.50 CVA hawken

[bajabuc]

Been reading about CVA inlines blowing up”¦of course”¦it was AFTER I went to the gun auction”¦I didn't buy an inline”¦but, now I'm scared. Is it safe? Can I shoot 90 grains of 3f?

I just bought the thing”¦brand new”¦never been fired”¦not a kit. The same auction had several TC's but they cost a bunch more. I usually shoot a Lyman Flinter and I'd like to get a flintlock for the CVA. Actually, I have one from a CVA mountain rifle ...somewhere”¦and a stock and all the parts”¦I seem to have misplaced them

I have a Doc Hataway flint lock but it's too narrow and too long so I can't use it unless I really want some work I might never finish. Be gentle with me”¦this is only my first made in spain CVA.

 

[azmntman]

I have many and have had many more and you have nothing to worry about with that load IF the gun has been well maintained. Run a patch through it, if no "loose" spots its likely good to go. Enjoy! My best shooter is a cva .50 (older model) and though its favored load is 70 grains I wouldn't hesitate to up to to 90. HAVE FUN!

 

[shawn_c992001]

90 grains of FFFG seems a bit much. 90 grains of FFG would be ok. Maybe some of the other guys will chime in.

 

[bajabuc]

Thanks”¦I'll just do that very thing. It has never been fired. Wish I could remember what I did with the jar that has all the locks in it. I'd love to make it a flintier.

 

[bajabuc]

Shawn. I only have 3f”¦I've used it in all my rifles”¦and percussion pistols. Worked great in my wife's highly modified CVA -.50 mountain rifle. My daughter used it in her 3/8inch bore Pennsylvania full stock flinter I built for her and my son used it in the .22 left handed flinter I built a couple of eons ago.

 

[necchi]

Your safe, the barrel failure was only that run of the inlines.
None of us here have ever heard of CVA failures or any others for any reason beyond absolute neglect and/or the use of nitro powders.

 

[bajabuc]

fangs merry bunch”¦you guys are great first nice day”¦bang bang

 

[nit wit]

Start out with 60 grain of 3f, I run 70 grains in my .54's.
Nit Wit

 

[Lonegun1894]

I have one and use 70grs 3f in mine also. If I may make a suggestion, I would say to start at 50-60grs and go up in 5-10gr increments to make sure you even WANT to consistently use a 90gr load. Now this is dependent on your build, but at least in my case, 70grs is my most accurate load. 75 is just slightly less accurate. At 80, my accuracy goes off a cliff, and does for every other shooter who has tried it in mine telling me I'm just a wuss, and not a single one of them has gotten good accuracy. In addition to the accuracy issue, the comb of the stock kicks me in the cheek pretty good with a 80gr load, while a 70gr load is nice and gentle, and accurate, and kills everything I have pointed this rifle at easily.

 

[larry wv]

These Rifles are all different. I have a CVA Saint Louis Hawken in 50 cal. The most accurate load in it is anywhere from 85 to 100 grains of 3f and a .490 ball. I use 90 all the time when I hunt with it. Its a cap gun and about all I use is Flinter's anymore. Larry

 

I have a CVA .50 percussion mountain rifle I bought 35+ years ago.
I shoot it regularly. I load 90 to 95gr ffg.
no problems.
When I hear of a brand name gun blowing up.
I always suspect the shooter did something wrong.Things of course do happen, but.....
In the case of an inline looking so much like a modern, I suspect they used smokeless.
So for any newbies that stumble across this.
If you have an inline rifle that looks just like a modern bolt action rife, and the barrel is marked 'BLACK POWDER ONLY' then that means just what it says.
NEVER EVER USE A MODERN SMOKELESS POWDER IN IT.

 

[Ron_T.]

I have 2 older .50 caliber CVA percussion cap Hawken rifles... one for target shooting (28-inch barrel) and one for deer hunting (24-inch barrel in a Hunter/Carbine). Both Hawken rifles have Spanish-made barrels.

Both rifles have double-set triggers and I shoot only Hornady swagged .490 round balls with a lubed cotton patch and a thin over-powder vegetable-fiber wad.

For target shooting, I use 47 grains of FFFg Swiss or Goex. Accuracy is excellent with 3-shot groups printing shot-touching triangles @ 25 yards.

For hunting, I use 70 grains of FFFg Swiss in the Carbine. Accuracy is also excellent with 3-shot groups printing shot-touching triangles at 25 yards.

I have shot as much as 95 grains of FFFg Swiss in the 28-inch barreled Hawken with no ill effects. Of course, recoil was noticeably greater than the 47 grain target load. Accuracy was just "ok", but not as good as with 47 grains of FFFg black powder.

Since I don't "do" in-lines, I have no idea what kind of quality they are.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.