Above - CVA .50 Accura MR - With 3-9x40mm Hi-Lux Optics BDC Reticle TB-ML Hunting Scope
NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING
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Competitive Cross-Over Shooting
So...What Is Competitive Cross-Over Shooting? Well, let's just say that it IS NOT a new discipline of competition target shooting.
Here at NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING, we are extremely proud to have both Traditions Performance Firearms and Connecticut Valley Arms (a.k.a. CVA) on board as Primary Rifle Sponsors of this website (along with our other muzzleloader sponsors - Cooper Firearms, Thompson/Center Arms and Davide Pedersoli & Co.). Often, in our reports on this web magazine, we will include rifles from several different "competing" companies...NOT to present one make or model of rifle "superior" over other rifles we use for our testing. In reality, it has become our goal to share what tends to make all of these rifles, or at least a majority of these rifles, perform well.
Both Traditions and CVA offer a variety of modern in-line ignition rifles - each with a lower priced entry level rifle ($200 to $300 MSRP)...with a slightly better grade of economically priced rifles($300 to $400 MSRP)...then something of a "Performance Class" model ($400 to $500 MSRP)...and a premium "Top of the Line" model ($600 TO $700 MSRP) which typically sells for about twice the price of their entry level models. The two .50 caliber rifles shown in the lead photo of this article could both likely be considered upper economical/performance class models - sharing similar features and suggested retail prices. The rifle on the left side of the lead photo (and in the banner photo across the top of the page) is the CVA Accura MR, the rifle on the right side of the photo (and in the following photo) is the Traditions VORTEK Ultra Light (LDR model shown).
Here at NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING, we are extremely proud to have both Traditions Performance Firearms and Connecticut Valley Arms (a.k.a. CVA) on board as Primary Rifle Sponsors of this website (along with our other muzzleloader sponsors - Cooper Firearms, Thompson/Center Arms and Davide Pedersoli & Co.). Often, in our reports on this web magazine, we will include rifles from several different "competing" companies...NOT to present one make or model of rifle "superior" over other rifles we use for our testing. In reality, it has become our goal to share what tends to make all of these rifles, or at least a majority of these rifles, perform well.
Both Traditions and CVA offer a variety of modern in-line ignition rifles - each with a lower priced entry level rifle ($200 to $300 MSRP)...with a slightly better grade of economically priced rifles($300 to $400 MSRP)...then something of a "Performance Class" model ($400 to $500 MSRP)...and a premium "Top of the Line" model ($600 TO $700 MSRP) which typically sells for about twice the price of their entry level models. The two .50 caliber rifles shown in the lead photo of this article could both likely be considered upper economical/performance class models - sharing similar features and suggested retail prices. The rifle on the left side of the lead photo (and in the banner photo across the top of the page) is the CVA Accura MR, the rifle on the right side of the photo (and in the following photo) is the Traditions VORTEK Ultra Light (LDR model shown).
Both of these rifles are external hammer break-open models...both feature 1-in-28 inches rifling twists...both feature a quick and easy to remove breech plug...and both are No. 209 primer ignition models. The suggested retail price for the 25" barreled stainless steel CVA Accura MR, with black synthetic stocks, is $472. Suggested retail for the 28" barreled Cerekote treated stainless Traditions VORTEK Ultra Light, with black synthetic stocks, is $464 (the 30" barreled LDR version runs $479). So, as you can see, other than the 3-inch difference in the barrel length of either "standard model", the two rifles are extremely comparable.
Where these rifles tend to vary the most is not with the features of the two competing models, but rather in the projectiles each of these brand name lines recommends for their rifles.
Where these rifles tend to vary the most is not with the features of the two competing models, but rather in the projectiles each of these brand name lines recommends for their rifles.
For the most part, Traditions tends to promote loading and shooting saboted bullets, offering several different choices. The company's premium bullet is a version of the Hornady SST-ML, and which is sold under the SMACKDOWN SST brand name. Note...The company also offers a couple of bore-sized bullets as well, which are also produced for them by Hornady...but it is the saboted bullets which dominate their bullet offerings.
