TESTED: Hodgdon LEVERevolution Powder
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ก.ค. 2024
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If you want more zip from your lever action 30-30, seriously consider loading with Hodgdon’s LEVERevolution powder! Combining LEVERevolution with Hornady’s pointed Monoflex and Flex Tip bullets results in ammunition that has a higher velocity and flatter trajectory than conventional 30-30 cartridges.
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Gavin, you need a “TESTED” playlist on your channel so these can be more easily found.
Good call!!!!
don’t forget about the 32 Winchester Special. Excellent with Leverevolution
I have had the same Marlin 336 in .30-30 since I was 11 years old in 1976. As an adult, I wasted a lot of money in the search for the perfect hunting rifle. I now believe I had it all along. What I didn't have until 2007 was the perfect ammunition for it.
I jumped on the FTX bullet / LVR powder bandwagon and doing so "converted" my little 336 from a close range deer and pig killer to a "mice to moose out to 300 yards" rifle.
Did I see a velocity increase? Using published data, my formerly hottest 170 grain loads would average 2198 fps from my rifle. My hottest 160 grain FTX / LVR load gets me an average of 2435 ftps.
That load gets me 2107 ft/lbs at the muzzle, 1490 ft/lbs at my 200 yard zero, and 1240 ft/lbs at the 300 yard line, which is as far as I personally care to shoot at game animals, no matter what I'm armed with, and with this load, I've got enough power, impact velocity for reliable bullet expansion, and penetration for caribou, moose, and elk at that distance. At 400 yards, this load STILL hits with 1027 ft/lbs of energy.
It's not just my opinion that the FTX and GMX bullets coupled with the .LVR powder "radically transform" the .30-30. Mathematics says it does.
Now, it's still not the flattest-shooting round in the world, but on my 200 yard zero, I can basically just aim for the center of the kill zone and squeeze the trigger and end up with a lethal shot from 0 to 250 yards. If I want to stretch out to my self-imposed limit of 300, I just start aiming at the top of the kill zone from 200 yards out and even if my range estimation is off, I'll still end up with a lethal hit.
The load I actually use, however, is a little milder, and averages 2,380 fps. That's good for 2013 ft/lbs at the muzzle, 1418 at 200 yards, and 1179 at 300 yards. My rifle shoots four-shot clover-leafs with it. That makes it more fun at the range, and difference in terminal performance isn't really enough to matter in the field, so that's the one I've settled on. It's basically a duplicate of the factory LeverEvolution load for the .30-30.
Once I started using ammo loaded with the FTX bullet and LVR powder, I basically stopped using every other center fire rifle I had, and being more of a user than an equipment collector as I get older, I eventually sold off every centerfire rifle I had except my old 336.
Last year, I went elk hunting for the first time since 2015, A friend of mine grew up in a town near the BLM land we hunted on and our party consisted of me, my friend, and two of his other friends from his former home town. Those other two guys kind of scoffed when they learned what I was hunting with I filled my tag on day four of a five day hunt with a single double-lunger at 178 yards. The animal wobbled for about 30 yards after taking the hit and then collapsed. I wasn't surprised. That's the result I expected.
Recognizing a "game changer" when I started using the FTX bullets and LVR powder, I did a little tweaking to my 336 in order to get the most out of it. I bobbed the magazine tube to half-length. I used a stock Marlin dovetail tube hanger to do it, like how it's done on 336 MX models, but I retained a rear carbine band,, relieving the part that goes over the barrel so there's no barrel contact with it when the barrel is four shots worth of warm. I glass-bedded the butt to the action, too. My parents bought this rifle second-hand from a guy my dad used to work with and it had trigger work done on it before I got it, having a crisp, light, creep-free 3 pound pull. It was a 2" inch groups at 100 yards rifle when it was stock, due mostly to vertical stringing. Shortening the mag tube seems to have cured that, It will sent four shots inside a 1.25" at 100 yards now, when I have a scope on the rifle.
I loaded multiple weight bullets for my 35 Rem using Lever-Evolution and all have been spot on constant.
