Hello the Campfire:
Well because we signed up for a bleck powder hunt next season in Ky., I invested in a CVA Optima Pro in 50 Cal ( got a great deal on it-
Now, Do any of you have this rifle, and what do you find is the most accurate load for it?which sabot is best, and are there any particular tricks I ned to know before that Ky. record atypical steps onto my shooting lane next winter? Are there any special requirments that a scope need to meat to use on a Black powder rifle? I know this sounds dumb, but thats me.

Judge Sharpe

I don't have a rifle like yours however to answer a couple of questions. It looks like Ky allows almost anything including smokeless (although you don't have a Savage so smokeless is out of the picture). As far as scopes anything that works on a centerfire or shotgun is OK on a muzzleloader. Personally I prefer the shotgun scopes as they are set up for shorter distance and usually not the higher magnification. I just bought one 3-9 power that I am going to try on my long distance but other than that I usually settle for a 1.5-5 power shotgun scope. As far as loads most CVA guns shoot Powerbelts just fine. You might also try Harvester Saber Tooth bullets (some claim better results on game with the Harvester). Pyrodex always works good but is a little more messy than some of the other substitutes. Tripple Seven is popular with most but personally I don't like it due to a bad crud ring in my Omega. Black Mag'3 is a good substitute and very clean but hard to find. APP and Goex Pinnacle are similar substitutes that are also clean and do not exibit the crud ring. You will likely have to try some different powders and bullets to see what works in your rifle. Others with the same rifle can get you started but no promise that it will work in yours.

I have two CVAs, one Kodiak and a Staghorn Mag. Both seem to like 100-110 grains of Pyrodex pellets and just about any .429 bullet in the green sabots. I think I buy TC sabots. Mine seem to shoot either 240 or 300 grain bullets to the same POI. I like the 300 XTP.

As to scopes, make sure you get the CVA mounts. The after market mounts did not fit either of mine properly, even though I made sure they were specifically for them. I also use a low power scope for hunting in Missouri, where it is legal. I chose a Weaver V3 1-3 power scope. It is very clear and reliable. I don't shoot mine past 100 yards, so that is plenty.

Hope it helps.

I put a 2-7x leupold on my CVA. It's not a optima but one of there other inlines. Mine shoots about an inch @ 50 yrds with 110 gr. of tripple 7 ffg and a 250 gr.shock wave. Here's my question for you. Allthogh I do most of my hunting in Alaska my muzzel loader hunting I do in Indiana. Thats because I have to when I'm hunting on the inlaws farm in IN. We're only 29 miles from Kentucky and the thing I like about down there is that you can use a high powered rifle. I think I would go that route (I hope that won't come off sounding bad to the guy's on this forum)
I will say that I have discovered a very enjoyable new sport by being so to speak forced into it by regulation and I plan on taking my Tradtional ML ( a Lyman deer stalker .54) back home to AK for a black bear hunt this spring.