Single Shot Muzzleloading Rifles Blog

Editor’s Note: Tony Smotherman lives outside of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and has hunted only with black powder since 1994. Today Smotherman will tell us how and why he became a blackpowder-only hunter.

Question: Tony, why did you decide to hunt exclusively with black powder?
Smotherman: I started reading outdoor magazines from the Midwest, because that area seemed to be where some of the biggest whitetails were being taken. I began traveling to Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, hunting and trying to learn all I could about taking trophy whitetails. I found out that many of the gun seasons in the Midwest were either shotgun or muzzleloading seasons. Back in the early 1990s, when I first started hunting these states, I quickly learned that blackpowder rifles were far-more accurate than the shotguns that shot slugs in those days. Soon I realized I was spending so-much time in these other states that I wasn’t at home in Tennessee during conventional rifle season. So, I just gravitated away from hunting with modern rifles, because I learned I could take more and bigger bucks in these midwestern states by hunting with black powder.

Question: You were once on the Knight Rifle Pro Staff, is that right?
Smotherman: That’s true. I hunted with Knight Rifles for more than a decade.

Question: Why did you decide to start shooting CVA muzzleloaders?
Smotherman: CVA’s Apex is the main reason I started shooting CVA rifles.

Question: What did you like about the Apex?
Smotherman: I really like its accuracy and adjustable trigger. The barrel on a rifle can be extremely accurate, but if the trigger isn’t smooth and crisp, the shooter will never be as accurate as his gun.

Question: How much pressure do you like to have on your trigger?
Smotherman: The Apex has a trigger that’s adjustable from approximately three to five pounds.  You can customize the trigger to suit your trigger-pull preference. All you need is a flathead screwdriver.

Question: Why do you like a light trigger pull on your muzzleloading rifle?
Smotherman: If your trigger pull is not crisp and clean, the hunter will have a tendency to jerk the trigger rather than squeeze it. When you jerk that trigger to make the gun fire, in most instances you’ll pull-off the target.

Question: How far out do you feel like you’re accurate when you’re shooting the CVA Apex?
Smotherman: I never hesitate to take a shot out to 200 yards. I use the Alpen Apex 3-9X42 riflescope on my CVA Apex rifle.

Question: Tony, why do you like that scope?
Smotherman: First of all, this scope is easy on the pocketbook. You don’t have to spend next month’s mortgage payment for your house to buy a quality riflescope. I’ve found that the Alpen riflescope has just as high a resolution, brightness and accuracy as much-more expensive riflescopes do. With the naked eye, you’ll never know any difference between the Alpen Apex and that riflescope that may seem as though it costs the same as your monthly mortgage.

Question: Tony, where are you headed this season?
Smotherman: We’re headed to Casper, Wyoming, for an elk hunt. We’ll be hunting during gun season. However, instead of using a conventional rifle I’ll use my CVA Apex.

Question: Have you hunted in Casper, Wyo., before?
Smotherman: Yes, I have. I took a 320-inch 6×6 bull out here 2-years ago. I took that bull at 120 yards with a blackpowder rifle.

Question: Why do you choose to hunt elk with a muzzleloading rifle instead of a conventional rifle?
Smotherman: Because I’m a 100% blackpowder hunter.

Question: Tony, how are you loading your CVA Apex?
Smotherman: I’m shooting 110 grains of Blackhorn 209 powder, because this powder is extremely accurate, and it’s clean burning. This powder is not available in pellets and only comes in loose powder. Too, I just prefer to shoot loose powder. I believe that loose powder is always the most-accurate charge, because it’s always consistent when you compress it. Once you pack the bullet on top of the powder, there are no air pockets. This is not to say that pellets aren’t accurate, but I’ve found that to be the most accurate I can be, I prefer the loose powder. If you use pellets, you can get air pockets in the barrel between the powder charge and the bullet, because those pellets don’t always stack exactly perfectly in the barrel. But when you pour loose powder down a barrel and seat the bullet on top of that loose powder, you’ll have no air pockets in the barrel. And, the powder is always packed the same, and you can shoot more consistently.

