Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
The new CVA Cascade Varmint Hunter (VH) is purpose-built for dedicated varmint hunters, incorporating key design elements from the Cascade Long Range Hunter model. It features a medium-heavy barrel contour and a fully equipped stock with a flat, wide forend and adjustable length-of-pull and comb height for enhanced precision. Its high-capacity magazine boosts capability for more shooting and less reloading while remaining budget-friendly.
Table of contents
CVA Cascade VH Specifications:
- Caliber: 223
- Weight: 8.7lbs
- Barrel: 20″ Cerakoted Fluted Smoked Bronze
- Twist Rate: 1:9″
- Threads: 5/8×24
- Stock: Realtree Hillside Camo with Cheek Riser
- Rail: 20 MOA Scope rail included
Out of the Box
From the factory, the Cascade VH comes packaged in a foam box with a single 10-round CVA magazine, thread protector, owner’s manual, and an installed 20 MOA rail. Available in .243 Win, .22-250 Rem, 204 Ruger, and .223, I opted for the .223 version for this review.
Stock
Encompassing the Cascade VH is its Realtree Hillside Camo stock. The stock’s vertical grip angle aligns with current industry trends, providing a more natural and comfortable shooting position, especially in prone. The grip is comfortable, with a medium checkering pattern. The grip feels perfectly balanced, offering ample traction for secure handling.
The stock feels rigid and sturdy, and the rubber butt pad is fairly firm, which pairs well with the light recoiling rounds this rifle is chambered in. One of my favorite features is the adjustable cheek riser. To adjust, simply use the large hand knob on the right-hand side, to loosen, adjust, and then torque in place. While at the lowest position, it works well for low-scope rings, it provides enough elevation change to still work well with taller one-piece scope mounts for optimal sight alignment.
Handguard On the VH
The handguard is pretty basic, but in this case, that is a good thing. It features mild checkered texturing, providing adequate grip for handling. One thing I like is the flat bottom of the handguard. It gives it a slightly thicker feel, but also provides a much more stable shooting rest. Whether shooting off sandbags, a tripod, or tree branches, the flat bottom ensures a stable and reliable resting position.
It also features two front sling swivels, which is perfect for those who want to mount both a sling and a bipod. For this review, I ran the MDT ORYX Bipod, and it performed flawlessly. One other thing I found interesting is that the polymer used for this stock is a good insulator. On the last range trip I went on, I left multiple rifles out in the sun with 100-degree temperatures, and the Cascade VH remained easy to hold, whereas other polymer stocks became unwieldy and nearly impossible to get a cheek weld without burning your face.
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Action
The Cascade VH’s action features a three-lug bolt system, complemented by a rounded oversized bolt handle that provides a quick and reliable grip. Notably, the tight tolerances between the bolt and action are impressive, especially for a rifle in this price range. The bolt never bound up on me and continuously fed smoothly. Where some actions give problems if you push too hard up, down, left, or right when working them, I could push this bolt in any direction and still feed rounds without issue.
Trigger
This rifle features an externally adjustable trigger. The trigger exhibits a slight hint of creep, but overall, it offers a satisfying and responsive feel. I didn’t notice it when shooting, just when dry-firing and watching the trigger when slowly pulling against it. I measured the pull weight to break consistently at 2 lbs, but it can be adjusted from 2-4 lbs. One issue I encountered during testing was the trigger weight adjustment screw loosening and falling out while shooting. Luckily, I was lying prone and shooting from a mat, so I was able to find it, but it may be good to use some seal tape to keep it from vibrating out.
Magazines
The Cascade Varmint Hunter chambered in 223 comes with a 10-round magazine. The double-stacked magazine design offers higher capacity without extending too far below the rifle, ensuring unobstructed prone shooting. The proprietary CVA magazine works for 223, 300 Blackout, 204 Ruger, and 350 Legend. While this rifle ships with just one magazine, 10-round mags can be found for around $50, while the flush-fitting 4-round mags run about $35.
