Single Shot Muzzleloading Rifles Blog

Editor’s Note: Outdoor TV personality Chad Schearer of Great Falls, Montana, has guided clients to mule deer and elk each season as well as hunted on his own. Today, he’s the host of the “Shoot Straight with Chad Schearer” television show presented by CVA that airs on the Sportsman Channel, Fox Sports South, the Lonestar Network and CBS Montana.

Question: Chad, you hunt all over the West. When you owned Central Montana Outfitters, you guided hunters to elk, as well as mule deer. What gun and powder charge do you recommend for taking elk?

Schearer: I suggest using either the CVA Accura V2 or the CVA Apex. But if you’re looking for a less-expensive Muzzleloaders, you can take elk with a CVA Optima or even a CVA Wolf. One of the advantages CVA has over many other Muzzleloading-rifle companies is CVA has quality, accurate rifles to accommodate every hunter. The load I suggest for elk is 150 grains of powder. However, I once took a moose with only…

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Editor’s Note: Chad Schearer of Great Falls, Montana, former owner and operator of Central Montana Outfitters, guided clients to mule deer and elk each season as well as hunted on his own. Today, Schearer is host of the “Shoot Straight with Chad Schearer” television show presented by CVA that airs on the Sportsman Channel, Fox Sports South, the Lonestar Network and CBS Montana.

Question: Chad, which CVA rifle are you hunting with now, and how are you loading it?

Schearer: The situation and the game I’m hunting dictate the rifle I use. I hunt with the CVA Apex quite a bit, because it allows me to change barrels and keep the same rifle frame. With the Apex, I can hunt for deer or varmints, just by using different barrels. But when I’m using the Apex as a muzzleloader, I’ll load with either 100- or 150-grain PowerBelt bullets. I like IMR White Hots pellets. If I’m doing a whitetail hunt, I’ll use either a 245- up to a 295-grain PowerBelt bullet. If I’m hunting elk and shooting a .45 barrel, I’ll use a 275-grain bullet. If I’m shooting the .50 barrel, I’ll use either a 295- to as large as a 348-grain bullet. I like either the PowerBelt or the PowerBelt Platinum bullets the best, and I really like the Winchester 777 Primer. I’ve experimented with all different types of primers, and the Winchester primers give me the most-consistent ignitions. I’ve been extremely successful using that primer the last several years.

Question: One of the selling points with the CVA rifles is the Bergara barrels and the accuracy they deliver, even out to extended ranges. What’s the longest shot you’ve ever taken successfully with a CVA rifle?

Schearer: The longest shot I’ve ever seen with a CVA rifle was made by….

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by Mark Hendricks

Editor’s Note: Oftentimes progress is one step back and two steps forward, as is the case with the .35 Whelen and the CVA Apex. There has been a revival of this old caliber, and it’s found a new home in the State of Mississippi during primitive weapons season where the .35 Whelen is writing a new chapter in the story of the return of old calibers. To learn why CVA has begun building barrels for the .35-caliber Whelen cartridge, we’ve talked with Mark Hendricks, vice president of technical development for CVA.

The .35 Whelen is an interesting caliber. It recently has become popular in the State of Mississippi because of its well-known history. In 1922, James Virgil Howe of Griffin & Howe fame designed this caliber cartridge and developed a rifle specifically for Colonel Townsend Whelen, considered by many sportsmen in the early 1900s as the foremost authority on al types of rifles. The cartridge and the rifle were named the .35 Whelen in the Colonel’s honor. Howe designed the cartridge to be the best all-around big-game cartridge of its day. He specifically wanted a cartridge that efficiently would take down moose, bear, elk and other big game. In its heyday, the .35 Whelen was almost as powerful as the .375 H&H Magnum. It was the Big Daddy of calibers at that time, but Howe used a standard action instead of a big magnum action. He had a standard bolt face, rather than the big belted case, so the caliber would fit in a model .70 Hauser or a Springfield. This caliber cartridge delivered 3,400- to 3,500-foot pounds of energy to those big animals.

The State of Mississippi decided to allow hunters during its primitive weapons season to use the .45-70 caliber after Louisiana decided to allow its hunters to use that caliber. The hunters who had the .38-55 type of rifles probably were upset that they might not be able to use their guns that shot older calibers. The Mississippi law was written to include .35 caliber or bigger for the State’s primitive weapons season. The .35 Whelen was the biggest caliber cartridge available in that range, and the hunters embraced this caliber because it was very-well balanced for big game. In this bullet, you shoot a 200- to a 250-grain .35-caliber bullet at the mid to upper 2,000-feet-per-second (fps) range. We see speeds of 2,500 to 2,600 fps. The 200-grain bullets Remington makes will come out of the barrel at about 2,700- to 2,750-foot pounds per second. So, it’s a big bullet with a big diameter traveling really fast, which produces good range and delivers really-strong knock-down power.

In terms of energy, the .35 Whelen ranks with today’s modern magnum models like the 7mm magnum. It compares very favorably with those calibers, without nearly as much recoil. Modern calibers often deliver a sharp, shocking-type recoil, whereas the .35 Whelen has more of a push-type recoil. Connecticut Valley Arms is producing the .35 Whelen barrels for its Optima and Optima Elite rifles. To order one of these calibers from CVA, make sure to tell us the type of rifle you own. Mississippi is unique in that so far, it’s the only state that allows hunters to use the .35 Whelen during its designated primitive weapons season for deer. In other states, the .35 Whelen is just another caliber that can be used during rifle season. In recent years, the .35 Whelen was a dead caliber. It was a wildcat round until about 1986 or 1987, when Remington came out with this caliber in their 700 Classic Series. Remington helped legitimize the caliber, and the .35 Whelen became really popular at that time. However, since then, this caliber of cartridge has been on the decline, until recently when Mississippi began allowing the use of this caliber during its primitive weapons season.

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: 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!