I have used 30-30 leverevolution 160gn ftx factory rounds pre pandemic. When prices went up I took all my saved brass and tested factory pre pandemic ammo. Out of my old 70s 336 average of 5 shots was 2286 extreme spread of 117 standard deviation 45. I tested my hand loads in the once fired prepped cases with leverevolution. I was surprised when the 5 shot average was 2386 extreme spread of 30 and a standard deviation of 13. Now I have a better than factory hunting load at less than half the cost. Happy reloading.
Love it! Love the lever guns.Thanks Gavin and Guy!
Guy, Chesty is pleased with you!
Good night Chesty.
I really enjoy your videos. I just began reloading at the end of March. I only do 223 right now, but I learned reloading primarily from watching your videos. I'm having excellent Success With It, and I attribute that to you. I'm having loads of fun. I always look forward to your videos. Even if it's not something that I deal with personally, I find it all very informative, fascinating, and its all connected.
A great cartridge with a long history. Very happy to see this revival of sorts of the lever action platforms. I have some of the 160's on the way but I like the more universal powders so I won't quite hit 2450 fps but I ma wanting to test the 160's for retention and expansion.
I got a 6 ARC loading 105 bthp w/ lever evolution. So far I am still learning reloading but the powder has worked great for me.
Leverevolution is my go to 30-30 powder. That looks like a Glenfield 30 - half magazine 30-30 as the closest rifle. One of the best budget 30-30's made by Marlin back in the day. JM stamped barrel.
Yup, that's my old Glenfield, and I really like that little 30-30 rifle. :)
Due to the recent shortage and overpricing of well, everything, I loaded up 250 .223's with Lever evolution the other day. It's very close to a couple of other powders on the burn rate chart but there seems to not be any loading data on it in the .223. Loaded three at a time and test shot them and settled on a less than full power load that showed me no pressure signs at all and seemed to be pretty accurate to boot. Won't give the load I settled on, but with just 62grain full metal jackets should make a really good plinking and blasting load. Meters like water. No problems at all getting an accurate charge out of a powder measure, every load I weighed were spot on.
This is the powder I was looking at when I was considering building a 6 ARC. It pushes that little round to near .243 velocities in the bolt guns. Ii already use LeverEvolution in my old Winchester 94 and it shoots amazingly well.
Great pairing you two up. Old school Marlin with wooden furniture and new technology Henry lever action with suppressor.
Couldn’t find this powder in the last year when starting to reload for 30-30, so I went with H335. Easy to measure, and max loads aren’t far off from many other common powders
I've used that powder for 6mm ARC. Fastest velocities in town.
Best grendel powder too.
Good to know. I seen that on load charts, but sometimes is exaggerated. I just got my 18" gas gun and that is what was used on the load chart, I found. Looks like exterminator, on the 2-3 lightest bullets.
Beat me to it. Zippy as hell but I get wicked temp sensitivities. Looks killer for .284 win, 7-08, and other similar rounds.
@@mv1arms where are you getting your load data for LVR and the Grendel?
@@userJohnSmith I was wondering about the temp sensitivity
Great in my 30-30 for speed and good enough accuracy, outstanding in my ARC with any Hornady bullet tested. Doing really good in 556 mid sized bullets. I like this a bit better than CFE 223 in all I've tested.
I've loaded 3 weight bullets in 30-30 with the lev powder. Hornady interlock 170 33gr 2,100 and interlock 150 35 gr 2,340. The 160 ftx 35 gr 2,260 out of a marlin 30aw. That's the only powder I've ever tried. Thanks for the great vids.
The best part about it is the increased velocity but the pressure is always lower than the other 3-5 powders at the top end of the velocity for 30-30 and 35 rem
LVR is a specially blended powder for the FTX bullet for the leverguns and it works better with the heavier bullets. I load Speer 220gr Hot core flat point for the 35 Remington, it's accurate and it delivers some serious energy to the target. The magic is in the pressure curve.
