Casting for CVA Optima .50 muzzleloader

[ryanmattes]

So my brother in law is a county cop in a mostly rural area, and when places like Walmart have ammo boxes break open in shipping, they write them off and give them to the sheriff's office. They sometimes do that with other gun-related things that are broken open or broken in shipping.

So last week they had a CVA Optima .50 muzzleloader that got run over by a fork truck, breaking the stock. He took it home and has ordered a stock for $30, so not a bad price for a new toy.since he knows I cast and load, he called me and asked me to give him the run-down on shooting muzzleloaders.

After finding some 209 caps and some 777 pellets, I started looking at commercial projectiles. They're $0.75 each!

So of course I started looking at molds.

Right now I'm thinking about the Lee R.E.A.L. molds in 250 or 320 grain. He's only going to use this thing for plinking in the back yard, he's not going to hunt with it. But of I can cast for a nickel a slug, that's much better than 75 cents apiece.

Anyone loading this mold? Any hints or recommendations?

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[Wheelguns 1961]

If you use a sabot, you can use just about any .452” or .429” bullet.

[fastdadio]

If you use a sabot, you can use just about any .452” or .429” bullet.

I agree with this suggestion. Less lead used per shot and lighter recoil for plinking n punching. And who couldn't use another mold in .452/.429? And if you do decide to hunt with it, they are excellent for that too. Light loads with a round ball will do well also and is even more economical. Bulk sabots; .16 cents each, or cut your own patches from yer worn our grundies for free and fling round balls.
https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.c...es/sabots-only

[metricmonkeywrench]

Its one step up from my Wolf, I sprung for the BH plug and have only ever used BH209 in it,

The Lee REAL 320g shoots real well unpatched for me. I have been shooting it more often since I have a lot of shotgun primers from a trade deal and primers and powder are also on the shelf now at WM for the season. I have been generally waiting til the end of season clearance and also grabbing the Powerbelts for $5-6 bucks a pack. I’m not really a hunter, but it’s nice to have the capability and I have a seasons worth of plinkers.

I’m using up the Pyrodex, 777 white hots etc in my rusty barrel CVA Buckhorn. Oddly enough it also fires the cast bullets real nice as well.

[358429]

I agree with this suggestion. Less lead used per shot and lighter recoil for plinking n punching. And who couldn't use another mold in .452/.429? And if you do decide to hunt with it, they are excellent for that too. Light loads with a round ball will do well also and is even more economical. Bulk sabots; .16 cents each, or cut your own patches from yer worn our grundies for free and fling round balls.
https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.c...es/sabots-only

Would 490 round ball work?

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[fastdadio]

Would 490 round ball work?

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Yup. With a fast twist barrel, you want to patch them tight and run them light. Start with 40-50 grs. and see what happens.