CVA’s muzzleloaders have come a long way from their blued-steel, brass and hardwood origins. The company has stayed at the forefront of the “modern muzzleloader” market, with designs like its Endura introduced last year. One of CVA’s longest-lasting muzzleloaders is the Optima, which the company has upgraded with “modern ergonomics and modularity” with the Optima XP and XP-SB.
Optima muzzleloaders are .50 caliber and use a break-open action that is released by a lever integrated into the trigger guard. Fired via a 209 shotgun primer, Optimas use CVA’s Quick Release Breech Plug (QRBP) to allow for ease of unloading and cleaning. Their stainless-steel barrels have the company’s Bullet Guide Muzzle, which allows for the proper loading of a bullet without damaging the rifling. All metal parts are given a corrosion-resistant, black-nitride finish. The rifles are supplied with CVA’s solid aluminum PalmSaver ramrod.
For 2026, the Optima is getting the XP upgrades that CVA gave to its Scout line of single-shot centerfire rifles and handguns. This includes a pistol-grip rear stock. This gives the Optima a more vertical grip, similar to the thumbhole-stocked Optima Long Range that CVA discontinued recently. The stock has a buffer tube interface and is fitted with a mil-spec, M4-style buffer tube to allow for the use of AR-15-type stocks. The supplied stock has an adjustable length-of-pull from 11 to 14 inches, allowing for the rifle to be fit to hunters of varying stature.
Once the stock is adjusted, it is locked into position with an Allen key. The stock also has an adjustable cheek riser that can be raised 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch for an optimal sight picture. QD swivel cups are mounted above the pistol grip, in addition to standard QD sling swivel studs in the stock and fore-end. The new Optimas come with a factory-installed Picatinny rail for mounting optics and are also drilled and tapped for open sights.
The Optima XP is offered in two versions. The XP has a 26-inch barrel and full-length fore-end. The XP-SB has an 18-inch barrel and the shortened fore-end used on CVA’s Scout XP pistol. Its compact dimensions are designed for saddle hunting or ground blinds.
The CVA Optima XP and XP-SB have an MSRP of $649. For more information, see the company’s website.