Question: What primer are you using?
Smotherman: I prefer the Winchester 209 primers. Many primers on the market today are a weaker form of the 209 primers. But the 209 Blackhorn seems to have a higher-ignition point. I prefer a standard 209 primer to any other.

Question: Tony, you’ll be gone for 7-10 days. How will you clean and care for your CVA Apex?
Smotherman: The weatherman’s predicting 2 inches of snow for the area we plan to hunt. If that’s true, I’ll dump my powder charge every day. When you spend the time and money required to go from the East to the West to hunt elk, you want to put all of the odds in your favor when you get the opportunity to take a nice elk. That’s the reason I’m so meticulous about the rifle I choose and the powder charge, bullet and primer that I use. I’ve learned that the CVA Apex, loaded the way I’ve described and using the Alpen optics, gives me the best chance for success afield.

To learn more about Tony Smotherman and his hunting adventures, visit www.camospace.com/travelinhunter.

Editor’s Note: Rick Wood of Buford, Georgia, a CVA pro staffer, consistently takes deer and other game every season and has been shooting muzzleloading rifles for over 25 years. Wood isn’t satisfied with just shooting a good group of three shots at 100 yards with his CVA rifle. To consistently take game, Wood believes he needs to formulate a powder charge and select a bullet that will deliver the most accuracy from each of his CVA rifles.

Speed of bullet, knockdown power and other ballistic ingredients are not nearly as important as being able to place the bullet accurately

Wood says. This week, Wood will show us how to formulate a powder charge and choose a bullet that will deliver the most accuracy for your CVA deer rifle.

Every muzzleloader is different, even if they’re the same caliber and model from the same manufacturer. So, to deliver the most accuracy possible from each of your CVA muzzleloading rifles, you have to formulate a powder charge and select a bullet that can deliver the best accuracy possible. I begin by shooting a fouling shot to remove any oil or residue that may be in the barrel. After you clean your muzzleloader, you coat the inside of the barrel with oil to prevent the inside of the barrel from rusting. To get the oil and the grease out of the barrel, I shoot the fouling shot. You don’t even need a bullet in the gun. Just load the gun, and shoot the powder to burn the oil out of the barrel. Some people use a primer to accomplish the same goal, but shooting a primer won’t remove all the oil from the barrel.

After the fouling shot, I load my rifle with two, 50-grain Pyrodex or White Hots pellets and either a 250- or a 300-grain bullet. I prefer PowerBelt bullets because they’re easy to load and extremely accurate. I’ve been very successful using them. My favorite bullet is a 295-grain copper-plated, hollow-point PowerBelt bullet. I shoot three shots without cleaning the barrel to see how well the gun groups. I may be shooting a 1-1/2-inch group at 100 yards off the bench. Next, I’ll run a dry patch down the barrel between each of the next three shots to see how it affects my three-shot group. Then I’ll use this same load and clean the barrel with a wet patch (often called a spit patch) between each of the three shots to see how this will impact my three-shot group. I’m trying to learn if the gun groups best with a dirty barrel, using a dry patch or using a wet patch between each shot. Some rifles shoot best with a dirty barrel, while others group best with either a dry patch or a wet patch between each shot. If I discover that the particular gun I’m sighting-in shoots best with a dirty barrel, then I know that to deliver the best accuracy, I don’t need to clean the barrel after every shot.

