LVR 30-30 load

[Terry Vincent]

I just loaded five Remington Brass cases with 37.7 grains of Hodgdons new LVR over a Nosler 150 grain Ballistic Tip. 38.5 is the max load. I shot the ammunition through a Thompson Center G2 with a 21 inch Custom Shop light weight barrel. No freebore in this barrel is an over all length of 2.789" so I seated the bullet to 2.759" giving the bullet a .030" freebore. Here is what the Chrony recorded for the five shots: 1. 2537, 2. 2530, 3. 2517, 4. 2524, 5. 2523. I don't recall getting this close of a maximum spread with any other powder with these velocities. There are no excessive pressure indicators, and case extraction was effortless.

At first blush, it appears this LVR powder will really bring the 30-30 to a new performance level. My ballistic chart shows this bullet, velocity, BC combinations still has more than 1,000 ft/lbs of energy at 400 yards! 200 yard energy figures demonstrate 1,500 ft/lbs of energy, so I may just use this rifle for my Montana elk hunt this fall.

 

[4895]

Sounds great! I too load leverevolution for .30-30 with 160 grain FTX bullets right at 37.0 grains. I worked up about 9 or 10 loads with different powders and bullets and with that max load of lever shot a .5" group at 50 yards with open sights. I almost want to scope it and see how well it does at 200+ yards. I don't have a chrony but I know the bullets were cookin'. Good stuff.

 

[GooseGestapo]

My chrony is subject to aberations if set too close to muzzle on rifle's and lighting angles.
I've seen some "higher than expected" velocities to only have the same load shoot to "expected" velocities at a later date.
However, those speeds are "possible" given that the barrel IS a Contender and 21" long. I get similar speeds from similar weight charges (of different powders) from a Contender in 7x30Waters so I'll hedge my bet that the speeds are probably close to actual results.

LVR is "good stuff" for what it's adaptd to. I've shot a couple of pounds of it through the .338MarlinExp.. I've tried a few with a .358 and found that it offers little improvement with that cartridge at the pressures it works with (higher than optimum for LVR) and actually dosen't improve over IMR3031 or Acc2520.

I get nearly the speeds you're seeing with the 150gr bullets from my Glenfield(Marlin) M30 and Reloader15 (perhaps 100fps slower). So, I for one "conditionally" believe them. Just try them on a "cool" day, or take the ammo to the range in a ice-cooler after all night in the deep-freeze. That'll let you know what to expect on a blustery December evening.....

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Until I tried LVR I always used the classic 30-30 powder, IMR3031. While 3031 was just fine in the 30-30 LVR is a better powder IMO. It allows for increased velocity and more accurate ammo. What's not to like?

There are few times where I turn away from a powder I've used successfully for years but this new powder is really good at what it's made to do. BTW, according to Hornady they use different blends of LVR for all the calibers they load with it. It just so happens they 30-30 formulation is what Hodgdon is selling.

 

[blarby]

take the ammo to the range in a ice-cooler after all night in the deep-freeze. That'll let you know what to expect on a blustery December evening.....

And confirms again why I love H4895

 

[Terry Vincent]

I loaded another ten rounds and shot them this morning after it stopped snowing. I live in the mountains near Bozeman at 7,000 feet elevation. Temp this morning was 31 degrees and the ten rounds chronographed at 2523 fps average after I set the cartridges outside for an hour. All ten went under MOA.

This rifle is very light, less than six pounds with scope, and should be a pleasure to carry this fall, and the added boost the LVR gives the 30-30 makes it reasonable for elk in black timber hunting.

 

[popper]

LVR works good for cast also. FTXs do 0.5" @ 100 from a 336 with 3x9 scope. Same for 308mx.

 

[kelbro]

I can echo ArchAngelCD's results. Shot 3031 for 30 yrs in the 30-30. LVR sounded good but I didn't shoot my 30-30 often enough for a while. so I wasn't really motivated to try it. Now I'm glad that I did. Velocity and accuracy.