.30/30 LeverEvolution

[1000yardstare]

I like to shoot hunting rifles for relaxation and to take the pressure off my F Class target rifles. One of my favs is a Marlin .30/30 336 carbine. Will regularly group 150 gr reloads into an inch at 100 metres with a scope. Thought I would try the Hornady LeverEvolution ammo for the first time. The polymer/plastic tips were harder than I had imagined but I guess Hornady knows what they are doing. The 165 gr bullets chronod at 2395 fps and the primers were considerably flatter than anything I have seen in a .30/30. The cases ejected easily with no sign of stickiness. But the bullets averaged 3 inch groups at 100 metres four inches to the left of my 150/170 reloads. Maybe these LE factory loads are meant for the XLR rifles with their Ballard rifling and don`t like the microgroove rifling of the carbines. Does anyone have experience/opinion with the LeverEvolution ammo?

 

[acasto]

Have not tried them on game yet, but out of my Winchester 94, they hit the same hole at 50 yds off the bench. Now, it was not a single hole, but they overlapped by about half.

Wanted to see just how well they would fly.

Oh yeah, it's a carbine also. Don't you just love those lever guns?

 

[bohemR13]

I have not tried them with my 336 Marlin in 30/30. I have shot and worked a load with them on the 336 Marlin in 35 Remington that a friend has.

200 gr LeveRevolution and it runs around 1900-2100 fps depending on the powder and load.

The best groups we saw were around 1950-2000 fps and they were about 4.5-5' at 200y. They shot about 1.85' at 100y

The bullets are good for hitting deer vital sized targets no more than 200y out.

My 30/30 with factory ammo shoots 1.5' at 100y until it gets hot. The fire-formed reloads shoot sub 1', sometimes as small as 3/4'

The 35 Remington will do approximately the same as the 30/30, but our best group is about 7/8'

Point being this. Even with handloaded 200gr's are not particularly good, and I would relegate them to sub 100y wooded lot hunting like we commonly see in PA.

YMMV, good luck with them. I won't buy another box, I'll just shoot the RN's that have dropped numerous deer for both myself and my friend.

 

[ForneyRider]

I got a smaller seater plug from Redding to use the FTX bullet as the stock one wouldn't push the bullet far enough.

Hornady recommends trimming the brass short, which I ignored. I trimmed to set depth by Lee trimmer.

I used IMR 4064 and CCI primer with Rem brass to get 2150fps. Factory loads are rated at 2400fps. Accuracy was great at 100 yards with a 336W. But my dad went and got a Cabela's scope with range compensating reticle. So I am going to try to get close to factory velocity with Varget. Hodgdon has load data for 150gr in excess of 2300fps.

FTX bullet is long, like a 170gr. And they are 28$/100.

I have a chrony to see what the factory stuff will do and then try to match with Varget.

My guess is the at 2400fps is through the 24in XLR model. So I may only be 100fps off or so.

 

[ForneyRider]

ASIDE: Nosler makes a 150gr with a plastic round nose.