Calling All 2010 Optima Owners

[Busta]

I had the pleasure of handling one of these yesterday, and for the most part I was impressed by the overall quality of the rifle, especially at the $250 price point for a stainless/synthetic model. Very light rifle that was well balanced, fluted barrel with the lined ramrod ferrules like the Apex. The stock fit is WAY better than the old dog leg style stock IMO. The QR breech plug is very nice as was the Apex's, but they still have that huge oval slot cut in the face of the plug.

The only things I don't care for are the molded in swivel studs, and the lever in the front of the trigger guard. But then again, I didn't like the old one at the rear of the trigger guard either.

The biggest shocker came when I was invited to remove the breech plug to look down the barrel. The plug came out very easily, as expected, but when I looked in the bore, I seen something that I have never seen in a muzzleloader before. The lands were not your run-of-the-mill rifle lands, they were more of a polygon, very much like the Ultragon? Rifling that H&R , and now Remington uses in their newer slug guns. The lands actually had a groove, or trough that ran down the full length of the bore.

MY QUESTION: Do all the new 2010 Optima's use this type of rifling, was this a fluke, or am I seeing an optical illusion? I haven't read anything about a new type of rifling, but I am sure what I saw was similar to the Ultragon? Rifling. Please tell me I am not going crazy, or need to go see the eye doctor! :shock:

 

[frontier gander]

No, Youre not crazy... On this topic at least :wink:

The Accura / Apex have this as well but the bores on them are so polished, it makes it harder to see. The Wolf has that style of rifling as well.

 

[flint head]

Best barrels.
Best trigger.
Best price.

CVA has done something special in the last couple of years... and darn if they don't feel and aim good as well.

 

[Busta]

The Accura / Apex have this as well but the bores on them are so polished, it makes it harder to see. The Wolf has that style of rifling as well.

I have looked down the Apex's bore, and I really didn't see what I could see in the Optima. The Optima bore looked really good, but your right about the Apex bore being superbly polished. Guess I need to take another look at the Apex

You would think CVA would mention that type of rifling in their ad's? The H&R Ultragon? Rifling was designed to help the sabot seal the bore better, while eliminating the inside corners found in traditional rifling. This serves several purposes, but the big one is it keeps fouling down considerably, as there is no place for it to hide.

I really think they have something truely revolutionary here in the Muzzleloading World, I would expect them to be capitalizing on that???