Tell me more about loading the 220 Speer with LVR and observed energy, please. Buffalo Bore loads the 220 gr with velocities of 2200 fps but I don't think they use LVR powders for this. Pressure has to be in acceptable limits. How they do it, I don't know. Thanks. The .35 Rem is my favorite probably because it's not sexy but it is a deer, hog, bear and elk killing machine. Too many people underestimate what a great round this is.
@@Mark-uq9km Love the 35 Remmy. I know it's a popular caliber with the black bear hunters in the north east.
Funny enough the Win 350 Legend, mimics the classic 35 in a lot ways.
Gave my oldest her choice of a new 350 L upper or a youth sized 243 Win. To my surprise, She went with the 350 Legend.
Ammo was a lot more available during the covid years. So she did me a favor i. That regard haha
Having used W748 in .30-30 before leverevolution was available, I think it’s very similar or even derived from 748. Charge weights and performance are very similar
I have a 45/70 and have hand loaded for it for years. My favorite load is a Barnes 250 grain triple shock bullet and AA1680 powder. Don’t remember the actual charge off the top of my head but the end result is the bullet comes out at 2600FPS. From a 45/70!! Look this up in the Barnes manual, it turns that Marlin into an honest 300 yard rifle.
I shoot a 45/70 BOLT gun on Enfield action, and hand load for it and many more calibers I have. A 45/70 with a 250 grain projectile @ 2600 FPS an honest 300 yards ? I CALL BS.
I’d like to see 60 degree bullets or warmer being tested in hot vs cold barrels for velocity and poi changes. Sounds silly but I was thinking of wrapping my bullets with hand warmers to warm them up when hunting in freezing weather for those longer shots. Also velocity testing on powders that are exposed to more humidity vs less before loading them up. Thanks for all your great contents
I’ve used this powder in the 30-30 and it works very well. But it is also IMO the best powder for the .338 Federal. I’ve loaded both 185 CXs and 210 TSXs in the .338 Federal and get my best velocity with this powder and also excellent accuracy.
I've got some pretty silly velocity out of it in 6mm ARC and I use it on a regular basis for 223 and 6.5 Grendel... It sucks that they don't list this powder for more cartridges. Side note is I've never used it in a lever gun because all mine are chambered in pistol cartridges. LOL
Glad I’m not the only one. I use it on my 77gr 5.56 loads as well.
I've used it for my 6.5 Creedmoor, but had hang fires. It seems to be a great powder, but you can't use 40+ grains of it because it's too difficult to ignite.
@@clays7741 I think you either got a bad batch or need a hotter primer because you only have to ignite the base of the powder column and it's used in cartridges with similar powder charges with no issue.
Works pretty good in 6.5 Grendel as well 😉👍
My go-to for 6.5 Grendel and 6ARC
This is handy as I have a box of the FTX bullets and my buddy has this powder and he was going to load them to get us some better 30-30 loads.
I had poor results with the Hornady Leverevolution ammo at distances beyond 50 yards so hopefully we can get a great load for my 1983 Marlin 336c
Let us know how it goes Ron!
I tried it in 6mm ARC. While excellent results in velocity (Loading by Hornady manual specs with a 108gr eld-m bullet through a aero precision 24" heavy barrel upper) easily achieving 2700 fps I found it wasn't as temp stable as I wanted for PRS competition. Ended up going with VV N150/Berger 105 target hybrid. (But am currently experimenting with VV N540 and Berger 109 target hybrid)
I started with the IMR3031 for years in my 30-30 because Leverevolution powder wasn't produced yet! IMR3031 performs well even today when hand weighed precisely it is very accurate!
Being a (longer) stick powder does have some things to consider as trying to measure from powder drops.
I'll be on the lookout for the Leverevolution to give that a try. Have sone cast Gas Checked bullets that should work well.
IMR 3031 is a classic choice for the 30-30 cartridge! I use it in my 45-70 as well.
And the evolution powder the first time I ever tested it I put five shots through the same hole at 100 yards with 140 grain monoflex bullet with the evolution powder at the 34.5 grains of powder
I'm using the 140 grain bullet from Hornady with the with the evolution powder and I'm getting about 2190 out of my velocity and mine's a Marlin and that is a slightly compressed load cuz it's 34.5
The best for 6mm arc
I use LeverEvolution in my 8mm Mauser with Hornady 170 grain Round nose. 49 grains of powder, never have chrono'd them but they shoot well enough for an Iron Sight thick woods deer rifle.
