I am thinking of getting an inline so I can hunt the early muzzleloader antlerless season in PA. I have been researching a few brands and the CVA Apex caught my eye. I like the idea that I can get some centerfire barrels as well. Does anyone here have experience with this rifle? (Good or bad opinions welcome, just trying to get some info)

Its a dam good rifle & muzzleloader for the cash

Have one and its a heck of a shooter. It is heavy though, thats its single down fall.

i have the 30-06 barrel for it as well and its a tack driver.

Bought one last year in 50 cal muzzleloader and shoots light out.Actually prefer it over my Encore,stock seems more natural and ergonomic.Speed breech plug a real plus.As far as i'm concerned,best deal around for the price.

Sounds like the Apex may be the way to go. I saw they have a 35 Whelen barrel too.

I wouldn't own one.

Most accurate muzzleloader I have owned to date...absolute drill. Not finicky it just brings it.

Swampman,

What problems have you had with the Apex? Just curious and trying to gather as much info as possible.

A google search on CVA muzzleloaders should provide plenty of info.

Ask him if he owns one or has owned one? Mike Bellm

I've tested one at great personal risk......no thanks.

swampman is just the troll of all forums, he does this on every forum except the ones im a moderator on.

He has no experience

The must have given out a lot of mind altering drugs during his stay in the Air Farce.

i see you fellers never shot a knight, the cvas arent in the same classroom with a knight i own both and a few t/cs and the apex is a picky booger and is terrible about that crud ring

crud ring happens with all 209 primer muzzle loaders.

Whats the Apex picky about? This should be interesting.

I have owned multiple knights...this blows away anything I have owned. I bet you never shot a CVA Apex. Crud ring is going on any rifle if you use crap powder. Run some BH209 and get back to me. 110 grains cci primer, barnes TEZ bullet with factory sabot...1 hole groups...how is better possible.. Load workup time 1 hour. I guess it must be a picky booger.

If it shoots a barnes, thats all you'll ever need!

That is one wicked bullet and the Apex loves them right out of the bubble pack..

There nothing wrong with CVAs an Swampman just googles

My next muzzleloader will probably be an Apex. They just handle better than an Encore and they are no heavier. Swampy is reciting info from one batch of CVAs that slipped out of the factory 10-15 years ago. They were recalled and replaced. There is a guy on the net who makes a living bashing all Spanish and Italian muzzleloaders. That is where Swampy got his info.

no not all mlers get the crud ring a good primer will get rid of that dummies,man i never seen a bunch of guys so quick to jump on a band wagon apex is like most cvas [bleep] junk. i got several knights and any of them will put a cva to shame i can shoot 1moa at 200 yards.oh my god some more guys on the [bleep] barnes kick.

Hey maconcountyboy I sighted my hawken 50 cal with a round ball for 500 yards know right where it hits about 350 short . you an swampy make a good pair I can see everthing junk except what you guys have

LOL they have special low temp 209 primers that HELP the crud ring, but no magic cure.

The only way you wont have a crud ring is if you shoot a dirty muzzle loader and allows the hot gasses escape and in the mean time, foul up your bolt- plunger - action. In other words, if you shoot an old knight without the lehigh conversion, you're fudged!

Google Dangerous Muzzleloaders

It's not just the older ones....

Anytime anywhere dumbphuck but your social schedule is probably busy dating Swampy and all.

Every firearm maker out there has had a firearm go up due to misuse. Take a look at toby bridges savage MLer and the 2 savages that randy wakeman blew up. Good luck getting him to tell you about that though

Everyone knows Toby blew that gun up on purpose. Not the case with the CVAs.

smokeless powder used in a CVA isnt done on purpose. Its done by those who are uneducated do to lack of common sense and eyes that pass over the " use black powder only!!" stamped right on the side of the barrel.

Lets not get started on remingtons lawsuits!

I always wondered where you got your opinions on firearms.

Hey can I get in on this?



They are picky about the person behind the trigger. => Nah thats not even true. Check out what the guys over at Max Muzzleloader.com have to say. I love mine.

HaYen

PJH

I cant tell you anything about the CVA your looking at .
But there ARE a lot of folks making posts to you that do have actual experience with it .
Swamps not one of them IMO .

Yes you can google and find issues with CVA . Your even going to find a given person who as was said makes his living from other manufactures kickbacks .
It should be noted that this same person can be remembered by many folks around different campfires , when he himself was asking questions on subjects . So I would point out that while he has written many a book . It doesn�t mean he has any real practical knowledge either.
But that�s all another topic .

IMO this whole quality issue is nothing more then desperate attempts by given manufactures , to do everything they can to hold onto a market .

