With Goex black powder finally offered at a local store, I really wanted a dedicated inline shooting real black powder and so the CVA Optima NorthWest fit this category perfectly. After having owned two Optima 209 primers, I opted for Camo & Stainless steel this time around.
The way the rifle sits, it tips the scales at 6lbs 10.5oz and has an overall length of 41- 1/4"
This is my first Optima that I've owned that has the trigger guard acting as the opening lever. Just like the CVA Accura V2 which is a great set up and will not get caught up on your jacket and accidentally open your rifle on a hunt.
Open sights are Durasight fiber optic set up and are fully adjustable. Fiber optics are the Green rear sight and Orange front sight set up.
Solid aluminum ramrod with optional Palm Saver attachment has worked great so far with the Powerbelts and is nice for one to not have a ramrod leave a red mark on the palm of your hand. No more pain, especially when loading sabots!
The barrel is 26" and 416 stainless steel. The bore is beautifully machined on this one and is MIRROR bright. I actually did 50 strokes of Remington 40x bore cleaner just to knock down any burrs if there were any.
Realtree Xtra Green camo finish on the stock and forearm is a beautiful pattern and blends in very well in my surroundings. It does not have a bright shiny clear coat on it so that's a bonus. Attached to the butt end of the rifle is a Crush Zone recoil pad to help tame those healthy magnum loads.
The trigger pull on this Optima NorthWest is simply awesome. NO creep or grit. I estimate the trigger to be under 2.5lbs easily. I do not have a trigger scale on hand to measure it exactly so this is just my opinion on what the weight is. It really is light and crisp. I've yet to find a trigger this nice on a center fire made to this day.
The NorthWest Optima is drilled and tapped for the use of a scope as well. Also pictures is a fairly decent picture of the breech plug. It is ported at an angle so the gasses from the breech will blow out and away from the shooter. Also wear eye protection regardless!
The Quick Release Breech Plug with Musket cap ignition set up is very clean in machining and will get the job done. Soak in hot soapy water and use Angled brushes to clean fouling away after you are finished shooting at the end of the day.
How does it shoot with Musket cap set up? I will tell you here in a bit as I was able to scrounge up some old musket caps!
