first muzzy - CVA Optima V2

[Merkel]

The ramrod that came with mine has the palm saver on one end and threaded at the other. It came with a 3” or 4” jag that screws into the rod.  Works fine in the field. At the range I use a different ram rod. Call CVA they’re pretty helpful. 
 

here’s a pic of the rod threaded at both ends and the extension that came with the ML

Edited March 3, 2023 by Merkel
Clarifying pictures

[MGHunter66]

7 hours ago, mazzgolf said:

Watch this guy's video at the beginning...it's the exact same thing I was thinking when I was looking at the ramrod...it doesn't make sense to me that this is the design of the rod... I keep thinking I'm missing something.

 

 

It’s just the way it is. You either have the palm saver on or the jag youll use for loading. You can’t have both because you can’t slide it in the stock for storage. I just have the Barnes jag tip on mine because I don’t need the palm saver to load. I leave the palm saver on my range rod for multiple loading/cleaning. 

[Bigmac]

Nice looking gun good luck with it, maybe you can use a t handle and take palm saver off, I know TC makes them but I’m sure other companies do also

[barrike]

Is that video for real?  Is that guy THAT dumb?  I never used a muzzleloader before I got my Optima V2 a few years ago, and I was able to figure out the ramrod.  SMH

Edited March 3, 2023 by barrike

[archer36]

10 hours ago, mazzgolf said:

Watch this guy's video at the beginning...it's the exact same thing I was thinking when I was looking at the ramrod...it doesn't make sense to me that this is the design of the rod... I keep thinking I'm missing something.

 

 

Guy is an idiot.  You take to palm saver off and use it on the other end of the ramrod. Who would ever think about loading a bullet with the bare end? The palm saver is on the jag end so that it can be threaded on. Not meant to stay there. 

When I got my Accura V2 years ago, the palm savers were not out yet. I bought one because it's better than using your coat, shirt, or anything else to help load the bullet. 

While hunting, I take the palm saver off and keep it in my pocket. Saves me the trouble of removing it should I need to reload. Also, it seems that the rod comes out further when shot when the weight of the palm saver is on the end of the rod/barrel. 

Edited March 3, 2023 by archer36

[mazzgolf]

9 minutes ago, barrike said:

Is that video for real?  Is that guy THAT dumb?  I never used a muzzleloader before I got my Optima V2 a few years ago, and I was able to figure out the ramrod.  SMH

Nope. That guy is essentially correct.

5 minutes ago, archer36 said:

Who would ever think about loading a bullet with the bare end?

Apparently, CVA would.

I just got a confirmation email from CVA this morning to confirm it. IMO, this ramrod it comes with sucks. Here's what I was told by CVA in their email to me:

"The ramrod you received is correct, for 2022 we have removed the threaded insert and made the end a loading tip so that you do not have the threads snagging bullets when loading, we are also no longer including any cleaning jags with the muzzle loaders."

So @Merkel must have got his CVA prior to 2022 - that's why he can say, "ramrod that came with mine has the palm saver on one end and threaded at the other. It came with a 3” or 4” jag that screws into the rod"

Mine is NOT threaded on the other end - doesn't take a jag - and it didn't come with the jag (even though the manual says it should). It just looks like a shaft cut off flush at the tip, but when I looked in the tip with a flashlight, it looks like they kinda make it concave on the inside so you can use the bare end to load a bullet.

So, yeah, it's stupid.

So... just like that video, in order to use this ramrod with your own jag (not relying on just the tip of the ramrod with that poor-man's "loading tip" they tried to design), you have to (1) unscrew the palm saver and take it off (2) screw in your jag where the palm saver goes... and (3) I guess you have to either put the palm saver in your pocket or just loosely put it over the tip of the other end and  push.

That is NOT how the pre-2022 worked. For that version, you actually leave the palm saver on where it is, and you screw in your jag on the bare end because they had threads there. That's not how it works anymore.

I think its stupid. I'm going to buy another rod.

[OMC]

Guys I think you over thinking this. It’s a ML you load it at home or at the truck. 
Get a longer one that you can also use for for cleaning the gun and loading before hunting. 

Once in the field use the one provided for reloading and hopefully you only need it for a possible follow up shot. 

Edited March 3, 2023 by OMC

[mazzgolf]

Just now, OMC said:

Get a longer on the you can also use for it for cleaning the gun and loading before hunting. 
Once in the field use the one provided  for reloading and hopefully you only need it for a possible follow up shot. 

That's what I'm going to do. I'm going to buy a nice long range rod and just leave this one it came with for emergency follow-up shots -- which I'll never need to use because I NEVER MISS! 

[archer36]

7 minutes ago, OMC said:

Guys I think you over thinking this. It’s a ML you load it at home or at the truck. 
Get a longer one that you can also use for for cleaning the gun and loading before hunting. 

Once in the field use the one provided for reloading and hopefully you only need it for a possible follow up shot. 

I have an extra-long one I keep in the house for cleaning. 

[Merkel]

51 minutes ago, mazzgolf said:

Nope. That guy is essentially correct.

 

So @Merkel must have got his CVA prior to 2022 - that's why he can say, "ramrod that came with mine has the palm saver on one end and threaded at the other. It came with a 3” or 4” jag that screws into the rod"

Bought mine in 2020.  I’m no expert but can’t see how the threaded rod would snag a bullet. Look at the picture I previously posted; the threads are inside the rod and the diameter of the rod is much smaller than a bullet tip. Sounds like cost cutting to me. 

[MGHunter66]

1 hour ago, OMC said:

Guys I think you over thinking this. It’s a ML you load it at home or at the truck. 
Get a longer one that you can also use for for cleaning the gun and loading before hunting. 

Once in the field use the one provided for reloading and hopefully you only need it for a possible follow up shot. 

Agree way overthinking it, you are either going to have a palm saver on the end or a jag. Can’t have both because it wouldn’t be able to store in the stock. Loading afield without the palm saver is easy since CVA’s barrel dimensions aren’t super tight. And how many would you typically load afield, should only be once

[Silver Belly62]

Nice muzzy, good luck with it 

[mazzgolf]

Guys at muzzle-loader .com are great again. I sent them an email about getting a new range rod from them and asked them a question about this CVA ramrod. The guy called me back just now and I had a good discussion with him about this change in design of the CVA ramrod.

He said CVA made the change last September, and when muzzle-loader .com got a CVA shipment of about 100 ramrods to add to their inventory last year, they thought they were all defective  They called CVA and were told basically what I was told - that people were using the raw end of the rod without adding the jag to it and CVA said they were getting complaints the threads were marring the tips of bullets and sometimes grabbing and pulling out the bullet. Hence the change.

He said muzzle-loader. com customer service has been getting a lot calls about this from their own customers - seems like a lot of people are at minimum confused about this new design. I asked : how can you even push cleaning brushes and patches through the gun, and he kinda chuckled and said, yeah, that's a problem because they don't ship with the extended jag anymore and the ramrod is not even the full length of the barrel. So it's best to buy a second rod at least for cleaning.

He also told me that they sell their own replacement rod that mimics the old CVA design with the threads on both ends (for the jag and the palm saver) - they aren't in stock but he offered to put me on an email list to notify me when they come back in stock. I got myself on the list... I might buy a replacement, I dunno.

In any event, that's the scoop about the CVA ramrod that comes with the gun (since September 2022).

I did decide to purchase a 33" range rod from them while I was on the phone with him:  https://muzzle-loaders.com/collections/all/products/cvatm-lifetime-range-rod-33-length