I’ll also start testing different-sized bullets. I may drop down to a 295-grain bullet from a 300-grain bullet to see which bullet shoots the most tight pattern. Then, I’ll drop down from a 295-grain bullet to a 245-grain bullet and shoot a group of three shots to see if I can get the group any tighter. Now, if coming down in bullet size results in not shooting a tighter group each time, I’ll go up in bullet size. I’ll shoot a 338-grain bullet to see if the bigger bullet will deliver a more-tight pattern. After I know which bullet shoots the most-tight pattern with two, 50-grain pellets, I make a note. Then I’ll know the right bullet to shoot to deliver the best pattern with 100 grains of pellets. I’m still not satisfied that I’m getting the most accuracy possible. For instance, if I’m shooting in dense woods, 100 grains of powder may be sufficient. But if I’m hunting on a green field or a power line where I may have an opportunity for a 200-yard shot, more than likely I’ll shoot 150 grains of powder. So, I’ll go through the entire process of cleaning the gun with spit patches, dry patches and no patches between each shot, and I’ll test each bullet to see what-size bullet delivers the most accuracy at 200 yards with 150 grains. I’ve learned that with most CVA muzzleloaders shooting three pellets – 150 grains of powder – generally bigger bullets shoot more accurately than smaller bullets.

Once I’ve determined the bullet and the powder charge that consistently delivers the best group at 100 and 200 yards, then I’m ready to start fine-tuning my powder charge. So, I’ll start shooting loose powder. You’ll be surprised at how much difference 5 TO 10 grains of powder can make in the accuracy your CVA rifle can deliver. For instance, if I’m shooting 100 grains of powder and shooting 1-1/2-inch groups, I’ve learned that I often can change from two, 50-grain pellets to 80 grains of loose powder and bring my group of three shots to within 1 inch. Being able to increase your accuracy by 1/2-inch at 100 yards may help you shoot much-more accurately when you have the buck of a lifetime in your sights.

The biggest change I’ve ever made when I went from pellets to loose powder was when I moved to an elk load from 100 grains of powder (two pellets) to 120 grains of loose powder shooting a 300-grain bullet. The group I was shooting didn’t change much when I increased the powder at 100 yards, and I couldn’t see a significant difference. However, when I started shooting at 150 and 200 yards, the 120 grains of powder enabled me to shoot a much-tighter group than when I was using 100 grains of powder. For instance, at 150 yards, I was able to group three shots in a 2-1/2-inch circle shooting two, 50 grain pellets. When I started shooting 120 grains of loose powder, I was able to tighten my group to a 1-1/2-inch circle. This is the system I use to formulate any load for any type of game. I primarily concentrate on:

• what type of game I’ll be hunting
• what distance I want to be able to shoot to take that game
• what’s the best powder charge to deliver the most accuracy at the maximum range I plan to shoot
• what bullet combined with what powder charge will deliver the most accuracy.

I shoot both .45 and .50 caliber blackpowder rifles. If I’m shooting a .45-caliber bullet, more than likely I’ll want a .225-grain bullet.

Typically with a smaller bullet, I’ll shoot less powder. I like a 100-grain load most of the time when I’m shooting a .225-grain bullet in a .45-caliber rifle. At 100 yards with a .45-caliber rifle, I can shoot 1-1/2-inch groups.

Editor’s Note: As a customer-service representative for CVA, Dave Meredith of Norcross, Georgia, talks to blackpowder hunters and enthusiasts from all over the country daily.

One customer called the customer-service line because he couldn’t get his CVA muzzleloader sighted-in. I gave suggestions and advice that would help him get the type of accuracy he wanted out of the CVA rifle he’d purchased.
Finally, the gentleman said, “Look, I know all about sighting-in a rifle. I was trained to shoot in the military.” I told him, “CVA Muzzleloaders are a little different from the rifles you use in the military. In the past, legendary blackpowder hunters, like Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone and the early fur traders who opened-up the West, always gave their muzzleloading rifles female names. Now, I’m not trying to insult women because many of them shoot better than men. But women can be particular, and so can blackpowder rifles. Each rifle is an individual, just like each woman, and you have to determine the rifle’s likes and dislikes. Once you know what that rifle prefers, don’t try to change it.

Another guy called and told me, “Last year, I shot 1-1/2-inch groups, but since I’ve changed bullets and powder, my gun’s not shooting the same way any more. What’s wrong with it?” My answer was quite simple, “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. Shoot the same bullet and powder you’ve used when you shot 1-1/2-inch groups, and more than likely you’ll start shooting that way again.” I always remember what my daddy used to say, “Stay out from under the hood of the car. If there’s nothing wrong with it, leave it alone.”