I'm interested in it for my 6.5 Grendel boltgun. Everything Ive seen is higher velocity and works great in the cartridge
Have been using leave a revolution and flex tip. Bullets for years. Have taken deer at 50 yards to 350 yards. Excellent performance The only thing I did not like was not having the information that you need to modify your magazine tube for your nose of your bullet contacts
If you haven't already, I'd like to see a version on Superformance powder.
33 grains of leverevolution
160gr FTX
Henry Model X + Swampfox Kingslayer RDO
Thing is a tackdriver. Easily rings steel out to 300 yards standing while freehanded.
My favorite gun to shoot and reload!!
(Also got voted the best of all of our guns between my friends and I which is like 30 guns 😂😂)
Ranger Point Precision Handguard+Stock+Rail+Muzzlebreak
🦌Awesome powder ! , GREAT VIDEO , I've used LVL ,( WITH GREAT RESULTS), in 6 mm ARC, 6.5Grendel, 223/5.56. Very accurate, no pressure signs, easy on brass,(can reload many times). A little 'dirty', and temp sensitvive though. ...... Its definately my 'GO 2' powder, 4 my 16' barrel stuff !👍👍👍
Been useing LVR for a few years....26in bbl Winchester 94 30-30 with 170gr RN 2435 fps.....25-35 Akly Imp 85gr 3080fps...100gr 2975fps.......308 win is where it really shines matching 30-06 fps with 150-178gr bullets with no pressure signs , going to work up a load for my 300 savage but ,LVR is hard to find where I am from.
Its the preferred powder for 6arc at the moment too.
I’ve been using the Leverevolution powder since it came out. Both in 30-30 and .35 Remington. With FTX bullets in both. Marlin lever actions of course, not one of those copy cat Henrys…just kidding Gavin. Guy, I love that Glenfield!
Please Please Please....test Hodgdon CFE Black! There is very little video content on that powder. I am interested in how it may perform in the wildcat cartridge 45 Raptor. You have already tested the other two CFE powders. Please do a review on the final one in the set and complete the trilogy. Thanks Gavin!!!
The go-to powder for 6ARC. Haven’t found anything else that is even close for a combination of velocity & accuracy.
I really like HAWK bullets too.190 grainers for the ol'trenta/ trenta.
Ya, that's a lot of bullet for a 30-30 no doubt! I haven't tried that one yet.
Nice stuff.
Gavin i load lever evolution in 35 rem, h4350 in 30-06, varget in 7mm-08, allof which have tested.I also load h4831 in 7mm rem mag and h322 in 222 rem bothwith very good results. You might want to test them.
Loading Leverevolution in 6mm ARC I can push a 103gr bullet at 2670 fps out of only an 18 inch barrel with only a small ejector smudge. Favorite powder in my new favorite round. Also, in a five shot string it gave me an SD of 3.2 with an ES of 9 fps in my 5.56 77gr reloads!
Would love to see a review on the Superformance powder, maybe in something like 22-250
Was using 30-30 maximum load liver revolution 160 grain flex tip
best powder for 6 ARC!
Great to know
My 30-30 win load data. Starline nickel brass, cci 200, 37gr hornady lvr, 143gr lever hammer bullet. Actually a 140 grain but called 143. Marlin 336 20” at 2540fps.
That's scooting right along and I'd imagine that the Hammer bullet works great on game!
Been doing 34.5gr of Leverevolution behind a 160gr FTX for years. They do pretty well out of a Remlin 336. Varget also does well (like everything else, Varget works great)
Suppressors also add a bit of velocity.
Are you planning on testing how temp stable this powder is?? I developed a load for my 243 lbc using this powder and the 95 gr Berger VLD target. Good results so far. 2900 fps and shot .484 moa @ 200 yds and .917 moa @ 600 yds .
