Made The Purchase: New CVA Accura V2

Cow Tag

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Recently, I purchased a new CVA Accura V2 muzzle loader rifle. Today, I did a little practice shooting. Open sights and 80 grains of Black Horn and the 270 grain Federal copper bullet and the hot CCI primer. Do not believe that this weapon was sighted in at the factory but at 50 yards the bullet placement was very good.....2" group using a big heavy duty sandbag as a rest. Moved out to 100 yard distance and my group scattered of course. I do not claim to be a terrific rifle shot and I am 68 years old. My old eyes see two of the bright front sight at this standard distance. I put three out of three Federal bullets into the black 8" circle though the grouping was not terrific. I believe that any of my 3 shots would have killed a cow elk though. I like this new CVA M.L. rifle.
Asking you hunters a question here: Do you believe that the 270 grain bullet is sufficient to kill a cow elk if the distance is held to under 150 yards? Is 270 grains enough BULLET. they make this bullet in the 350 flavor too though they are sort of hard to locate. Also, is 80 grains of BH 209 powder enough powder to hunt Colorado within 5 weeks (September 10)? Would appreciate any honest replies. Good Luck to you if you have a hunt planned for this fall. Cow Tag Man
 
A 270 grain bullet is plenty of bullet to kill a cow elk. However, there's some considerations you might want think about. If you're using 80 grains of BH209 by volume the muzzle velocity would likely under 1600fps with about 1500fpe. At 150 yards velocity has fallen to around 1250fps with energy of around 950.
I've never shot any of the Federal all copper bullets and don't know the minimum velocity required to get them to expand.
If it were me I'd keep my shots to a maximum of 100 yards. Energy at that distance would be around 1100fpe.
 
I did shoot three shots prior to my STARTING my session today using my usual 90 grains of Black Horn. The recoil was pretty tremendous and was an eye opener. I have used an old Remington model 700 in .54 caliber for years while hunting in Colorado. Have used BlackHorn powder in this Remington ever since the product was invented (I had an new ignition system installed in this Remington 700 to make the BH function properly). The old Remington did not kick nearly as much as did my new CVA Accura V2 did today. I lowered the charge to 80 as I was starting out in my research to find the best combination for this weapon to hunt cow elk in Colorado in about one month. Do appreciate your comments and advice. The 90 grain charge would have enough or plenty of speed and knock down authority wouldn't it? What is your opinion about using 90 grains instead of 80? Thanks, Cow Tag Man
 
My CVA load is 90gr BH, 300gr FPB, with the same CCI primer as you. Works well for me and 150yds is a long poke but I believe this load has plenty of poop to take a bull let alone a cow. So I think your 270gr with 80 or 90 grains would be plenty.

"Courage is being scared to death but
saddling up anyway."
 
Tail, I heard that the Hornady FPB bullet would not go down the bore of a new Accura V2 M.L. rifle. Guess that they will slide down the barrel of your rifle. A fellow V2 owner told me that he could not get a 350 grain Hornady FPB bullet to start down the bore of his new CVA Accura V2 rifle. Are your tolerances close/tight? Heard good reviews about the FPB bullet and I would consider using them to hunt for a cow elk come September 10th if they could be loaded in my Accura V2? Any advice on this?
 
Get a stout bullet starter and pop it in. Takes a pretty decent rap on the top but once started it goes good. Just takes more effort.

"Courage is being scared to death but
saddling up anyway."
 
>Get a stout bullet starter and
>pop it in. Takes a
>pretty decent rap on the
>top but once started it
>goes good. Just takes more
>effort.
>
>"Courage is being scared to death
>but
>saddling up anyway."


Hey tail!

You Pack a Hammer in the Woods?









[font color="blue"]dude has his Resume turned in to be Hillary's
Intern[/font]
 
> Hey tail!
>
>You Pack a Hammer in the
>Woods?
>

Colorado smoke poles ain't for puzzies fella. Ya gotta man up if ya want be taken serious around these parts and still get the job done.


"Courage is being scared to death but
saddling up anyway."
 
I am curious as well if you are using 80gr by Volume or Weight? I recently bought the same Muzzleloader as you and am using 77gr of Blackhorn by weight or 110 by Volume with a 295gr bullet. It is a little eye opening but not horrible. I was impressed with it's accurracy as I too can't see like I used to.
 
Lone, I always use Black Horn by 'volume.' At my next practice shooting session, I will use the 90 grains of BH by volume instead of 80 and will compare the accuracy results. Will send you a report. Thanks for your comment.
 
I am afraid of trying to pound or to force a Hornady 350 FPB bullet down the bore of my new Accura V2. I have the four copper Sizing Bullets sent to me by the manufacturer's of the good THOR bullets and the .500 size copper sizing bullet was snug and would not go into the barrel with me just using finger pressure. I bet the bore diameter of my CVA Accura V2 is like .499 or there about. My new Accura liked the Federal copper bullet in the 270 grain weight and I suppose that I will stay with this bullet for my upcoming hunting experience in Colorado. Will shoot a few of the PowerBelt platinum 338 grain silver bullets just to see if Mr. Accura likes them also. I have time yet to acquire a load that is accurate. Accuracy is why I purchased the CVA Accura V2 as they are supposed to be a very accurate muzzle loader rifle at 100 big ole country boy steps away.
 