On the other hand, CVA does not even offer a saboted bullet these days. The entire bullet line up offered by the company (with more than a dozen choices) are of various PowerBelt and AeroLite belted bore-sized conical bullets. And it is a sure bet that any CVA rifle owner contacting the company for "load information" will be encouraged to load and shoot these bullets rather than any saboted bullet. That's likely due to the fact that CVA and PowerBelt Bullets are under the same ownership - Blackpowder Products Inc.
While the rifles built and sold by these two companies are extremely comparable, with both lines made in Spain, it's a bit confusing for consumers seeking advice on "what shoots best" out of either of these brand name rifle lines. So...this is where our "Competitive Cross-Over Shooting" comes into play. We have spent several mornings on the range to get a feel for if the CVA rifles do indeed shoot significantly "better" with their bore-sized bullets...and if the Traditions rifles do indeed shoot "better" with their saboted bullets. For this test, we were be shooting the saboted 300-grain Traditions SMACKDOWN bullet out of the CVA Accura MR...and shooting the CVA/BPI 300-grain bore-sized skirted AeroLite bullet out of the Traditions VORTEK rifle. Each bullet was shot out of their competitor's rifle, shooting 100-grain volume measured charges of both Blackhorn 209 and FFFg Triple Seven.
On the other hand, CVA does not even offer a saboted bullet these days. The entire bullet line up offered by the company (with more than a dozen choices) are of various PowerBelt and AeroLite belted bore-sized conical bullets. And it is a sure bet that any CVA rifle owner contacting the company for "load information" will be encouraged to load and shoot these bullets rather than any saboted bullet. That's likely due to the fact that CVA and PowerBelt Bullets are under the same ownership - Blackpowder Products Inc.
While the rifles built and sold by these two companies are extremely comparable, with both lines made in Spain, it's a bit confusing for consumers seeking advice on "what shoots best" out of either of these brand name rifle lines. So...this is where our "Competitive Cross-Over Shooting" comes into play. We have spent several mornings on the range to get a feel for if the CVA rifles do indeed shoot significantly "better" with their bore-sized bullets...and if the Traditions rifles do indeed shoot "better" with their saboted bullets. For this test, we were be shooting the saboted 300-grain Traditions SMACKDOWN bullet out of the CVA Accura MR...and shooting the CVA/BPI 300-grain bore-sized skirted AeroLite bullet out of the Traditions VORTEK rifle. Each bullet was shot out of their competitor's rifle, shooting 100-grain volume measured charges of both Blackhorn 209 and FFFg Triple Seven.
Traditions VORTEK
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CVA Accura MR
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Now, first let me share that the morning I set out to begin this test shooting, I realized that I COULD NOT use the VORTEK rifle in the upper photos of this page. That rifle is currently being used in another test - one which requires shooting just Blackhorn 209 ... to see if I can go an entire year without cleaning the rifle...and still achieve good accuracy. The rifle has now had a little over 400 rounds fired through it since January 1, 2016. At the end of each shooting session, I simply push two dry patches through the bore to knock out the light residue left by Blackhorn 209 charges. Absolutely no cleaning solvents have been used in the bore since December 31, 2015. And the rifle...and a CVA Accura V2 LR that is also being used in this test (with a similar number of shots fired through it as well) both continue to deliver exceptional accuracy. We'll wrap up that testing between Christmas and New Years Day...and bring that report to you on January 2nd!
So...For this test, I pulled out an old friend - the VORTEK Ultra Light LDR rifle that I used as my primary hunting rifle for three consecutive years. (Shown In Above Left Photo) This rifle has now had close to 7,000 rounds fired through it!
So...For this test, I pulled out an old friend - the VORTEK Ultra Light LDR rifle that I used as my primary hunting rifle for three consecutive years. (Shown In Above Left Photo) This rifle has now had close to 7,000 rounds fired through it!