Question: What’s one of the most-popular questions you get from customers?
Meredith: One of the questions I get most often on the CVA customer-service line is, “Where can I get parts and accessories for my CVA rifle, and why do those same parts and accessories cost more if I buy them directly from CVA than if I buy them from a local dealer?”

Question: Okay, Dave, what’s the answer?
Meredith: We prefer that you purchase parts and accessories from a dealer rather than from us. If we sell parts and accessories cheaper than our dealers, that’s not fair to them. Our dealers all across the nation carry CVA rifles, parts and accessories to take care of the customers in their areas. We’re here to take care of our customers’ problems, and I tell people when they call in, “You can go to one of our dealers and buy these parts and accessories cheaper than I can sell them to you. I’ll even give you the name and the number of the dealer closest to you.” But some people don’t want to go out of their houses to get a part or an accessory. So, if our customers don’t choose to go to a dealer to save money, we still will supply them with the parts and the accessories they need. I want customers to know that I’m not trying to jack-up the prices on him on a part or an accessory and that he can get that part or accessory cheaper somewhere else. But if you need a part today or tomorrow, we have a large number of dealers all over the country who can get those products to you more quickly and less expensively than we can. If you don’t know where a dealer’s located near your home, you can visit our website and click on “Dealers.” Most of the big-box stores and mail-order houses also carry CVA rifle parts and accessories.

Question: If my CVA rifle isn’t performing as it should, what should I do?
Meredith: Call the CVA customer-service line at 770-449-4687. Many times the problem can be fixed with a small adjustment on your rifle that we can help you do over the phone. If we can’t solve the problem over the phone, we may suggest you box-up the rifle, fill out the CVA Repair Form to tell us what the problem is, and mail the gun and the repair form directly to CVA. We’ll be more than happy to look at the rifle and determine the problem. If there’s a charge, we’ll let you know the price before we repair it. If there’s not a charge, we’ll repair the gun and return it to you. Once you get the gun back, take it out, load it properly and ensure we’ve fixed it to your satisfaction. The worst thing you can do is take that gun out of the box, put it in a closet or a gun safe and not shoot it until the day you’re ready to hunt. If we haven’t solved your problem, the sooner we know about it, the quicker we can tell you what to do to make your CVA muzzleloading rifle all you’ve hoped it will be. We always try to repair the gun when we get it. However, we may not have clearly understood the problem, or maybe the gun has two problems, and you’ve just told us about one. We want you to be happy and satisfied with your CVA rifle for as long as you own it, and we want to do everything we can to help you and that gun perform an optimal level. So, if you have a problem, call the CVA customer-service line. Any of the service technicians can help you, because they shoot CVA muzzleloading rifles and hunt with them.

Editor’s Note: Terry Oertwig, a member of the CVA Pro Staff Team, took the trip of a lifetime to Africa. The only gun he carried with him was the CVA Electra. Oertwig liked the light weight of the gun, the accuracy of the Electra out to 300 yards and the fact that he diOertwig liked the light weight of the gun, the accuracy of the Electra out to 300 yards and the fact that he didn’t have to take primers through the airport.dn’t have to take primers through the airport. “I wanted a dependable rifle that was extremely accurate for this hunt of a lifetime, and I had faith in the Electra,” Oertwig says.

