CVA Apex Centerfire

[Ranger J]

Has anyone had personal experience with a CVA Apex centerfire rifle yet?

Rj

[jy951]

I played with one at the local shop.  Felt really nice, opened smooth, very nice trigger for being stock.  The stock has that soft touch rubbery hogue type feal.  Seemed pretty nice except not in the calibers I use.

[otsegoguy]

I have an Apex in .270 and got a whitetail in S.Dakota this fall. My cousin used it and got another one at 310 yds. We both love the gun and he usually shoots Thompson. I did have trouble with the cartridge sticking after shooting and removing it was harder than it should have been.
    I want to get a muzzleloader barrel for it this summer. Does the forearm come with the barrel? The centerfire forearm is different than the muzzleloader forearm/

[BCall]

  Seemed pretty nice except not in the calibers I use.

I wish they would expand the calibers as well. I noticed that in the latest Cabela's Shooting catalog, they listed a Bergara barrel for the Encore in 35 Whelen, but not in the Apex. The 35 is not listed on the Bergara website, but if they put one on the Apex, I will have to buy one. I am going to purchase an Apex this summer. First barrel will be a 222, but I will most likely rechamber it. Billy

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

mine comes in either mid this month or early next month 

[smokepole06]

Well, any new reports?

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

my 3006 came in today.  will report here in a day or 2

[randy_68]

I have had the Apex muzzleloader since Sept. but I just picked up my .243 barrel tonight. I have to order a fore arm as it is different. The m/l uses one screw that goes into a mounting stud that is pressed into the barrel(like a sight) and it also has a hole in it that centers the ramrod. The .243 barrel has 2 threaded holes in the bottom of the barrel and are also a different spacing. I can't wait to shoot it. If it is anything like my m/l it will be a winner.

[smokepole06]

i know they are expensive, more so than the h&r and less than a t/c. Just seems to me they are a nice piece, do not understand why the following is not there. T/C seems nice and has alot of marketing from the hollywood hunters, but man are they high! CVA may be an option in my future. SS rules!

[smokepole06]

any range reports?

[randy_68]

I have my .243 all set up and ready to go with a Bushnell Trophy 3x9x40 DOA600 but just don't have time right now to shoot. Easter all weekend and work is picking up. Plus it's been windy as hell here the last few days. I am going turkey scouting Sat morning and will stop at the range to try it out weather permitting. I'll post pics and range report then. Also nobody has any Hornady 58 gr vmax's in stock but my local gun shop is ordering some. Hoprefully he will have them in by friday. All I have to shoot right now is some Rem 100 gr Corelok

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

shot the 30-06 a good dozen + times but i need to reload more ammo. Stuff i was shooting was 15+ years old and the H380 powder im told isnt the best to use in this caliber. Later this week i am going to my brother in laws and he's going to show me how to do the Head spacing and such, as well as switching to a good powder. Great shooting rifle though right out of the box.

[CScape]

I just got an Apex in .45-70 Govt.  To answer your question, the forearm does NOT come with the extra barrels and there are three different configurations; one for muzzleloaders, one for standard taper barrels, and one for heavy barrels.  The only two center fire barrels that are "heavy" are the .45-70 and I believe the .22-250...all others are standard taper, but you MUST order the forearm separately along with the barrel.  To compound the issue, they come in two different "flavors"...camo and black composite.  The final kicker is at this writing 12/14/2010...almost no dealers have the Bergara barrels in stock (not even Bergara or CVA) and those that have a few, may not have the forearm to match, meaning that you will have to look to a separate dealer.

All of that being said, accuracy is SUPER (if you elect to use Hornady 325gr FTX LEVERevolution ammo).  It literally shoots in the same hole at 100 yards.  The attached photo was taken last Thursday.  The first two shots in the bull were after getting the rounds an inch and a half high at 50 yards.  The second two shots were after adjusting for zero at 150 yards.  Sub-MOA using a Leupold VX-II 3X9 40mm scope.  Also, the Hornady ammo shoots so much flatter than other ammo because of the muzzle velocity and ballistic coefficient, you should be good to go out to 250 yards.

[nomosendero]

Excellant group!!

[CScape]

Thanks nomo...I have just gotten in the 270 and 300 Win Mag barrels, to which I have mounted the Leupold VX-3 3.5-10 50mm CDS and VX-3 4.5-14 50mm Long Range, respectively.  I am going to the range the first day I don't have to contend with 10-15 mph winds here in south MS, and will post results for Hornady Superformance 270 140 gr SST and 300WM 180gr SST as soon as I get the chrono data...   ...CC...

[OK hunter]

Have a .308 on order and will pick it up next weekend.  It will be later in the month before I can get it out to the range.  I am excited and would like some feedback on whether other owners believe a compact scope is best suited or is the rifle is substantial enough to a full sized scope.

[CScape]

OK hunter,

As I posted earlier, I have three full-sized Leupold scopes mounted on the three barrels I own, and two of the three have 50mm objective glass.  As a personal note, I feel that the 40mm scope with medium height rings on my .45-70 is esthetically more pleasing than the 50's with high rings I mounted on the other two barrels, but to answer your question, the rifle is definitely substantial enough for the larger scopes (given my concerns I have noted regarding the Durasight rails).  The cheek weld is different of course, but good on both height mounts.  To date, I have fired somewhere in the neighborhood of 90 rounds through both the .270 and .300 Win Mag, and have not seen any evidence of the POI changing.

I have attached a photo of the .45-70 barrel with the 40mm 3X9 mounted on the receiver, and the .300 Win Mag with the 50mm 4.5X14 (30mm tube) and .270 with the 50mm 3.5X10 (1" tube) below.  I chose the 50's for the .270 and .300 because I anticipate shooting over much greater distances in low light conditions and wanted as much light-gathering capability as I could afford, on those two barrels.  I purchased the .45-70 to meet the primitive weapons requirements here in MS, and will be using that configuration in tight, wooded or brushy areas, at relatively short ranges inside 200 yards.    By the way, the separate forearms on the .270 and .300 are not necessary since a standard taper forearm will fit both barrels, it was just a personal choice to spend the extra $35.00 to keep the two systems completely separate.

One other note...If you prefer iron mounting hardware over aluminum alloy for the heavier recoiling center-fire ammo, I would recommend Warne Weaver permanent mounts over the Leupolds for mounting Leupold scopes on these barrels.  The Warne mounts are a bit lower in cost, seem to fit the rail better, are more streamlined in appearance, and you won't run the risk of scratching the scope tube, as you might with the snap-on style of the Leupolds.

Good shooting!   ...CC...

[OK hunter]

CC,
Thanks for the reply and photo.  I now remember your posts about the durasight base and I am a pretty dedicated Warne guy.  Most all my rifles wear Warne rings, many QD rings, over Warne bases.

I have another barrel on order and may end up selling the .308 as I have 4 others.   

Thanks again for your feedback.

Good shooting.
Cliff

[OK hunter]

I picked up my .308 Apex today.  I will take some photos and do a review of it this week.  I've never done a review before so if there are certain things I don't want to miss, please advise.  Likewise, please be gentle if I mess it up.