CVA Optima Ingnition problems, Help (2024)

Hey Ladies & Gents,
I have a CVA Optima V2 NW Edition, I'm pretty new to muzzleloading, but I think I'm doing everything correct.
I'm in Oregon so I'm shooting Pyrodex RS loose and RWS 1081 Musket caps.
After every time I shoot the same day I take the entire rifle apart and use the cva foaming cleaner. Brake cleaner every part.
Nipple pick the flash hole. Visually inspect and it looks like new can see right thru the flash hole.
When I load the powder I tap it in the ground to make sure the powder goes down the cone in the breech plug.
So clean dry gun on the range, fresh powder & caps in the desert I have to pop sometimes 4 caps before it goes off.

This happened on what would of been my biggest buck to date a couple days ago so I'm pretty ticked.
Just talked to CVA and after an hour on hold all he suggested was clean the breach plug better or get new caps, or order a new breach plug. And the agent was pretty rude.

Maybe I'm not seating the bullet hard enough? I been shooting the great plains all lead and they deform easy.
Should I try drilling the flash hole bigger? I'm just so frustrated.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Id try new powder and/or caps before modification so long as your positive its squeaky clean.

Ive seen a lot of problems occur with pyrodex more so then other brands.

It is foresure clean sprayed down with brake cleaner. Looks like new. Brake cleaner shoots thru the flash hole and visually see thru it.
Powder & Caps new 3 weeks ago few shots at range to verify, powder sealed and caps in zip lock both inside rubbermaid in back floorboard of truck where I made sure not to run the heater high to prevent sweating.

Forsale the correct breach plug, the Northwest edition comes with a plug optimized for loose powder and musket caps.
I ordered another breech plug today just to try.

From your description I will assume the cap is in fact firing and not misfiring. In that case...

Not all rifles will reliably ignite BP substitutes, even Pyrodex, with caps. Length and diameter of flash hole, humidity, temperature changes from truck to outside and back (condensation), will all play a role. If you have to use Pyrodex you could try using a booster charge of BP to back it up, though it wouldn't be my preference. (Pelletized Pyrodex is molded with a booster charge for better ignition.)

Do you fire a cap before loading to foul the bore? This can help dry out the flash hole and breech and, if nothing else, give you a little more confidence that the flash of the primer will reach the breech when needed.

OK, well, I would start with the simple stuff.

Before changing anything else I would get in the habit of firing a fouling cap. I would also make sure that you are using some good reliable caps like RWS. If nothing else a BP booster or, even simpler, all BP charge will almost certainly give you a reliable ignition.

Assuming you are using the factory musket cap nipple/breech, I probably would not mess with the flash channel or hole size as it should already be designed to properly balance ignition and blowback.

Hey, BRT, what was your outcome?

I am having problems with my Optima not firing. This has been occuring since I bought it last year. The 209 primers will not fire. I tried multiple brands of primers (they all work in a friends T/C ML). I have replaced the firing pin assembly. This hasn't changed anything. Hammer hits the firing pin. Firing pin hits the primer leaving a "weak" indentation. Only get the click of the hammer, no pop of a primer.

Normally 2-3 strikes and the primer will finally pop and my pellets fire. Last weekend while whitetail hunting I had a doe @ 75 yards. I co*cked the hammer 6 times before I got a strick that ignited the primer. (Fortunately that doe never saw/heard me and gave me the time. Too bad for her.)

I now have 2 new things in hand that should help resolve my issues ... 1) a return authorization from Optima for warranty and 2) a new T/C Bone Collector (yes, I have an understanding wife).

If you can't resolve your issues, go onto CVA's website and send them an email.

Bummer. I would also give up on CVA if they did that to me...

Good luck with the new breach plug. You can try the 777, but that stuff has yet a higher flash point than Pyrodex.

go4thegusto said:

I had some issues like this with a side hammer Hawken using Pyrodex and musket caps. MC's are powerful, easier to handle than percussion caps but are a bit fouly. I went to a machine shop with a full set of numbered drill bits and reamed out the nipple hole one size larger. Solved my problem. Was prepared to drill larger trial and error but in my case first step worked. Good Luck

Click to expand...

Knew a guy (R.I.P.) that decided the way to get more heat to his charge, was to drill out the nipple. Not knowing he'd done that, I watched as he fired his Hawken the first time after it was drilled. The hammer came back, through his hand between his index finger and thumb.

So finally got my to shoot again.
It appears the new redesigned breech plug seemed to help. Knock on wood 14 ish rounds before I had a fail to fire. I'm ok with that at that is pretty dirty.

I did find out my gun shoots quite high on a clean bore then will shoot a group.

Does most everyone shoot a fouler the day before season the hunt up to 10 days with a dirty rifle?