One of the most-elusive animals I hunted in Africa was the gemsbok. When we first spotted a gemsbok, we had to first of all determine which way the wind was blowing, and then circle the animal to get the wind in our favor to make our stalk. While we were trying to approach the gemsbok, we spotted three wildebeests sleeping in a small hole in the ground. The guide saw them first and then motioned for us to back-up and skirt-around the wildebeests in hopes that we wouldn’t spook them. We knew if we did that they would spook the gemsbok. As we tried to get around the wildebeests, the wind changed, and the wildebeests smelled us. They jumped up and ran away from us and past the gemsbok. The gemsbok started watching the wildebeests trying to determine what had spooked them. As the gemsbok became more curious, he walked out of the bush where he had been standing and turned broadside at about 60 yards. Totally unaware of our presence, he kept watching the wildebeests. I had my shooting sticks with me, because we knew we would have to crawl to get as close as we could to the gemsbok. I rested my Electra on my shooting sticks and aimed through the scope. Once I squeezed the trigger, the animal dropped in his tracks. Because the wind was blowing to us, the burnt powder coming out of the barrel blew into my face after the shot, and I couldn’t tell what had happened. But my tracker and my guide were jumping up and down and saying, “He dropped in his tracks!” The average gemsbok generally weighs between 600 and 700 pounds. My guide was really impressed that the CVA Electra had delivered that much knock-down power.

That night when I returned to camp, I simply cleaned the bore of the Electra and brushed the prongs on the electronic-ignition system. However, I didn’t have to take the breech plug out and give the rifle a thorough cleaning, which was one of the advantages of the Electra. The Electra burns the powder so cleanly that you only need half the amount of time and half the number of patches to clean it as you do a conventional inline rifle that uses a cap for a primer. Each day I’d take a wet patch, swab it down the barrel, turn the patch over swab it down the barrel again and then take a dry patch and go down the barrel and back. Then my Electra was clean and ready for the next day. That’s all the cleaning my Electra got for 5 days of hunting. I took six animals in Africa during 4 days. I never took the CVA muzzleloader apart and thoroughly cleaned it, until I returned home to Missouri from Africa.

You have to remember that the ignition system on the Electra ignites the powder so efficiently that the powder burns cleaner than it does in most-other blackpowder rifles. The arc that’s used to ignite the powder is about 10-times hotter than a 209 primer, and the arc doesn’t have the push that the 209 primer has. That push causes the powder to ignite as it’s moving up the barrel. Because the electrodes sit right against the powder in the Electra, you get a complete start on the bottom of your powder where the powder burns cleaner. The other advantage you have is that the Electra has a sealed breech, so there’s no hole in it. Therefore with a 26-inch barrel, I’m getting 50- to 80-feet-per-second more velocity out of the barrel than I get out of my other muzzleloading rifles that have 2-inch-longer barrels.

To learn more about African safaris and Claude and Jill Kleynhans, go to www.mafigeni.com.

Editor’s Note: Dudley McGarity is the chief executive officer (CEO) for Blackpowder Products, Inc., that owns the CVA brand. Although he’s only been the CEO for 3 years, McGarity has been a part of CVA/BPI for many years.

Question: I bought a CVA muzzleloading rifle a few years ago, and now I’m ready to step-up to the next level. What’s the next level of muzzleloading gun up from a beginner’s rifle? I don’t want to buy the top of-the-line gun yet, but what’s a good in-between model?
McGarity: I’d suggest the CVA Optima. This gun will be different from the Wolf in several ways. It will have a few-more deluxe features than the Wolf. For example, the Wolf’s barrel is 2-inches longer, and the stock is more of a deluxe-type stock. Also, the Optima is considered more comfortable for most users to shoot and is available with a thumb hole in the stock, which many shooters prefer. But I can’t say that the Optima will be any more accurate to shoot than the Wolf. The Optima features a long stock with a cheek piece and a more modern-looking design to it. But the Wolf and the Optima are both great-performing guns. Where you really see a difference between guns is when you move up from the Optima to the Accura. The Accura has a Bergara barrel, which is made in Bergara, Spain, and is known for its quality workmanship that makes it perform as though it’s handmade.

Question: What will CVA’s Optima cost?
McGarity: The Optima, only about $50 more than the Wolf costs, has a starting price of about $200. You may be able to find the Wolf for about $150. So, for that extra $50, you’re getting 2-more inches of barrel length, which will increase your muzzle velocity somewhat, a more-deluxe stock and the possibility of getting a thumb-hole stock.

