Author Topic: CVA Trapper Shotgun (Read 4155 times)

KH · « **on:** December 30, 2002, 07:05:29 AM »

Happy New Year everyone-

I need a shotgun and the Pedersoli's are too expensive for me. I'm looking at the CVA Trapper. Does anyone have any experience with it?

Cuts Crooked · « **Reply #1 on:** January 01, 2003, 06:27:24 AM »

I have an older one. It's the only muzzleloader I own that I didn't build myself, a gift from my wife quite a few years back. It's one of the few made with screw in choke tubes in full, modified, and Improved cylinder Mine came with an accessory barrel in .50 too.

It has been a solid performer, not the fanciest gun in the world, but it does the job. I shoot it in competition (not that I'm a great comeptitor though) and I hunt with it. With the modified choke it's a dandy lil rabbit getter and with the full choke I've taken three turkeys with it. For turkey hunting I load 90 gr of 2f, over powder wad, cushion wad, 1 1/2 oz of #6 shot in a paper shot tube, topped off with an over shot wad. This load is is like a hammer in my gun!

Buckshotliam · « **Reply #2 on:** January 02, 2003, 04:15:53 AM »

Howdy,
I'm usually a lurker but I can offer something on the CVA Shotgun. I
bought a used one on Auction Arms a while back. I don't know when it
was made but it was used in almost new condition. The stock
dimensions where terrible. I'm of average build and can shoot most
american made shotguns reasonable well as they come from box. The CVA
had a very long stock, I'd guess lenght of pull was 16 or 16 1/2 in.
Way way too long. The stock also had very little drop. After
shooting it once I refinished it. I cut almost 2" off the lenght, re
haped the stock, refinished in an oil finish and browned it. Now I
can shoot it (and hit something) OK. It's made OK for it's price but
is very light and recoils like the devil. I'm much more comfortable
with my 12 ga double from Navy Arms (10 yrs old). When I win the
lotto I plan to buy a Pedersoli 10 ga double from Cabela's. If you
can afford one that's what I'd suggest. I believe a 10 ga will throw
the evenest patterns even with light loads yet you can shoot a robost
load for waterfowl and duplicate modern ballisitics. The weight
difference to carry between Cabela's 12 ga and 10 ga is negligatble
and Cabelas price can't be beat. So I strongly suggest the Cabelas
10 ga if you can swing it.
my 2 cents,

Buckshotliam

KH · « **Reply #3 on:** January 03, 2003, 02:08:38 PM »

Thanks for the input. Unfortuantely I can't afford the Pedersoli double barrels from Cabela's or anywhere else for that matter. I live in a town that has a Cabela's and I found a customer return Trapper in the "Bargain Basement" area. Whoever originally purchased it must have only shot it once or twice and I got it for $185. Even if I have to rework the stock as suggested, at least I can afford it.

For what it's worth, there are also a few other cutomer return BP firearms, including a couple of the full stock smaller caliber "Kentucky" style percussion rifles and some Hawkens that should be a good buy.

jrdavis · « **Reply #4 on:** January 04, 2003, 08:45:04 AM »

you know that a couple years back the NWTF had their NWTF with a wild turkey engraved in the but stock of the CVA Trapper a lot of folks were
selling them for a good bit more because of this stamp of approval. don't let anyone make you feel like you got a bad gun. I have one and a TC New Englander. in 12 ga. the CVA is the one I'll be hunting turkey with come May.