Also, before getting into some detail on this round of testing, let me share that even before starting the "Cross-Over" shooting, I already knew that both of these rifles shot saboted bullets very, very well. One of the best shooting bullets has been my old favorite - the 300-grain Scorpion PT Gold from Harvester Muzzleloading. However, neither of the two rifles shown side-by-side above had ever been previously shot with the other company's bullet. But I quickly found that each could shoot the competing company's recommended projectile with equal accuracy - such as that shown at left.
Which rifle...which bullet...which powder was used to punch this sub 1-inch cluster? All I'll say is...it could have been any of the combinations shot during our "Cross-Over" shooting. My job of reporting the results of this testing would have been a whole lot easier if one rifle simply DID NOT like the other company's bullet...or the powder being loaded behind that bullet. BUT...THAT DID NOT HAPPEN! So...we put in three early morning shoots, to beat the July heat, to see if there was clearly a winner in this test.
Which rifle...which bullet...which powder was used to punch this sub 1-inch cluster? All I'll say is...it could have been any of the combinations shot during our "Cross-Over" shooting. My job of reporting the results of this testing would have been a whole lot easier if one rifle simply DID NOT like the other company's bullet...or the powder being loaded behind that bullet. BUT...THAT DID NOT HAPPEN! So...we put in three early morning shoots, to beat the July heat, to see if there was clearly a winner in this test.
CVA Accura MR With A Hi-Lux Optics 3-9x40mm Toby Bridges Muzzleloader Scope.
The first morning, the rifles and Hi-Lux Optics 3-9x40mm scopes were sighted in...then on the second morning the rifles were shot with charges of Blackhorn 209...and on the third morning with charges of FFFg Triple Seven. On all three mornings, the temperatures began at around 50 degrees and were right at 60 degrees when we concluded each of the morning shoots. The bores were NOT wiped between shots when shooting Blackhorn 209, but were wiped between shots fired with FFFg Triple Seven. Each rifle was allowed to cool for at least 5 minutes before being reloaded for the next shot.
A total of 8 groups were shot with each rifle and bullet - that means 4 groups were fired with each rifle and bullet pairing with 100-grain charges of Blackhorn 209...and four groups with each rifle and bullet pairing with 100-grain charges of Hodgdon's FFFg Triple Seven. The worst group was then eliminated and the spread of the remaining three averaged. Here are our results...
A total of 8 groups were shot with each rifle and bullet - that means 4 groups were fired with each rifle and bullet pairing with 100-grain charges of Blackhorn 209...and four groups with each rifle and bullet pairing with 100-grain charges of Hodgdon's FFFg Triple Seven. The worst group was then eliminated and the spread of the remaining three averaged. Here are our results...
Shown at right is the best group shot during all of this shooting. This 3-Shot Hole was punched by the 300-grain saboted .452" diameter SMACKDOWN bullet, propelled out of the Accura MR by a 100-grain charge of FFFg Triple Seven. The group measures .565" from what we can determine is "center-to-center". The other two groups measured 1.393" and 1.609" - for an average of 1.189".
The best group shot with the CVA Accura MR and 100-grain charge of Blackhorn 209 measured .794" center-to-center. The other two groups went 1.078" and 1.182" - for a three shot average spread of 1.018" center-to-center.
Last year, we did the shooting to publish a test report on how well the PowerBelt AeroLite bullets shot out of this rifle. For that report go to -
http://www.namlhunt.com/mlbullets18.html
The best group shot with the CVA Accura MR and 100-grain charge of Blackhorn 209 measured .794" center-to-center. The other two groups went 1.078" and 1.182" - for a three shot average spread of 1.018" center-to-center.
Last year, we did the shooting to publish a test report on how well the PowerBelt AeroLite bullets shot out of this rifle. For that report go to -
http://www.namlhunt.com/mlbullets18.html
The target at left shows the best group shot with the 300-grain AeroLite bore-sized bullet out of the Traditions Vortek Ultra Light LDR rifle used for this testing. The three-shot group measures .772" center-to-center - and was shot with the 100-grain charge of Blackhorn 209. The two other best groups went .864" and 1.350" - for an average spread of .996" center-to-center. That's pretty exceptional accuracy.