Question: Does the Optima come in a package like the Wolf, with everything except the percussion caps and the powder that I will need to start hunting?
McGarity: Yes, it does, and you can get the package with or without a scope. To receive the most-complete offering, the riflescope package probably is what you’ll want. This package will have all other cleaning equipment, bullets and loading equipment that you’ll find in the other CVA packages.

Question: With the scope kit, what kind of scope do I get, and does it come with the rings and the bases?
McGarity: Absolutely. You will have to set the scope up yourself, but it’s so simple to do that you won‘t have a problem. The base is very easy to use too. It has the DuraSight ring system, which is made out of Z2 alloy, making it appear to be aluminum. In these packaged guns, we put some of our best high-quality products, not just inexpensive materials. The scope is a Bushnell Sharpshooter, which is one of Bushnell’s less-expensive scopes, but it’s still a very high-quality scope for the dollars you spend. The Bushnell Sharpshooter riflescope is 3-9X. With this scope, you can shoot 1-1/2- to 2-inch groups at 100 yards.  If you move up to our Accura equipped with a Bergara barrel, then your groups will tighten-up quite a bit. And, your 200-yard groupings will be superior to what you’ll get with the Wolf or the Optima.

Editor’s Note: Although Dudley McGarity has only been chief executive officer (CEO) for Blackpowder Products, Inc. (BPI), the owner of the CVA brand, for 3 years, he’s been a part of CVA/BPI for many years, starting out as the national sales manager for CVA and then moving through the ranks to his current position of CEO.

Question: Dudley, I’ve been hunting for several years, and I really enjoy blackpowder hunting. I’m ready to step-up my game and purchase a quality blackpowder rifle. What CVA muzzleloading rifle do you suggest?

McGarity: The Accura is our top-of-the-line muzzleloader. If you’re looking for a pure muzzleloading rifle, the Accura is equipped with a Bergara Barrel, which is a very-high-quality, very-refined barrel that has the quality of a custom barrel, even though it’s built in a high-production environment. The Accura has clean rifling, and there’s no essential difference in barrel diameter, which relates to more-improved barrel accuracy. We guarantee the accuracy of the Bergara Barrel to be better than any other blackpowder barrel on the market. The fluted Bergara Barrel in either stainless steel or matte blue features finished stocks with an ambidextrous solid-composite stock that comes in standard or thumbhole designs. The hammer spur can be used from the right to the left side, so the gun is exactly the same for a left- or a right-handed shooter. The gun also comes equipped with a Quake Claw Sling, another important and added value with this particular rifle. If you want a quality gun that functions as a muzzleloader only, the Accura is our top-of-the-line choice. But, if you want a gun that can convert from a muzzleloader to a conventional rifle, consider the CVA Apex.

Question: We’ve seen blackpowder rifles before that convert into conventional rifles. What makes the CVA Apex better than the other rifles that can perform this same function?
McGarity: Once you have an Apex frame, we have a wide variety of barrels from which to choose – a .45- or a .50-caliber muzzleloader, a .22 long-rifle rimfire, a .22 or a .50 centerfire caliber or a .300 Win mag. The only difference between the centerfire rifles and the muzzleloaders is they use different forearms. So, if you buy the muzzleloader first and then buy a centerfire rifle barrel, you’ll have to only buy one centerfire forestock. Any additional centerfire barrels you purchase will fit that forestock.

Question: How much does an additional forestock cost?
McGarity: Depending on the store and whether the forestock’s camo or black, it can cost from $30 to $50.

Question: How much does an additional barrel cost?
McGarity: The barrels start at around $250 each, which is a reasonable price if you consider the quality of these barrels. We’re getting bolt-action-type groups out of break-action rifles because of the exceptional quality of the barrels, the stocks and the forearms. We expect to get 1-inch groups at 100 yards from each barrel. Now that doesn’t mean you can take any ammunition off the shelf and always get 1-inch groups. As with any other type of rifle, certain barrels shoot specific types of ammunition made by particular manufacturers, better than they do other ammunition. Or, a barrel may like a certain style of bullet and a specific grain weight. So, you always have to experiment with different loads to obtain the maximum accuracy in performance that you can expect out of any rifle, and it’s no different with the Apex or the Accura rifles than any other bolt-action rifles.

