30-30 leverevolution

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Ranger Roberts

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Gentleman, I was curious if anyone has any feedback with Leverevolution 30-30 rounds? I live/hunt in Pennsylvania and I would be using the rounds for whitetail. I've been using a 170 or 150 grain (handload, courtesy of my dad) for close to 20 years. I am just looking for something different, I feel like changing it up a bit this season. Any reviews good/bad would be welcome. I reload but my 30-30 rounds are for target shooting, I trust ol'Dads rounds for hunting. I'd be sending the bullet courtesy of a 1972 Marlin 336. Thanks in advance for your replies.
 
I've used them in 45-70 and 35 Rem. They are a good load, but offer very little advantage over traditional bullets. The good news is that they not really any more expensive and while their advantages are small, I can find no disadvantages. As said they don't really cost any more than traditional bullets, tend to be at least as accurate and by all accounts work well when they hit game. And they do offer some long range advantage over traditional bullets. Just not as much as some think.

I've always felt that Hornady's advertsing for them was a bit deceptive. Every other bullet maker shows their ballistics charts with 30-30's zeroed at 100 yards with bullet drops shown out to 300 yards.

Hornady shows their 160 gr Leverevolution load still being .2" high at 200 yards and 12" low at 300. That is roughly a 225 yard zero. Zero a traditional 150 or 170 gr RN bullet at 225 yards instead of at 100 and the 300 yard drops won't be much more than the Leverevloution loads.
 
Bought a box of 100 of the bullets and have tried them with several powders in my 336. Can't better the Remington 170 grain factory loads. (Leverolution 30-30s are 165 grain). Like the concept, just haven't found the formula.
 
They are my favorite ammo in my 336. I like the polymer spitzer point. Couple of years ago I had a doe in the crosshairs at 100 yards. Pulled the trigger and she ran off. I looked for her for a couple of hours. No blood, no hair, no nuthin. I was pretty disappointed I missed her- I am usually Mr. 1 shot, 1 kill at deer camp. Little bit later I discovered that the front ring on my scope was loose and it allowed the scope to move up and down freely about a third of an inch :what: Guess that was why she got a reprieve. Tightened everything up and re-zeroed and I had 2 deer in the ice chest the next outing. Those bullets do their job if you do yours.
 
I use them almost exclusively in my Marlin 30AW. I hunt thick cover and most of my shots are taken inside 50 yards. I can't attest to long range performance, but they are an absolutely devastating load on deer. I have dropped more deer instantly with the Hornadys than I ever did with the heavier Remington Cor-Lokt or Winchester Power Point loads combined. Just my .02
 
Thanks for the input guys. I'm definitely gonna give them a shot this year. I guess the worst part is waiting for Dec 2 for rifle season to open here!
 
They give you a little flatter shooting bullet in your lever action and in my Marlin 336,
I get one to two inch groups at 100 yards which is certainly acceptable for deer
hunting. Hornaday has started producing this ammunition in a wide variety of calibers
including, .35 Rem, .45-70 Government and even in pistol calibers like .45LC.
 
I find that the Sierra 125 grain FNHP is a better bullet for whitetail if you hand load. It expands, drives deep, and I haven't recovered on yet. They can also be pushed to 2450-2500 fps depending on you gun so work up. And that makes a 30-30 into a completely different gun to me.

Your experience may vary.
 
I've had no problems with them, they're accurate and kill well.

Just don't take all the hype too seriously and start thinking your 30-30 suddenly becomes an '06 when you use them. :scrutiny:
 
I shot one box through my old model 94. I couldn't tell a difference in the accuracy. The expanding tip probably makes a great hunting bullet though. Hornady I think did a good job designing them.
 
My son (15) killed 2 deer last year with the 160 Leverevolution 30/30 last season. They work fine for a kill. I have seen better accuracy from the Winchester 150gr super X. I havent ever seen what they do to a deer but I have herd good things. My son also shoots a 336 from the early 70's (hand-me- down from a dear departed friend) with a Bushnell 4x. With the Winchester the rifle will shoot MOA or better at 100yds, with the Hornady more like 2-1/2 to 3 MOA. Still plenty lethal
 
I find that the Sierra 125 grain FNHP is a better bullet for whitetail if you hand load. It expands, drives deep, and I haven't recovered on yet. They can also be pushed to 2450-2500 fps depending on you gun so work up. And that makes a 30-30 into a completely different gun to me.

Your experience may vary.
Well Said! Only problem I found was I ouldnt bring rear site low enough on my Win 30 30s, the Marlin 336T is scoped and it is awesome weapon. Puts it in 300 savage catagory.
 
I find that the Sierra 125 grain FNHP is a better bullet for whitetail if you hand load. It expands, drives deep, and I haven't recovered on yet. They can also be pushed to 2450-2500 fps depending on you gun so work up. And that makes a 30-30 into a completely different gun to me.

Your experience may vary.
I bought a few boxes of the Sierra 125s because I heard good things about it in a .30-30. I loaded some for my Blackhawk in .30 carbine but they were a little much for that cartridge.
What powder have you found to be the best?
 
The leverevolution advantages in the 45-70, 44 Mag and other "fat and short" cartridge bullets are marginal but in the 30-30 they become a bit more significant (much better ballistic coefficient).

Basically with the leverevolution, your 30-30 becomes a 300 yard deer rifle (flatter trajectory and higher retained velocity/energy) if you are up to...not different than handloading your 30-30 with spitzer bullets and using only 2 shots out of your lever action rifle, with the difference that you can use all of your magazine tube.....
 
Originally posted by saturno_v
Basically with the leverevolution, your 30-30 becomes a 300 yard deer rifle

Do you honestly believe that loading up a bullet with a ballistic coefficient of .330 is all that it takes to make the average 30-30 into a 300 yard deer rifle? :confused:
 
If you count spire point ogive bullets suitable for use in a tubular magazine without setting each other off as an advantage in a lever action, then they are a significant advantage. Before them not a great deal of bullet selection for .30-30 lever action tube magazines.
 
I picked up a pound of the powder today for the first time. I have been waiting for it to show up for over a year now. I still haven't seen the bullets on the shelf yet, but I see that you can back order them if you don't mind waiting and paying extra shipping.

My boys shot up a box of my ammo last weekend. They had a good time and I wanted them to get comfortable with the rifle.

So now I am feeling the pressure to work on my ladder and get my rifle dialed in. I need to find that sweet spot and load a few hundred rounds.
 
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