CVA has been around longer then a lot of the people on this forum . Say what you like , but the fact still remains that while companies like Knight , have closed their doors , CVA is still here
Even when CVA was sold , it was bought up quickly . When CVA shut down their traditional lines . Those lines were also Picked up . Not so with other companies .
doesn�t that seem kind of an odd thing to have happen if all the roomer and Internet Bla bla from a few folks held much weight.
has CVA had problems , sure . but as was said by another poster . so has just about every manufacture if they have been in business for very long . Sadly , a whole lot of those issues also come from operator error . Other times its not .

My advice to you would be to listen to folks like smokepole , bigblock Oldel , Savage .
IMO they wont play games with you and will give you advise based on actual experience .
Also if you think they are partial to the CVA , ask them about a different maker . Be it Knight , Savage , Remington � . Any one of them I believe will do their best to give you information that they know , or at least tell you they don�t know

Plenty of experience and I lived to tell about it. Not everyone can say that.

Brilliant observation. If they didn't live, by definition they couldn't say that so you're right for once.

Swampman just can't seem to get himself into the 21st century CVA's and out of the dark ages.Maybe he secretly works for TC!
Honestly,i own 5 CVA's including an Apex,Optima Elite,a new Optima and a laminated stock version of the Kodiak.All are reliable,shoot great,and easy to maintain.If you do buy one,i shoot 2 or 3 50 grain 777 pellets behind 250gr SST'S and my Optima Elita and Apex both group 1"-1 1/4" at 100 yards.If you don't want to spend the extra money for the Apex and just want the muzzleloader,the new Optima with the spped breech is a great buy at around $200 on Gunbroker for the stainless version.

i agree, the new optima is a beast! Mine logged in a bit over 2,400 shots last year and its not even a year old yet!

hey you dumb [bleep] i happen to own 3 cva rifles the cva optima elite is my favorite. it shoots loose t7 good,and some dumbass recomended shooting pellets wtf. ya id like to see that roundball shoot at 500 yds what a dumbass.. yes research the primers and youll find out that some are not as hot as others,any beginner reloader or 8th grader would know that.my knights are 2 bighorns 1 long range hunter thats a true sub moa shooter at 200 yds and a disc elite. i have a new knight on order as we speak.i just had bad luck with a apex and uys cant accept that because they are fan boys.i wouldnt trade my optima elite for 10 apex rifles

im curious to what the problem was with your apex?

Alright first, watch the name calling, this is the internet. Don't take any of this personal (just ask Swampy). It makes you sound defensive and ignorant.

The op asked about brands of muzzle loaders and wanted opinion's. I don't believe his intent was to go with the loudest voice. The fact that you 1) own both CVA and Knight means you could have offered some good factual advice and 2) that you can shoot under 2 inches at 200 yards with a muzzle loader means you have some experience (note: You're not the only one that can achieve that feat) although a good tool helps.

All that being said, I've never own a Knight, but I'm not going to bad mouth them because others have sworn by them. Others' still have sworn by Traditions, Savage, Bad Bull, T/C, etc; while others' countered with negative comments about the same brands.

Make your recommendations and leave it on the table.

I will say, and this isn't a knock on the op, these "hey which <blank> do you recommend" threads can get personal because everyone has their personal favorites.

I'll stop there. By the way to some wtf means "Why The Frown". So turn that frown upside down and have another cold one ... uh root beer that is ... yeah root beer. Alcohol and firearms don't mix well =>

'nuff said!

oh i forgot you work for cva,and your son also right...

They are the bomb....no really they are the bomb.

"Bergara Barrels best in the world"

I dont work for CVA

If i am the dumb one here look at my post it saysI have mine sighted in for 500 yards with my round balls . Its 350 SHORT YARDS you know .Now don't get worked up cool down My freind I been shooting these things for going on 40 plus years and own right now most all makes

He might have the winchester apex

you are testers for cva ive talked to your son before

a tester for CVA isnt on a pay roll with them. Testers work lots of items, anything from targets, primers, bullets and write reviews, good or bad.

What was the problem with your apex though? Rather than having a pissing match, it'd be good to hear about the issue you had with your rifle rather than ignore it. It could help someone later on down the road if they experience the same issue.

Forgot:

i am the son LOL.

it was just plain ol dirty shooting gun it would shoot bh209 but it didnt like t7 or pyrodex

bigblock, have you tested the Bergara barrel in .45 cal. yet? I've got one coming for my Pro Hunter, and wondering what your findings are? Planning on 90-100 grs of BH209 with Hornady 200 gr. XTP's.

Thanx,

i havent yet, but theres a couple forum member at my place that shoot them and they've had great results with them.

.45 Apex,
http://frontiermuzzleloadin.powerguild.net/t2134-200-gr-nosler-jhp

just search around in the shooting range and you'll see some .45cal posts by the members that shoot them.