Question: How much trouble is involved in changing from a muzzleloading to a centerfire barrel?
McGarity: Changing out the barrels is very simple. First, remove the forestock, which requires taking out one screw on the muzzleloader and two screws on the centerfire rifle. Then, remove the hinge pin on the frame that holds the barrel to the frame. Tap out the pin with a punch. The barrel easily will come out. Put your other barrel in the frame and replace the hinge pin and the forestock, and you’re ready to hunt. I can go through this process in about 3-1/2-minutes. Once I’ve got my muzzleloader sighted-in with a particular bullet powder and ignition system, and my centerfire barrel sighted-in with the right bullet, my rifle will deliver maximum accuracy.

Question: When I take the muzzleloader barrel off the frame and replace it with the centerfire barrel, I expect the same type of accuracy I’ve had when I’ve initially sighted-in the centerfire rifle barrel, if I use the right ammunition. Is that correct?
McGarity: Yes. Once you have a barrel sighted-in, moving that barrel on and off the frame won’t change your point of impact. The scope is always aligned to the barrel. You can breakdown these barrels for travel and carry your gun in a smaller case than you’ll use if you don’t break them down and have to carry them as one-piece rifles. So, the breakdown capability is really important. Too, with the DuraSight rings and bases quick-detach capability, you can take your scopes off and reattach them. Then they will return to zero and be dead-on. One of the big problems hunters have in traveling with single-piece rifles is they have their scopes mounted permanently to their rifles. The scopes often will get bumped or knocked out of alignment. Then the hunter has to re-sight them. By being able to remove the scope and putting it with your carry-on luggage, when you arrive at your hunting camp, you can reattach your scope to the barrel and reattach the barrel to the stock and the forearm, and your rifle still will be accurate.

Question: How much does the CVA Apex cost?
McGarity: The suggested retail is around $500. If you compare that price to other interchangeable-barrel muzzleloaders, you’ll see that the CVA Apex is much-more affordable than our competitors, and the Apex is a better gun than competitive brands. We’ve made the Apex to not only be a better gun, but to enable our customers to purchase a better-quality gun at an affordable price. There isn’t a better blackpowder centerfire interchangeable rifle on the market than the CVA Apex, and we’re not afraid to say it.

Question: What’s the price of the Accura?

McGarity: The starting price will be around $299. So, if you don’t want the interchangeable barrels and just want the best blackpowder rifle you can buy, I suggest the Accura. If you want the interchangeable-barrel feature to be able to shoot the same rifle during any season and use the same rifle for plinking or taking squirrels, deer or elk, the Apex probably will be a better choice.

Question: Do all the CVA rifles come with an instructional video?
McGarity: No, the instructional video only comes with the rifles that are purchased as a part of the package kits. However, if you want the videos, you can purchase them separately from CVA or your dealer through our customer-service department. Too, you can go online and watch the video for free on our website at www.cva.com.

Question: How much does the video cost?
McGarity: They’re only about $5.99. If you’ve already purchased an Optima or an Accura and you’ve been hunting for a while, you already may own many of the accessories you’ll get in the kit. So, you may not need to buy one of the rifles in the kits. Most of the guns we sell in kits are most likely for first-time muzzleloading customers.

You’ve found your way to the Single Shot & Muzzleloading Rifles blog – congratulations! This blog is brought to you by CVA, the makers of the Apex line of muzzleloaders. Here we will be discussing the ins and outs of all single shot & blackpowder rifles. You can expect posts for both beginners and experts here, but be warned, even if a post is for beginners the experts may learn a thing or two!

Make sure to leave us any suggestions in the comments, especially if you have any questions about CVA muzzleloaders (or any other brand, really). We would love to take some of your questions and turn them into full blown blog posts, so ask anything your muzzleloading heart desires!