Triple Se7en

Stick with the Powerbelt. Use the 405's with 80-90 grains of powder. Your manual doesn't want you to use 100 or more grains with a 400 grain bullet.

Most-all regular conicals in a fast twist sabot gun like yours-prefer bullets over 400 grains. Most shoot best with 430-500 grains.... too much leadaccording to your owners manual. As long as you are reducing the powder charge down to around 80-90 grains, you are fine using the 405 gr. Powerbelt.

dmurphy317

Your CVA manual states the the max conical size you can shoot is 400 grains when using 150gr of powder. In my communications with CVA about heavier bullets they have consistantly indicated that heavier bullets up to around 530 grains were safe when a max of 100 grains of powder was used. I have shot several boxes of both No Excuse and Bullshop 460's out of several of my CVA guns with 70 to 90 grains of powder with very good results. If you want verification of these limits I would suggest you contact CVA directly and get the info straight from the company as I did. Also, if you would like a ballistic chart for the 460's I can post it for you.

frontier gander

No No, 150 grain Pellet charge and a maximum 300 grain sabot.

100 grain loose powder load with 400 grain conical.

Im sure you can easily use a heavier bullet, But what i think cva is worried about is people using tight fitting conicals that may build up to much pressure.

dmurphy317

FG,
You are correct about the 300grsabot and 150 grains of pellets but the same 150 pellets max is for 400 grain conical also. I may have been too vague when I said 150 max before, I meant pellets not powder. Sorrry for any confusion.

Edited for sabot instead of conical, Data based on the manual that came with my rifle and conversations with CVA.

Indiana SmokePole

FXd

Sent You A PM !!!

Ron

fxd

wow lots of good info,just what i was looking for.so now im thinking a 405,444 pb or 460 no excuse or bull shop with less powder say 90gr. would be a better load for elk than a 385gr bullet with 100gr. what ever the gun groups best. what about wads and gas check ive read about with the bull shops. how do you know if you need to use them? im all for the heavier bullet.i just want to make sure if i get a chance the bullet will do the job.

sabotloader

fxd

I personally do use a .125x.510 shot card with the Bull Shops especially since I am shooting T7 a very hot powder. The card offers some insulation value to the bottom of the bullet to prevent melting and then the subsequent leading of the barrel. It also acts as a bore wipe going down the barrel when loading. The last value for me is it also keeps the bullet lubricant from contacting the powder and contaminating the the top of the powder.

Hunting I use the wad anytime I have time to load it... if i needed that rapid second shot I would just forego the wad.







WAD-510-A
.510" diameter, ideal for .50 caliber rifles, .125" over powder card, 1000
$7.50


http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(h3hid045h4utgt45rafgtn45))/categories/tableList.aspx?catId=2&subId=37&styleId=12 1&PageSize=25&Page=2

With your gun you will probably need a .503/460 grain Bull Shop. The Optima normally has a very tight barrel. Before you were to order any let me know and I will send you a few to try in your barrel both .503 and .504 - heck it migh even work out yo need a different size but I doubt it.

mike

Chris W.

When I had my optima, it liked a 410 gr. Great Plains conical on top of 90 gr. of 777. They went down the barrel pretty easy after you pop them down past the muzzle.

frontier gander

444 grain powerbelt would not be legal in colorado. We have the 1" law.

Chris W.

1" law?