CVA Accura V2

[mtnrunner260]

Just ordered the accura v2. Should be here in about a week.
This is my first muzzleloader.
Will be used for deer and elk in Utah this year. Any suggestions on sabots, powder etc? Basically anything goes in Utah.
Thanks

 

[duckhunter175]

Buy the blackhorn 209 breechplug and use BH209 powder. Find a 209 primer that you like (I've always used winchesters).

For charges-- when using loose powder I weigh my charges. DISCLAIMER- normal black powder charges are measured by volume. So you have to make sure that you don't OVERCHARGE your rifle.

I shoot 80gr by weight--- which is generally around 110gr by volume-- and well within safe limits. If I go much over that the recoil increases significantly and accuracy drops off significantly.

SABOTS: Harvester-- In my mind these are the only way to go. The black crush ribs have fit in the 3 different Accuras that I have had. I couple them their 260gr Scorpion PT Gold. They provide great expansion and pass throughs that leave good blood trails and I've always had short recoveries. All my experience is on ~150lb whitetails.

For elk the 260gr might be a bit light-- I think they have some heavier choices in that same bullet or I'd even consider looking at a monolithic like the Barnes.

 

[Rmhely]

New to muzzleloading too. How many shots can you get with the Blackhorn and Harvester sabots before it gets hard to reload?

 

[duckhunter175]

I've shot 3 shot groups without difficulty. Past 3 and it gets tight. Guns might vary on this however.

If you're in the field and go past 3 you will want to at least run a brush through it to knock out fouling. The QRBP makes this super easy.

 

[efnm]

I shoot around 76.5 gr BH and 250 Barnes TEZ with the blue sabot. I agree, WEIGH your loads for consistency!

 

[2blade]

yep, Blackhorn 209 is the way to go with the Harvester black crushed rib sabot. My Mountain rifle will shoot Barnes 250-290grs or Hornady's 250-300gr almost 5 holes touching at 100 yds all day long, 90 grs of powder by volume. I don't clean it until I get home, 20 to 30 shots in a row is no problem. Can't say that when using Pyrodex or black powder, have to swab every shot with that stuff.

 

[mtnrunner260]

Great info. Sounds like blackhorn 209 is way to go.
Just regular shotshell primers or is there any benefit to using the magnums?

 

[mlevimadden]

Great info. Sounds like blackhorn 209 is way to go.
Just regular shotshell primers or is there any benefit to using the magnums?

**removed after correction

I agree with all the others about using weighed charges of blackhorn 209 with sabots. I have a CVA Accura that likes 77 gr of 209 by weight behind a 290 gr Barnes TMZ. I have no problem with loading 3 shot groups without cleaning.

 

[cornfedkiller]

New to muzzleloading too. How many shots can you get with the Blackhorn and Harvester sabots before it gets hard to reload?

Out of my Accura, I shoot BH209, Barnes 290gr bullet, black harvester crush rib sabots, and Federal 209A primers. I get excellent groups out to 200 yards (all the further I've tried so far), and I can shoot a couple dozen shots with no change in POI or loading difficulty.

I will add this - I personally weigh my BH charges because it doesnt make as much of a mess as my volume measurer, but I've been told blackhorn suggests measuring by volume because it will be more accurate, as the volumes weigh differently from batch to batch.. I've read that on several muzzleloading forums. I may go back to measuring by volume in the future because I think my groups were actually tighter then. I'm going to send an email to Blackhorn and see what they say and I'll get back to you on that!

 

[2blade]

Federal 209A primers is what we use as well.

 

[Rmhely]

Thanks, KFD. Let me know what Blackhorn says. I've hand loaded for years and the thought of measuring a charge by volume makes me nervous. Maybe it makes sense to buy Blackhorn in 5 lbs lots? I would hope you'd be consistent measuring by weight, at least until the lot ran out.

 

[cornfedkiller]

I emailed Blackhorn, and it didn't really solve the debate. They basically told me to remember that weight and volume is NOT the same (don't think "oh my gun can handle 120 grains of powder" and put 120 grains by volume).

They then told me there are density differences from lot to lot so the weight to volume ratio won't always be exactly the same, but measuring by weight and measuring by volume should be equally consistent. The gentleman that replied to the email told me that he personally measures his loads by weight.

In my mind, weighing SHOULD be more consistent because it should equal the same amount of propellant, and shouldn't be affected by shaking the tube, etc.

Just remember to multiply by 0.7. If you want 100 grains by volume, it should be 70 by weight.

 

[mlevimadden]

I emailed Blackhorn, and it didn't really solve the debate. They basically told me to remember that weight and volume is NOT the same (don't think "oh my gun can handle 120 grains of powder" and put 120 grains by volume).

They then told me there are density differences from lot to lot so the weight to volume ratio won't always be exactly the same, but measuring by weight and measuring by volume should be equally consistent. The gentleman that replied to the email told me that he personally measures his loads by weight.

