CVA Wolf Or CVA Kodiak For 1st Time Muzzle Loader

[wolverine350]

I am gonna buy me a new muzzle loader and start muzzle loading hunting this year, and have come down to 2 choices considering the prices, a CVA Wolf or the CVA Kodiak, both are at my Wal-mart store at 139.97 for the Wolf and 169.97 for the Kodiak, now i have also looked at the Thompson Centers but am tight on a budget and want to go with 1 of the 2 CVA's i have mentioned, i have shot muzzle loaders before and it is fun, i was wanting some feed back on the CVA's and some comments on the guns, they do have a life time warranty as well, it will be used for Deer hunting mostly, and some target use.

 

[rantingredneck]

I've owned three CVA guns: A Stag Horn, Hunterbolt, and now an Optima. All have been very accurate guns and I have taken many deer with them over the years.

The Wolf is very similar to the Optima but the fit and finish seems a bit better on the Optima. Prices are not terribly more expensive for the Optima either I don't believe.

CVA has served me well over the years. My first gun from them had a factory recall on the original barrel and they shipped me a new one free of charge. One call to their 1 800 number and I had it within 3-4 days.

 

[mykeal]

Depends on where, and how, you are hunting.

The Kodiak has a longer barrel but weighs a half pound more. It is better suited to shooting from a blind as opposed to moving around in the brush. The Wolf is more of a bush type gun.

 

[wolverine350]

the wolf seems the smaller of the 2 to me and is blue steel with black synthetic where as the kodiak is nickle over black synthetic, they do have 2 versions of the optima there as well, and they are not much more as you stated.

 

[arcticap]

Bass Pro has 20 reviews for the Wolf and most people rated it a 5.
If you put a scope on the Kodiak, it will add almost a pound to the weight making it 8.25 - 8.5 pounds, which is a little bit heavy to carry around.
Nickel guns do clean up easier, and CVA does make a nickel Wolf.
Maybe you can order a nickel Wolf from the Walmart catalog and have the best of both worlds.

(Note: Some people had a problem with their Kodiak)

Wolf reviews:

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/s...400003001_400000000_400003000_400-3-1#reviews

Kodiak Pro Reviews:

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/s...1_55495_400003001_400000000_400003000_400-3-1

Let us know what you end up getting.

 

[wolverine350]

well i went to wal-mart and bought a couple of CVA inline muzzle loaders, the CVA Bighorn and the CVA Kodiak, was gonna purchase the wolf but it was blue with black synthetic, the Kodiak is nickle with black synthetic and has a 28" barrel over the 24" on the wolf, I bought the Bighorn for my wife so she could start muzzle loading with me as well, all in all both seem to be well made considering the small price i paid for both guns, 169.97 for the Kodiak and 99.97 for the Bighorn, both guns are capable of shooting magnum loads, which CVA states is 3 of the 50 grain pellets, but will never shoot that heavy of a load to get the job done and i'm sure the recoil would be stiff as well shooting the 150 grain charge, the wolf would a made a nice brush gun with the 24" barrel but with the 28" on the Kodiak, accuracy should be a lot better as well. the Bighornhas a 24" barrel but i'm sure it will serve my wife just fine, as i have killed deer with the little Thompson center White Mountain carbine that only had a 22" barrel.
Now the fun begins , finding out what the guns like to eat, i have always been partial to the loose powder because it is so easy to tweak compared to the pellets. have not tried any of the sabots or power belts, have always used the TC maxi hunters, but that was in the past, more advanced bullets now so i'm up for the challange. will let everyone know how things work out.