When loaded ahead of a 100-grain charge of FFFg Triple Seven, the "Best Of" the "Best Three Groups" shot with the VORTEK rifle and skirted 300-grain AeroLite bullet went .885" center-to-center. The other two groups factored into the average equation measured 1.241" and 1.534" center-to-center - for an average spread of 1.220".
To be very honest, the 300-grain AeroLite bullet is only the second "bore-sized" bullet I've ever shot out of the Tradition VORTEK rifle models. The other bullet was the Hornady FPB copper-clad hollow-based bullet. While we have mentioned the shooting of that bullet in an article or report or two, we have not actually done a full test report on shooting the bullet out of the VORTEK rifles. That will likely be one of our reports in September or October - especially since Traditions is one of our Primary Sponsors...and now offers their own version of the same bullet, which they simply refers to as their Full Bore Bullet.
When loaded ahead of a 100-grain charge of FFFg Triple Seven, the "Best Of" the "Best Three Groups" shot with the VORTEK rifle and skirted 300-grain AeroLite bullet went .885" center-to-center. The other two groups factored into the average equation measured 1.241" and 1.534" center-to-center - for an average spread of 1.220".
To be very honest, the 300-grain AeroLite bullet is only the second "bore-sized" bullet I've ever shot out of the Tradition VORTEK rifle models. The other bullet was the Hornady FPB copper-clad hollow-based bullet. While we have mentioned the shooting of that bullet in an article or report or two, we have not actually done a full test report on shooting the bullet out of the VORTEK rifles. That will likely be one of our reports in September or October - especially since Traditions is one of our Primary Sponsors...and now offers their own version of the same bullet, which they simply refers to as their Full Bore Bullet.
Traditions VORTEK Ultra Light LDR With A Hi-Lux Optics 3-9x40mm M40 Tactical Hunter Scope.
Every year, we hear from a large number of regular visitors to the NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING web magazine, wanting to know if the Traditions in-line ignition rifles can be loaded and shot with the PowerBelt/CVA skirted or belted bore-sized bullets...or whether the CVA rifles perform well with saboted bullets. That's exactly why we conducted this "Cross-Over" test shooting. As you can see from our results, the two competing rifles we chose for the test also have one more thing in common - they both will perform with exceptional accuracy when loaded with their market competition's front-loaded fodder. - Toby Bridges, NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING
Note: When conducting this test, we sighted both rifles to pretty much hit the "X" in the center of our official Birchwood Casey target. We used the 100-grain charge of Blackhorn 209 for that sight in, and cleaned the bore well before beginning the actual test shooting. However before the second morning of test shooting (again with Blackhorn 209), we first fired a couple of rounds with each rifle to put a little Blackhorn 209 "soot" in the bore. That evening, we again cleaned the bore thoroughly. On the third morning, we fired a couple of shots with FFFg Triple Seven out of each rifle, wiping the bores after each shot, before beginning our actual test shooting. Not once were the scopes tweaked for the change from one powder to the next ... and all 48 shots of the 16 groups fired stayed inside the "X" ring...or cut the line of the 2 1/2-inch bullseye. Again, that's some great consistency...especially since this testing was conducted with two entirely different kinds of bullets.
Published 8-5-16
Note: When conducting this test, we sighted both rifles to pretty much hit the "X" in the center of our official Birchwood Casey target. We used the 100-grain charge of Blackhorn 209 for that sight in, and cleaned the bore well before beginning the actual test shooting. However before the second morning of test shooting (again with Blackhorn 209), we first fired a couple of rounds with each rifle to put a little Blackhorn 209 "soot" in the bore. That evening, we again cleaned the bore thoroughly. On the third morning, we fired a couple of shots with FFFg Triple Seven out of each rifle, wiping the bores after each shot, before beginning our actual test shooting. Not once were the scopes tweaked for the change from one powder to the next ... and all 48 shots of the 16 groups fired stayed inside the "X" ring...or cut the line of the 2 1/2-inch bullseye. Again, that's some great consistency...especially since this testing was conducted with two entirely different kinds of bullets.
Published 8-5-16
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