of the right shoulder to exit the back at the tenderloin, face on shot. It left an impressive wound channel and exit hole and he was DRT. Now, it was only 30 yards, but I don't know that I need any more for deer/hog.BTW, that load kicks pretty hard. I don't think I'd appreciate much more.
actually, to me, this thing with 150 grains (or 120g 777) and a 250 grain sabot kicks about like a 30-30. well, someplace between a 30-30 and a 30-06, but closer to the 30-30 end. i am used to shooting hot and heavy 45-70 and 300 win mag loads, and this pales in comparison. recoil is not an issue with me. but something the 45-70 has taught me is that a big chunk of lead does not have to be moving at warp speed to kill. big bores are a LOT different than small bores. while speed is nice, it is not critical like it is in small bores. big bores are all about momentum.
one thing that i noticed MCgunner is that you mentioned using 3 f powder, isn't that supposed to be for pistols?
one thing that i noticed MCgunner is that you mentioned using 3 f powder, isn't that supposed to be for pistols?
scrat
Member
Your worried about 60 yards. Heck at the local shooting range i shoot my cva buckhorn 100 grains powder shooting at a steel plate at 100 yards and hit it all day long.
MCgunner
Member
Yeah, well, I broke the rules.
It's not that you CAN'T shoot 3F in a long gun, just burns a might faster. It was an accurate load, like 2" groups at 100 yards, so I stuck with it. I already had it on hand for my cap and ball revolvers.No. 3f can be used in smaller bore long guns and 2f can be used in pistols. The general rule of thumb would have us using 3f in guns with calibers of .50 and smaller, and 2f in guns of .50 caliber and larger. But like all rules of thumb, some variation can occur as long as it's not extreme.
longrifle346
Member
Call me an extremist then, I'll try to find the right(most accurate) load in FFFG every time for all of my weapons, from a .44 revolver to a 32" .62 caliber smoothbore, and always have so far. I tone back my loads a bit to compensate for the difference in granulation but FFFG burns hotter and more completely, leaves less fouling, and keeps me from having multiple cans of powder laying around....your mileage may vary....
no, i was not WORRIED about a 60 yard shot, i was thinking a 385 grain soft lead bullet might work BETTER than a 250 grain pointy sabot bullet in short range shooting on game. i have the gun sighted for 150 yards with the t/c shockwave bullets. i use those because if i get a chance at a deer at 150 yards, or maybe a little further, i want a couple of things. 1) i want the bullet to be going fast enough to do more than bounce off, and 2) i do not want to lob it in like a mortor! a flat shooting aerodynamic bullet is much more forgiving on range "guestimations" than a big heavy round nose is.
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