I am using 110gr of Blackhorn and the CCI 209 primer with the 295gr Powerbelt for my Antelope tag. 1 1/2 high at 100yds. I think you are on the right track and a little less velocity is not a bad thing until you get out too far. It is tough with open sights and I am glad I got a peep for my rear sight. It helps.
 
>I am afraid of trying to
>pound or to force a
>Hornady 350 FPB bullet down
>the bore of my new
>Accura V2.

Please don't miss understand what I am trying to express and perhaps my previous wording gave this wrong perception. The FPB takes more downward pressure to start. Seating it isn't all that difficult but it does require more physical effort to load as compared to other similar bullets. I simply use a firm rap with the palm of my hand on the top of my starter to push the bullet into the muzzle then push down until seated. Once seated I give a half dozen solid raps with the ramrod and I'm good to go.

Good luck with your choice.

"Courage is being scared to death but
saddling up anyway."
 
I will follow your lead. wonder if I could or should apply a little sewing machine oil (fine oil or gun oil) to the bullet as a lubricant before poking the bullet down the barrel? The tolerances are real close for sure. Can you start your FPB bullet by hand? I cannot not. How accurate are the Hornady FPB bullet (350's ?) in your Accura V2?
 
Cowtag, do what you are comfortable with as your present load should be adequate and if you can not start the bullet then I wouldn't use them. Starting a bullet in mine requires a stout bullet starter as it is tight. I have broken my share of starters. My gun typically shoots 2 inch groups with open sight.

"Courage is being scared to death but
saddling up anyway."
 
CowTag,
I have the exact CO set-up. Been using 300 FPB on recent deer hunts but opted to try the 350s for upcoming elk gig. I did not find the accuracy I was after even with trying diff volumes of BH. Had a rep at Shields talk me into Power Belts. Bought both the 338 Platnum and 290 or 295 standards. Decided to go with 290 or 295 whatever they are because of 2 things. Better accuracy than all others and ease of loading. A true pleasure to load. Just my experience.
Best of Luck
Riggo
 
I would not personally ever use a 290 powerbelt on an elk. Yes, they load very easily, and yes, they are accurate in my guns. Just too many better bullets when they hit such a large creature (elk) to risk it IMO. 338 platinum much preferred, even if slightly less accurate. When I used to use powerbelts, I used the 405 gr.

Bottom line, no matter what skin is on top, powerbelts are a SOFT lead bullet. 290 gr soft lead is marginal in my book for an elk. slip it into the lungs right behind the shoulder and you are good to go. But hit a bone with that bullet and you are usually screwed. I broke the forearm bone of an elk with a 350 gr FPB and it continued into the chest and blew up the heart. Just my 2 cents

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
 
>I would not personally ever use
>a 290 powerbelt on an
>elk. Yes, they load
>very easily, and yes, they
>are accurate in my guns.
> Just too many better
>bullets when they hit such
>a large creature (elk) to
>risk it IMO. 338
>platinum much preferred, even if
>slightly less accurate. When
>I used to use powerbelts,
>I used the 405 gr.
>
>
>Bottom line, no matter what skin
>is on top, powerbelts are
>a SOFT lead bullet.
>290 gr soft lead is
>marginal in my book for
>an elk. slip it
>into the lungs right behind
>the shoulder and you are
>good to go. But hit
>a bone with that bullet
>and you are usually screwed.
> I broke the forearm
>bone of an elk with
>a 350 gr FPB and
>it continued into the chest
>and blew up the heart.
> Just my 2 cents
>
>
>txhunter58
>
>venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore
>I am)

I have to agree.. I have told this story on here before, but I shot a large bull during rifle season. When I was skinning or caping him out I found 5 Powerbelts in a 6 inch diameter stuck in the skin. I had to cut them out and when I weighed them I came to the conclusion they were 295's. I then found 2 more in the Ham or hind quarter, again stuck in the skin and had to cut them out. No bull stands still to be shot at 7 times and 5 of those shots were kill shots. I then read that pushing the 295's too fast will cause them to splat. I will leave that to the experts, but did not like what I saw performance wise on a thick skinned animal. Now I shot him with a 30-378 Weatherby @ 222 yds with 180gr TXS Barnes and have never before found a bullet. Always a pass through... I shot him twice and found both bullets under the hide on the opposite side.. Tough critter and those S. Colorado bulls are huge in the body.. I would stick with what TXhunter58 has recommended for bullets on elk for sure. 295 on antelope shouldn't be a issue for me. Good luck Cowtag!!
 
Very Much appreciate members knowledge. Back to the Hornadys I will go. To much on the line to have a bullet failure. Again, Thank You

Riggo
 
I just shot the 350 grain FPB's out of my Omega. Wow, they shot well, better than anything I have tried before. I settled on a 100 grain load because it was the most accurate. I started at 80 and shot 5 shot groups, then 90, then 100. I put a scope on it for load development and shot 1.5" groups which I will not match when I put the peep back on.
 

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