Couzer Report post Posted December 2, 2012 I just inherited a CVA Traditional Muzzle loader for my HAM Javilina hunt in February. Unfortunately I know nothing about them, but I am excited to go out and shoot it. 1. It says Connecticut Valley Arms .50 cal, so as I googled it CVA came up. How do I know how old this gun is? 2. Wife’s Grandpa won it at a school auction back in the day and doesn't know anything about it either. I think that’s why he gave it to me. 3. I only have the gun, no supplies with it. 4. Where can I buy Black Powder? I know that Pyrodex is easier to find, but would rather shoot the Black Powder. 5. How do I know what size bullet should I buy? I know it’s a .50cal but i have heard there are different size bullets for the .50cal. 6. What size patches do I need to buy? 7. Does anyone have extra supplies they would be willing to sell? 8. It uses primers, not a flint lock. What size primers do i need to buy? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sundevils79 Report post Posted December 2, 2012 made some comments below...hope it helps. I just inherited a CVA Traditional Muzzle loader for my HAM Javilina hunt in February. Unfortunately I know nothing about them, but I am excited to go out and shoot it. 1. It says Connecticut Valley Arms .50 cal, so as I googled it CVA came up. How do I know how old this gun is? . Not too old more than likely not older than 20 years. Here is a link for the manual http://www.cva.com/pdf/Side.pdf 2. Wife’s Grandpa won it at a school auction back in the day and doesn't know anything about it either. I think that’s why he gave it to me. 3. I only have the gun, no supplies with it. 4. Where can I buy Black Powder? I know that Pyrodex is easier to find, but would rather shoot the Black Powder. I would shoot Pyrodex or Triple7 in that gun and you can get it at Sportsmans. Black Powder is really dirty compared to the newer powders. You will also get better performance out of the gun with the pyrodex or triple7. 5. How do I know what size bullet should I buy? I know it’s a .50cal but i have heard there are different size bullets for the .50cal. I have this same gun and the last time that I hunted javalina with it I just used a round ball. If you would rather use a bullet I would shoot a sabot and find the lightest one you can. Sportsmans has a good selection and they can also recommend soemthing for you. I shoot the hornady 250 gr SST's in my guns and get good performance. One thing to keep in mind is that more than likely this hawken style rifle has a 1 in 48" barrell twist vs. the 1 in 28" twist on the newer inlines. This makes these guns less accurate hence the reason not many people use them much anymore. 6. What size patches do I need to buy? 7. Does anyone have extra supplies they would be willing to sell? Sorry still use my stuff. If you dont have anything you might consider getting a starter kit from cabelas or bass pro. you'll need a minimum the following. powder measure flask spare nipple patches bullet starter cleaning kit 8. It uses primers, not a flint lock. What size primers do i need to buy? These rifles came ready for a #11 percussion cap which you can buy at Sportsmans ($4 for a tin of 100). If it has been converted to 209 (shotgun primer) then you will need to buy some of those instead. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couzer Report post Posted December 2, 2012 Thanks sundevil, appreciate you posting the manual. I plan on shooting the round balls, looks like it shoots the .490 ones. Looks like i need to head over to bass pro or cabelas for the kit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elkaholic Report post Posted December 3, 2012 cva could date 30 yrs ago - i made a kit .50/54 back then- excellent accurracy out to 100 yrds using round balls and 100 grains of pyrodex powder! avoid black powder and itshard to find! to shoot - balls -(pre lubed) patches)- powder/ and a measurer - caps #11 - bullet starter to have around - nipple wrench - ball puller/ patch puller and a cleaning jib. speed loaders come in handy. i just gave/sent everything i had for my cva and the gun back to hunt in muzzy camp/wisc. - it stayed never shoot more than 3-4 rounds before cleaning barrel - they have a bore cleaning solution and get extra white cleaning patches to clean the bore to keep shooting or sighting in!- to clean and put away - always just clean with HOT soapy water- when hunting or sighting in - always shoot a cap before you load it and after you've cleaned the barrel between sight in shots - to make sure the nipple is clear i always blow the barrel before i reload between shots too! goosd luck - what unit did yiou draw for your HAM hunt? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yotebuster Report post Posted December 4, 2012 It could use musket caps as well, but mostly likely #11 caps are what it needs. +1 on staying away from black powder, it's corrosive, unlike pyrodex. I would use .490 round balls and pre lubed patches, you'll need a bullet starter to get them down as they start way harder then the new guns do. Use BOILING soapy water to clean it, take the nipple off, and stick the barrel in the boiling water and use a moist patch to draw the water up into the barrel like a syringe and push it in and out. The reason it needs to be BOILING and not just hot is that it will evaporate off when you get done and not rust. I run a little film of bore butter down the barrel before I store it. Always shoot a cap through it before loading as well. Don't try to shoot bullets out of it, it most likely has a 1 in 48 twist and will only stabilize round balls, also a roundball is more then sufficient for a pig. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couzer Report post Posted December 4, 2012 Right on! Thanks guys! 22 HAM hunt Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