Tried LEVERevolution in a .300 Savage Model 99 and it turned it up a couple notches where I wouldn't be afraid to use it on elk out to 300 yds. That's with a 165 grain bullet. Haven't had a chance to try the FTX bullets yet.
I use 165's from my 30-06 & 308's, but not with LVR powder. Have taken elk & bear out at 300 and beyond. It's a good weight for a 30 caliber hunting rifle.
@@guyminer2384 A good 165 in those is an excellent weight for shot distances here in Wyoming. Keeps trajectory fairly flat and still hits hard at reasonable distances. Though I prefer my .300 win with 180 or 200's for most my hunting here. We will be experimenting with a .32 Win Special with the LEVERevolution powder with 170's. Was able to get some factory Hornady loads with it in that series and just like the 30-30, it gives the 32 a nice bump. 🙂
Love the 30-30. I'm planning to make one of mine an Ackley. Maybe give it more freebore, (308 level or a bit more) then juice it up a little bit more. I found some 170 gr 30-30 nosler partions.... fun fun. 100 yrd elk 🔨 (brush gun)
I've used the Leverevolution powder with the 160 gr FTX in my Win Model 94 30-30. Its ok , I mean not better than Remington 170 gr Factory loads but it works.
I'd love to know your thoughts on Accurate 2460 and 2200. I use them for .223.
I am using that powder and bullet and having awesome results love it
I'm assuming this would work for a .32 Winchester Special too? I have a 118 year old model 94 that I want to load for on the lighter side of factory given its age.
Look in the new Hornady book and you will find this for 224 Valkyrie and it works very well.
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L E powder is great 30 30 35 303 savage 444 45 and 357 and 44 and I'm not sure if I'm going to load 45 70 don't think I have enough to load it but I love the powder and the velocity it generates
Seems like small spherical powder should give you tighter packing and less airspace in the case. Does that matter?
Would a soft point 150 grain bullet be ok to use?
LVR might be the best powder I ever used 75gr & heavier bullets in 223/5.56. I don't like it much in the 30-30 as I tend to use lighter bullets.
When reloading 35 Remington and using a FTX bullets will a older RCBS die set work or will I have a better results with a new modern Hornady set.
I tried that powder in my Stevens bolt gun in 30-30 with 150 speers. didn't like it, went back to Varget.
I have been interested for this video, as I am looking at a 30-30 for a short distance deer rifle in the UK. This performance easily meets the England and Wales limits, but unfortunately isn't consistently meeting the Scotland velocity limits (2450 fps). Still I live in South England, so it is not the end of the world. It certainly is a combination I will be looking at.
use a 307 Winchester would like to try this powder
I am just getting started in hand loading primarily for my two Savage 99's. One in .300 Savage and the other in .358 Win. Can you suggest a couple loads for each with LVR? 150 gn for the 300 and 200 or 220 gn for the 358?
With my 336 .30-30, 35.5 gr. LVR pushing the 160gr. FTX equals 34 gr. H4895 and 150gr. Sierra FN, both a bit over 2400 fps. The obvious next test is to load the FTX with H4895, maybe H335, CFE 223, and IMR 8208 XBR because I have them, for more direct comparison.
So far, the LVR/FTX combo is not giving the accuracy I want, which I find odd because the factory LeverEvolution load is very good in my rifle.
Right now, I have some test loads ready for the range with LVR and Hornady 170gr. FN. I want the LVR to shoot well because I have a lot of it and can't find H4895.
Anyone have data for LVR in 6.5 Creedmoor?
Hey I've got about 1/2 to 3/4 of a box of sierra 125 grain flat nose hp if you want to reload them and try them out
My reloading manuals often show 8208xbr in a lot of different calibers. Have you had any experience with this powder and where is it these days? No where to be found.
Popular for 6.5 Grendel.
Works great in 224 Valkyrie
Hi Guys...would this powder also work well with the 38-55, and if so what would be a good load to use? Thanks.
Are any powders terrible? We always see revues on great things. I scooped a few deals on Shooter's World powders before the unobtainium years began. I haven't tried any of them yet. There isn't a lot of information on them. The few bits of info I've found seems to contradict the other. I wouldn't mind seeing a comprehensive revue of them.
