Muzzleloading Virgin

[Deer Down]

Yes fellows i have decided to give a shot (no pun intended)
I bought the CVA Optima I haven't had a chance to fire it though
Some questions CVA is recomending Powerbelts And the use of White hots IMR pellets. Has anyone used this combo. Acouple of guys i talked to say that they use sabot bullets CVA claims the plastic casing leaves a residue in the barrell which means cleaning after each shot they say powerbelt bullets do not leave this residue which means 5 to 6 shots before cleaning. Fact or marketing ploy:confused:

[Pagrizz]

CVA would tell you to use powerbelt because they are hooked up with them.but they do shot good.I have found that the gun and powder combo is what decides how often to clean it .The white hots does not leave as much residue and aids in not having to clean as much.As far as going 5 to 6 shots between cleaning you will just have to see when the bullets start moving on you . The most I can go is three.

[Steveo]

I shoot powerbelt 295gr -100gr pioneer powder out of a traditions 50cal and can push 6-7 shots by then she is fouled to the point you are pushin hard to get a bullet down, will say that I have not noticed a big difference in acuracy between a clean barrel and a fouled one. Point of impact seems to be consistent. You just have to shoot it to see what it likes.........

[Deer Down]

Thanks for the in put :)

[baccala]

I have a CVA optima that I got as a gift about 5 years ago. I shoot aerotip powerbelts, 245 gr., with 2 50 gr. pyrodex pellets. Shot great from the start so I never tried anything else. If the manufacturer is recommending white hots, I'd try them. I don't think you could go wrong.

[Buck Tales]

The power belts are good bullets and easy to load also. I use them in a couple of my guns, but I also use maxi balls with lube for hunting. What ever you like better and shoots best will do the job I'm sure as most bullets out there today are pretty nice. The sabots are a pain to load and I personally don't like them at all. As far as cleaning goes, don't shoot more than 3 shots without running a patch or 2 down the barrel. I practice this on all of my muzzle loaders because of 1 thing, hunting! When I go hunting I will be shooting a clean barrel or maybe have 1 shot out of it during the day so I want to know exactly how my gun is going to shoot that first bullet from the clean barrel. Sure I can sit at the range and see how many I can shoot with out cleaning and the effect it has on my group, but truth is on the first morning of the hunt I'll have a clean cold bore delivering that first shot. I'll also know just where it's going to go.:thup: P.S. I left out powder because I still use black powder 2f in my guns because I swab in between every other shot and I don't worry about buildup. Also, I can custom load my gun to what it likes best, 85grains 90 grains, what ever gives me the best group at 100 yards. I'm not going to limit myself to 1 or 2 pellets. I want acuracy, and I mean tack driving acuracy. Good luck with your setup what ever you use. hope this helps in some way.:)