In my mind, weighing SHOULD be more consistent because it should equal the same amount of propellant, and shouldn't be affected by shaking the tube, etc.

Just remember to multiply by 0.7. If you want 100 grains by volume, it should be 70 by weight.

I used to eyeball my charges by volume with the test tubes, but it seemed totally inconsistent. Just a little shake of the tube to loosen or settle the powder would change the volume measurement. I now weigh charges on a scale to the 10th of a grain, whereas before I bet my accuracy wasn't any better than +/- 2 gr by volume. Even if there are discrepancies in density between batches, I would have a hard time believing I was more accurate with the volume measurement. Just my 2 cents.

As for all the folks running the crush rib sabots with Barnes bullets and 209 powder, which sabots are you using? I assume it would be the smokeless powder one because of the blackhorn 209, but there is also the boattail sabot. Sorry to de-rail the thread but I figured it might help the OP with their load development.

 

[cornfedkiller]

I used to eyeball my charges by volume with the test tubes, but it seemed totally inconsistent. Just a little shake of the tube to loosen or settle the powder would change the volume measurement. I now weigh charges on a scale to the 10th of a grain, whereas before I bet my accuracy wasn't any better than +/- 2 gr by volume. Even if there are discrepancies in density between batches, I would have a hard time believing I was more accurate with the volume measurement. Just my 2 cents.

As for all the folks running the crush rib sabots with Barnes bullets and 209 powder, which sabots are you using? I assume it would be the smokeless powder one because of the blackhorn 209, but there is also the boattail sabot. Sorry to de-rail the thread but I figured it might help the OP with their load development.

Blackhorn specifically says not to use their plastic tubes as a measuring device.. Very "ballpark". If you want to measure by volume, use the brass measuring tube thing with the hinged cover (or I think TC's version has a slider thing).

As far as the crush rib sabots, I use the black ones. I'm not sure they are any more accurate than the factory blue ones that come with the Barnes TEZs, but they aren't any less accurate and they definitely slide down the barrel much easier and much smoother!

 

[mtnrunner260]

Good info guys. I picked up some Blackburn 209 today.
I'll get the breech plug and accessories next week when gun comes in. Planning on Barnes 250 gr. Probably grab the crushed ribs sabots if loading is a pain.
Getting excited to work a load up.

 

[cornfedkiller]

Good info guys. I picked up some Blackburn 209 today.
I'll get the breech plug and accessories next week when gun comes in. Planning on Barnes 250 gr. Probably grab the crushed ribs sabots if loading is a pain.
Getting excited to work a load up.

I should also mention, my gun shoots more consistently with a dirty/fouled barrel. I don't leave it dirty with blackhorn for more than a couple days, but before I go out hunting, I make sure my barrel is dry (run a dry patch down it with your jag), and then fire 2 primers off to foul the barrel a little.

And don't try to clean Blackhorn with black powder solvent. Use regular gun cleaning solvent (I personally use Butch's).

 

[Danomite]

Just to provide information regarding an additional option, I use 250 grain Hornady SSTs (45 cal bullet, 50 cal sabot) with 2 triple 7 magnum pellets (60 grains each) in my CVA Accura V2. In the last three years I've killed a bull elk at 75 yards and two mule deer bucks at 145 and 165 yards, respectively, each with one shot and less than 30 yard recoveries. That said, I'm considering testing the 209 breech plug and powder for easier cleaning and hopefully the ability to shoot heavier bullets with more velocity and more accurately.

 

[ENCORE]

Only use blackhorn 209 with 209 shotshell primers. That is the reason for the powder's name. Using magnum primers could cause unsafe pressures and a serious mishap.........

If you check the BH209 site under FAQ's, you'll see that Western states: "We have experienced the best performance, consistency and accuracy with CCI 209M and Federal 209A." FAQs << Blackhorn 209
Both the CCI209M and Federal 209A are magnum primers.
Stay within the recommended charges.

 

[duckhunter175]

Just to provide information regarding an additional option, I use 250 grain Hornady SSTs (45 cal bullet, 50 cal sabot) with 2 triple 7 magnum pellets (60 grains each) in my CVA Accura V2. In the last three years I've killed a bull elk at 75 yards and two mule deer bucks at 145 and 165 yards, respectively, each with one shot and less than 30 yard recoveries. That said, I'm considering testing the 209 breech plug and powder for easier cleaning and hopefully the ability to shoot heavier bullets with more velocity and more accurately.

Once you shoot BH209 and the Harvester crush rib sabots you will never go back! I used to run the same set up as you. I got much better accuracy under 1.5" at 150 yards, cleaning is easier and everything overall is much more consistent. I also had issues with under-expansion on SSTs (muzzy and shotgun slugs) so I canned em and went to the Scorpion PT gold. For elk it seems like lots of guys in this thread are loving the Barnes 290s.

Good luck!

 

[peddler]

Blackhor 209 and CCI 209 Magnum primers out of my TC G2 .45 with Precision Rifle 195 grain .357 sabots.Killers!