Unless your CVA has a faster twist rifling specifically for conicals, it's a pretty safe bet you're doing something wrong if it won't shoot round balls at 50 yards any better than what you described. It's rare indeed that round balls won't out shoot almost any conical, especially when using open sights.
As far as triditional being "more right".......well......I believe so, altho that isn't actually a fact, it's my opinion. There is a lot of evidence in many states indicating muzzleloading seasons were originally intended for "primitive" weapons. In-lines obviously aren't very primitive.
Basically you have two distinct groups of muzzleloaders with a lot of guys falling between both groups. There are "traditionalist's", who are into it to learn how things used to be done, practice them and to reenact as persons from a particular period, ie, French & Indian War, the Longhunters, Rev. War, Lewis & Clark, War of 1812, the fur trade, the plains migration up to and including the Civil War and the early cowboy/gunfighter period. Several of these periods will overlap.
Then there is the in-line group who, as I stated before, merely want to take advantage of another deer season, kill another deer and have little or no desire to learn any more about muzzleloaders than absolutely necessary. As you are learning, it takes a while to work up a load for a muzzleloader, the rifle has to be cleaned or it will rust, it's more difficult to clean a rifle barrel with a fixed breech than one with a removable breech plug. One has to become a good shot with open sights, your range is limited because of the open sights and the ballistics of the round ball, even more so with the conical due to ballistics, so you have to get closer than when using a scoped rifle. Cutting a patch on the muzzle and using loose powder isn't as convenient as dropping two pellets and shoving a conical down bore. Flintlocks, even the best, can sometimes be persnickety and there is the learning curve that automatically goes with flintlocks. In short, it's more effort than the in-line group desires to invest in killing another deer. It's a lot like shooting bare bow recurves and long bows as compared to compounds. One can take a compound or a scope sighted in-line and in short order be good enough to confidently and humanely take a deer. Traditional muzzleloaders, especially flintlocks, and recurve or long bows require a greater investment of time and study to become proficient with them. They make for a greater challange, which is why I use them.
Ain't neither one more right than the other, just different. Both elicit strong opinions.
Vic