It also seems older powders, though still available, don't seem to be talked about much. I was using IMR 700X almost exclusively in 12ga, 20 ga, and every pistol load I was loading. I had a supplier where I was getting 12 lb cans for $99...back in the early 90s. It worked well in everything until striker fired pistols hit my safe. The powder was too fast for them to function. It is still a great revolver powder that seems to be overlooked because it isn't new and shiny. 3grs 700x under a .38 DEWC was accurate and fun to shoot at 25 yards and with 2300 rounds per pound of powder...! I had a compressed powder load that I developed under an 88gr JHP 9mm load that I created for the year 2000. My "millennium load." Once I stopped reloading shotshells that powder goes a long way filling ammo cans with range loads.
Hodgdon Lever Action Rifle!
My go to is IMR 3031 powder with Hornady FTX 150g solid copper
150 Hornady solid copper? Agree that 3031 is a great powder for the 30-30 and also for the 45-70.
I just used h110 for all my longer barrel less bottlenecked cases. It's a nice even burning powder that let's you get a hefty charge without spiking the pressures too badly.
Question… How do you check for pressure in a 3030? Since the pressure limits are so far below where you would get primer corruption or ejector marks, how do you ascertain whether you were over the Sam in limit on a low pressure cartridge?
Honestly, I just stay at or below the published maximum loads. Hodgdon is very good about publishing pressure data in their online and print loading manuals. I don't recall ever seeing traditional pressure signs on a fired 30-30 cartridge.
I used to use imr3030 . then I started Levelution powder.
What about the 32 Special? Is LeverRevolution suitable for it?
I suspect it would work well for my 38-55 Winchester
What kind of groups/accuracy?
I've seen this powder used in 6.5 grendel
Lots of Reloaders using it in just about everything that needs a medium slow powder burn.
I've used it in 44 mag
How is it for cast bullets? In 30 -30
I like it in my Henry 35 rem.
I'm awfully glad that Henry offers a 35 Rem! Hopefully it will be popular enough that they'll keep making that version.
Awesome video Gavin and Guy. Since it’s difficult to get ammo for a lot of hunting cartridges now outside of .223 and .308 which are obviously AR cartridge choices too, my brother said that he is going to finally reload for his beautiful stainless and walnut Marlin 336 in 30-30.
Sadly with hazard shipping it was $80 for a pound jug. He said that he was going to use the Nosler 150 grain BTs that my Dad uses in his 300 Win Mag and only have one in the tube. I say just grab a box of the Hornady 160 grain FTX and don’t try and get fancy with it.
My neighbor state of Ohio is a straight wall cartridge state and I would like a lever gun in a straight wall. I noticed that 45-70 was not on the list even though it is the second most popular lever gun cartridge behind the 30-30. What powder would you use for it?
IMR 4064
Accurate 5744
Yes, just getting handloading components is difficult anymore! It seems to be getting better, but wow... Re the 45-70, love that cartridge! Typically I'll use IMR 3031, H4198, and I've found that Varget actually works quite well for my 45-70.
@@guyminer2384 thanks 🙏 for sharing your thoughts and experience with the grand ole 45/70 Gov as well as the 30-30.
@@TheWVgoodguy22 I reload for both the 30-30 and 45-70. They are both really fun lever action rifles. If you ever decide to make up plinker type loads then I would recommend using some cast or plated bullets and Trailboss. Can’t even find the words to describe how much fun it is to shoot them with the reduced recoil!
@@x-calibearusallc Thank you for the inside information I am either going 44 Mag (since I have the dies and want a revolver in 44 Mag) or 45/70 in a lever gun for my next rifle since I have a 270 Win and 300 WSM for medium to large game at longer ranges and a .223 bolt gun for coyotes and varmints and fun shooting.
I have heard that the 45/70 is pretty versatile and can be loaded hot for big bears 🐻 and bison 🦬 etc down to reduced recoil plinking or deer 🦌 loads.
