Looking for best deer load for Optima 26"

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Hunter Dave

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Just looking for a quick answer of what you have discovered to be the most effective with an CVA Optima 26".
Which powder/pellet?
Which projectile?
I have lost a few deer over the years with Triple 7 pellets 100 gr. and Powerbelt 295. Usually shoot within 100 yards.
Perhaps there is something better for accuracy and knockdown.
Your experience please with this firearm.
Thank you.
 
The load for my Optima is 90 grains of blackhorn 209 and a 240 grain 44 cal xtp bullet. With this load I put them in a 3 inch circle at 150 yards.
The bullet does very well on deer as long as i do my part.
 
I would say ditch the Powerbelts. I have seen an Optima that would shoot them fine in warm weather and spray like a hose once it got below 10 degreesC using Platinums. A 54 Knight that would put them right on target but I watched my nephew put 1 in a deer that knocked it down and shot it 3 more times from 20 yds and found all 4 Powerbelts flattened on the shoulder of a 130lb buck. Can you say pressure leakage.

My Encore they load like a dream, tip the gun down and give it a shake and out drops the Powerbelt. Some love'em but you can probably tell my opinion.

80-100 grains of anything under a quality saboted bullet will do the trick. Out of our gang I use PR 190grn Duplex Bullets, 200 and 240 grn Shockwaves are also used by 4 guys, or 250 0r 300 grn XTP's an old stand by.
 
ditch the Powerbelts... load up one of those shockwaves I gave you,, on top of about 100gr of blackhorn 209 and never look Back! At the range you shot that deer at last year, it should have flipped on the spot with a 50cal muzzleloader.
 
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