Barrel
The Cascade Varmint Hunter features a sleek Cerakote Smoked Bronze finish on the barrel and action, providing enhanced durability and protection in challenging conditions. Also designed for higher round counts, the Cascade VH features a heavier contoured 20-inch free-floating fluted barrel, which also features 5/8 x 24 threads for using muzzle brakes or suppressors. It shot great suppressed, and when just using a muzzle brake, the heavy barrel reduced recoil and muzzle rise for quicker follow-up shots.
VH Precision
Throughout this review, I was able to put a couple hundred rounds through the CVA Cascade VH. Most of the ammunition used was 55gr Winchester supplied by Ammunitiontogo.com. They are the official ammo sponsor for this review and offer a wide selection of competitively priced ammunition. For this review, I ordered some ammo, and it was on my doorstep within the week. Easy to use online website, insanely quick shipping, and competitive prices. Go check them out!
To evaluate the precision of the CVA Cascade VH, I tested it with various Hornady ammunition, shooting 3-round groups at 100 yards. The rifle delivered multiple sub-MOA groups, with most types of ammunition clustering near the 1.5-MOA mark. For a target varmint rifle, I would have liked to see more types of ammunition group sub-MOA, however, with the right type of ammunition, sub-MOA groups are possible. Below, you’ll find a table and images detailing my results:
| Ammunition Type | Average Velocity (FPS) | 3-Round Group Size in MOA |
| Winchester 55gr FMJ | 3248 | 1.65 |
| Frontier 55gr FMJ | 3159 | 1.07 |
| Frontier 55gr HP Match | 3079 | 0.80 |
| Frontier 68gr BTHP Match | 2929 | 2.38 |
| Hornady 73gr ELD Match | 2729 | 1.22 |
How to Load the Magazine
One “problem” I encountered was the rifle not feeding rounds smoothly into the chamber. I set this gun up at a shooting station and let 25 people take turns shooting it from 200-500 yards. There were 10-30mph winds, and everything was coated with some good ole Oklahoma red dirt. The Varmint Hunter “continually” gave people issues trying to chamber rounds and would bind up halfway into the battery.
However, the rounds binding up were simply due to improper magazine loading. If the rounds aren’t fully seated toward the back of the magazine, the bolt will catch when cycling. But when the rounds are properly pushed to the rear, as shown in the image below, the rifle cycles smoothly. Even with all the grit, the action ran well when the mag was loaded properly. Just a quick tip for anyone looking to run this rifle without a hitch.
CVA Cascade Performance
The only other issue I encountered was the lack of corrosion resistance on certain parts of the rifle. Everything Cerakoted held up great, but I noticed after I retrieved this rifle from my safe after my first range trip shooting for hours in the 100-degree heat, that some parts had started to rust. To be fair, I didn’t wipe down or clean the rifle after sweating all over it, but I would like to see more corrosion-resistant coatings applied since this all happened after only my first range trip.
However, the Cascade VH shot respectively, and I could get sub-MOA groups with the right match-grade ammo. The Cerakoted barrel not only complements the rifle’s camo scheme but also enhances its corrosion resistance. The ability to attach a suppressor adds to its appeal as a modern varmint rifle. Coming in at 8.7 lbs and chambered in 223, this rifle is a breeze to shoot. Practically no recoil, and very flat shooting. This makes it easy to watch bullet trace when shooting at a distance, view where a shot was missed to make up for it quickly, or even just watch your bullets fly and hit their intended target.
READ MORE: Non AR or AK Options for Modern Sporting Rifle Shooters in California (Part III)
Summary
The CVA Cascade Varmint Hunter (VH) is a versatile bolt-action rifle designed for both field and range use. Drawing inspiration from the Cascade Long Range Hunter, it features a medium-heavy barrel, an adjustable stock, and a high-capacity magazine. With an MSRP of $900, it’s available for around $800. The rifle’s Cerakote Smoked Bronze finish, adjustable cheek riser, and free-floating fluted barrel enhance its durability and performance in tough conditions. While the rifle achieved sub-MOA accuracy with the right ammunition, not all loads performed equally well, so testing various types is crucial for effective varmint hunting.
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