CVA Optima Loads

[TWyatt]

This past year I shot 100gr BH and the 290gr TEZ's. They shot very well, but seem to be a little tough to find this year, and they're expensive. I personally unload my gun after every hunt, by taking the breech out and shoving the load out of the back - and into the trash. I keep the actual bullet, but the powder and sabot go in the trash. I realize most people probably don't do this, I just don't like keeping a load in my gun not knowing if I'm going to hunt again the next day, or the next week. I'll probably get laughed off of here for doing that, I just don't like keeping a load in my gun.
I'd like to see if there's some less-expensive options out there that guys are having good accuracy with. OR, since I keep the bullet but throw away the sabot, what sabots could I buy in bulk so that I can re-use the bullets I'm shoving out? To my knowledge you can't buy just the blue sabots from Hornady. Would black crush ribs work? I can actually buy those at several local stores. The Hornady XTP from Harvester looks like it's in line with what I'm looking for (bulk/cheaper). Would this be an option worth trying? They're $10 bucks for 12, and I can buy more sabots if those are the standard black crush ribs.
50 Cal. Sabot 250 gr. .452 Hornady XTP Bullet - Pack Qty: 12.

 

[Scotts98rt]

Buy both in bulk, alot cheaper. That being said I use green crush rib and 240 xtp over 90 gr. By volume of bh209 and get good results.

 

[billyboy*]

Isn’t that a .429” Diameter Hornady XTP Bullet?

 

[TWyatt]

Looks like they have a 240gr .430 and a 250gr .452 on Harvester's website.

 

[TWyatt]

Buy both in bulk, alot cheaper. That being said I use green crush rib and 240 xtp over 90 gr. By volume of bh209 and get good results.

Buying in bulk is definitely what I'd like to do, I'm just not sure what bullet/sabot combo I should go with that's available to be purchased in bulk.

 

[rangerod]

My Optima shoots about anything well. Yours probably will also. The xtp's are a good bullet for both practice and hunting. Deep Curls are also quite good. I currently shoot 300 grn Thor full bore with great groups. They are rather pricey so I don't practice at the range with them.

 

[TWyatt]

So which of hte XTP's would be a better choice - the 240gr .430, or the 250gr .452?

I tried the Deep Curl last year and couldn't get them to group very well. I tried them in the black smooth and the crush rib, and they were all over the place. The TEZ's shot great, and the Scorpion PT Gold's shot great, although the tips falling off all the time was quite annoying.

 

[Far Sighted]

My Optima V2 will handle most loads well that I tested. My favorite is the Hornady 250gr SST followed by the 240 or 250gr XTP bullet and sabots combos.
90 gr BH209 is preferred powder but 100gr pellets will do.
CCI 209M primer preferred in 1000 bulk.

 

[deerlessbob]

Last year I shot 300 grain XTP’s in Harvester Crush Rib sabots. Buy the XTP’s in the 100 count box.

 

[MrTom]

Each gun can be different in bore sizing but either a black or black crush rib will work for you for the .452 sized bullets and if the bullets load hard with the plain black go to the black crush rib. For the .430 I'd try the green Harvesters or the green Harvester crush ribs if the plain green is hard to set.

XTPs and Deep Curls are both excellent, accurate bullets with very high ratings on terminal performance on animals. You'll have to shoot the different bullet/sabot combinations to determine which you gun likes at different load levels. In your Optima I'd consider the 90 grains by volume of the BH209 to be the starting point with any of these bullets from 240 grain to 300 grain. My Accura shoots a bunch of bullets in the 250 to 300 grain range very well but needs to have the bullets pushed with at least 77 weighed grains of 209 [110 grains by volume] to get the best accuracy.

If ignition restrictions hold you to cap ignition I'd suggest using a musket nipple/cap and trying T7 granular powder and start at the same 90 graion by volume charge.

 

[rangerod]

You might want to give the Fury bullet a try.

 

[TWyatt]

Thanks everyone for all of the suggestions! This all definitely gives me some options to look at.

 

[Scotts98rt]

Isn’t that a .429” Diameter Hornady XTP Bullet?

Yes it is