What I'd like to know is can I use 30-30 Leverlution rounds in a 1977 Winchester Model 94 which is in excellent condition! Was my 1st deer rifle. Father kept my gun and passed away last May, so I went and picked it up and a couple of others, grandfather's single shot 410 and single shot 22. Just curious to know will the model 94 that old/build quality will handle Hornady's 160 grain FTX rounds?
I've had my Marlin 336 .30-30 since I was an 11 year old kid in 1976 when it came out of the Kenna Drive factory,
How your '77 Model 94 will "handle" the 160 grain FTX factory ammo depends on what you mean by "handle."
It's not going to blow your gun up or break it, if that's what you mean. Whether you'll be able to put four of them inside a 1.25" circle at 100 yards like I can with my old 336 is something only you can answer by giving the ammo a try. You'll note that some other 336 owners don't get the same results with the ammo I do. Every rifle is an entity unto itself, in so far as what shoots great out of your (Insert make and model here) might not shoot so well out of someone else's.
will it work for the marlin MXLR 308?
I was very disappointed that LEVERevolution powder did not work out for me in my two 336, 30 30s using a variety of 170 grain bullets. The accuracy was just not that good. CFE223 was the winner for me!!!
any data for 300 Savage ?......in a 99.....also a lever gun....maybe the best lever gun.....ever :)
where do I get that burn rate chart?
Great powder. Too bad large rifle primers can not be found...
Try it in the 6mm ARC!
Quite impressive. Did this give good, consistent accuracy? I may have to watch the video again. You all are precision type guys. I would assume you put these loads to the tests. I would be curious on the accuracy & effective harvest range Guy or Gavin would expect out of it. Thank you gents.
I can tell you what LVR powder and FTX bullets do out of my 1976 Marlin 336 in .30-30. My rifle is like Guy's, in that I bobbed the magazine tube to half-length back in 2007. I glass-bedded the butt to the action, too. My rifle was made in 1976 and my parents bought it for me that year, but my dad bought it second-hand from a guy who had the trigger pull worked over by a gunsmith to a crisp, creep-free 3.5 pound pull.
When it was all stock and scoped with a 2X7 Leupold Vari X IIc, it would shoot the 160 grain LeverEvolution in would group four shots inside a 1.25" circle at 100 yards with ease and most groups would be "clover leafs" smaller than that. I prefer to run the rifle with a Lyman Model 66LA aperture sight fitted with a Merit adjustable iris sight disc, however. I shoot it that way as well as I can shoot a National Match M-1A or National Match AR-15A2. The translation is that me and it are good for the same 2 minutes of angle from 300 yard prone as I am with match rifles fitted with aperture sights.
For me, accuracy with the FTX or GMX bullets and LVR powder isn't an issue. The rifle has more mechanical accuracy when scoped and shot from a bench than my 58 year old body can use when "position shooting" with aperture sights. Even so, I don't have any trouble keeping shots inside the diameter of a deer's kill zone at 300 yards. That's important to me because 300 yards is as far as I personally care to shoot game animals, regardless of what I'm armed with. For me, recovery of downed game becomes exponentially more difficult the farther beyond 300 yards its shot and I'm usually alone when I shoot game, so I don't have an extra pair of eyes to help me find it when it's down. Furthermore, in 47 seasons of hunting, I've never actually shot game as far off as my self-imposed limit. The farthest shot I've ever made on a game animal was a 275 yard shot on a mule deer. I'm a "still hunter" (the big reason why I favor the Marlin 336) and as such, no matter how "wide open west" the country I hunt happens to be, my shots are more often measured in tens of yards rather than hundreds. That's another reason why I use the aperture sight instead of a scope. I'm often "jump shooting" game out of it's bed and I've taken more game between 7:30 and 9:30 than in the "half hour before sunrise" where the light-gathering of a scope would help. So, my rifle is a bit of a "one-trick pony" as I have it set up, but I'm a one-trick guy. I don't have the patience to sit a stand for hours on end, so I cover a lot of ground when I hunt.
The most powerful combination of FTX bullet and LVR powder I have tried in my rifle averaged 2435 fps from my rifle. That results in 2107 ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle, 1490 at my 200 yard zero, and 1240 at my self-imposed 300 yard limit. That load still has 1027 ft/lbs of "juice" at 400 yards and has as much power at 425 yards as the typical blunt-nosed factory 170 grain .30-30 load has at 200 yards.
The load I ACTUALLY SHOOT gives me the same 2380 fps average velocity that Hornady factory LeverEvolution ammo does. Muzzle energy is 2013 ft/lbs and it is 1179 at 300.
For me, that makes it a "mice to moose" rifle out to 300 yards. My use of the peep sight pretty much insures that I'm not going to try to outshoot the terminal ballistics of my ammo, but even with the tamer load I actually use, I've still got as much power at 400 yards as most blunt-nose factory 170 grain loads deliver at half that distance.
I use a 200 yard zero. Assuming no wind, I can aim for the center of the kill zone from 0 to 250 yards and score a lethal hit. If I need to stretch it out to my max, I just start aiming for the top of the kill zone at 200 yards and from there to 300, I'll score a lethal hit.
The problem with my load isn't power. It's got just enough of that to kill an elk stone-cold dead as far away as I'd ever pull the trigger on one, so it's got all the "juice" I need for moose, caribou, mule deer whitetail deer, blacktail deer, feral mouflon sheep, feral Spanish goats, and feral pigs. Last season, I double-lunged a mature bull elk with it at 175 yards. It wobbled around a bit after taking the hit but hit the dirt about 30 paces from where it stood when I shot it. I'd have likely had the same result from a .300 Savage, .308 Winchester, or a .30-'06, for that matter. Works for me.......
The trajectory is pretty easy to manage out to 300 yards, too.
The thing takes some getting used to is wind drift. Fortunately, the range I shoot at has the 300 yard line perpendicular to the final approach of the local airport, so in the afternoon, I'm going to have plenty of crosswind to practice dealing with. After a bit of practice, knowing how much wind correction to adjust aim point for makes that fairly easy to manage, but that was the hardest thing for me to get consistently good at with this load. The .257 Roberts, .270 Winchester, .30-'06, and .300 Weatherby Magnum rifles I previously used to take game over 200 yards with aren't as affected by wind as my little .30-30 firing FTX bullets over LVR powder is. But again, even that becomes easy to deal with when you put in a little range time.
In summary, the combination of FTX bullet and LVR powder has made my first gun, my little Marlin 336 that I've had since I was 11, the only gun I feel the need for to hunt any non-dangerous game in North America with and kill it dead out to 300 yards with a bit of reserve margin in case my range estimation is off.
And since I am a still-hunter, which has me "jump shooting" game out of its bed more often than not, the shotgun-like handling of the 336 or 94 Winchester that lets me get get on target and get off a killing shot RIGHT NOW makes the lever-action 30-30 about as "ideal" as "ideal" gets.
@@jerroldshelton9367 Excellent info & testimony. Thank you much for sharing. Sounds like you would be a joy to spend time at the range and around a camp fire. Stay safe. Happy hunting and Lord bless.
@@guardianminifarm8005 Thank you for your kind comment. If you happen to live in the same state I do, you might find out first-hand whether I'm the joy at the range or campfire you think I might be. The people I hunted with from childhood to my late 30s have all gone on to meet Jesus, except my dad, who is too old an infirm to hunt, shoot, or fish, anymore. For big game hunting, I've basically been a solo act for the last 28 years and I'm at the point, age wise, where being alone in the wilds isn't a super-intelligent thing to keep doing.
Blessings and tight groups to you, too, and thanks again for your kind comment.
@@jerroldshelton9367 Our present area is the Great lakes region on the Upper Peninsula and Northern WI. Lake MI & Lake Superior are both only an about drive. We have one elk hunt in AZ under our belt. My sons are eager to get out west for an elk & deer hunt in the coming years. May look you up. Lord bless.
I shoot a Marlin 1894C in 357 magnum. Are there any appropriate loads for the 357 with LEVERevolution powder?
How about 35 Rem 200 grain FTX levereloution
How was the hunting trip to Africa?