Lever/Revolution - Is it Hype?
 

I must admit that when I first heard of Hornady's Lever/Revolution ammunition ... I yawned. Frankly, it seemed to me like someone was trying to put purfume on a pig and sell a little snake oil.

While some might disagree, in my opinion lever guns were never intended for long range accuracy - which is what Hornady is seeming to promote. Even if the new ammo could perform as advertised, would the gun be up to the job? Lets face it, lever guns generally have crappie triggers and the barrels are usually strapped to a forestock and magazine tube. Ok,Ok, I do love my 336 (35 Rem); but despite it having a scope, I don't feel comfortable shooting at anything that feels pain beyond 100 yards or so. That works for me in Florida.

Yes, there is more to the Lever/Revolution ammo than muzzle velocity and range. Terminal performance is said to be greatly increased; but, I wonder if all of this is just a means of selling more ammo. What say you?

.35 Rem
 

I have the same Marlin 336CS and hope to put some of this new ammo through it to test it out.

Will let you know as soon as I have some test results.

The guy with the 30-30 Contender, ect, that doesn`t reload might enjoy adding a few extra yds to their firearms or see better accuracy. I can`t say they are better then other ammo though as I haven`t tried them.

While it doesn't make a huge leap in technology it does allow for a little flexibility when it comes to your choice in firearms given a situation which may leave you feeling slightly undergunned where range is concerned. The ability to use more ballistically efficient bullets in guns with tubular magazines will allow for a bit longer effective range in the old lever guns. Will it be accurate enough to warrant using those guns in medium range situations given the limitations in accuracy that they represent? Will it make a big enough splash to be a long-term success? Only time will tell.

gd

I'm about the world's biggest skeptic when it comes to "new" ammunition, and when it hit the market I didn't even own a gun that would shoot it.

I read all of the info on it, and ballistically, it made sense.

I found a used Marlin 336 in .35 Remington, and when it came time to buy shells, I thought "what the heck", and bought some.
I sighted it in, and that went well.

I deer hunted with it in the fall, but never saw anything worth pulling the trigger on.

After deer season this year, I'll let you know what happened.

Its the same as the short mags. Its just another way to feed the machine. The gun makers and ammo makers are running out of things to make, so this is the next attempt at a "revolution".

All this BS and still, the lowly 6.5x55 Swede, arguably the best all around cartridge out there, still gets no boost. (But the 30-30 does, lol) Probably because if Joe Deercamp ever discovers it and gets it thru his noggin, there will be a boom for a while of parts, guns and ammo, then the makers will really have a hard time coming up with the next revolution.

I do a fair amount of shooting and own a Marlin 30-30 CB, which is a great gun to carry and shoot. Last November a good friend brought his Marlin 30-30 to the range with me to sight it in for his son to use. He bought a box of the Leverevolution cartridges, so I thought "what the heck....we'll see what this stuff really is all about".

Well - using Remington Core-Lokt ammunition ( 150 gr ), we checked the rifle and it was dead on at 100 yds. We switched to the Hornady stuff and it consistently shot 6" higher at 100 yds, so I reckon the bottom line with this ammunition is you will extend your range somewhat if that's what you want.

Regards, Vic

Changing the point of impact at 100 yards automatically means your rifles range is extened?

Aim higher with your Core Lokts and arch them in there. Same difference.

Change any ammo and most likely your POI is going to change to some degree.

What I meant is the Hornady ammunition shoots flatter or has a flatter trajectory than the Remington ammunition. I reckon I used a poor choice of terminology on this one.

Basically - the Hornady ammunition does what they say it will do........higher velocity, shoots flatter. Less vertical adjustment with sights for longer range shooting than standard ammunition. Is it worth it ? Not to me. Is it a gimmick ? Probably. They are able to wring a little more performance out of a classic cartridge, but I like the 30wcf just the way it is.

Regards, Vic

Take that rifle that shot 6" high with the new ammo and adjust the sights down to wherever you got the Core Lokts shooting. Then do some testing at longer range.

I doubt if range has been extended any, not much if any.

Just did a quicky comparisson.

150 gr Rem CL gives up nothing to the 160gr new Hornady Leverlution or whatever they call it. They are ballistically almost identical.

170gr Rem CL shoots 200 fps slower. Sighted at 100 yrds, you give up less than an inch to the Hornady at 200 yrds.

Its hype.

The 30-06 Federal 180 gr partition load only drops 0.8" more then a 300 H&H mag Federal 180 gr Partition load at 300 yards. Is the mag "Just Hype"?

The 30-30 Leverlution doesn`t possibly add a lot to trajectory but it has more energy at 300 yd then a 150 gr FN has at 200 yds, 1025 f/lb vs 832 f/lb. The 170 FN 30-30 is down to 793 f/lb at 200. Pointy bullets improve more then just drop at longer range. It isn`t so much the trajectory that limits the 30-30 class of cartridge on game as the energy needed to quickly kill. One can set his sights or with a range finder take shots at extreem ranges with a good change of connecting, but if the bullet lacks energy it does no good. The Leverlution may not make a magnum out of your 1984 but it should add 50 - 75 yd to your useful range on game.

That said, I don`t own a 30-30 and likely never will, I`ll stay with my old 6.5 Swede or 260 for deer. :D :D:

Amen.

...........yep - sounds like a plan !

Well the stuff is flying off the shelves. My local Sportsman's Warehouse was sold completely out except for one box of 45-70 LeverEvolution they had left.

I agree it's probably more hype than anything. If it can turn a classic 200 yard gun into a solid 250-300 yard gun, then that breathes new life into THE classic round.

Personally, I don't care. I've always but spitzer bullets in my Marlin 336CS. I just put one in the chamber and one in the tube. That's it. Don't need half a box of ammo in the gun.

I never understood these guys that put 5 rounds in a rifle, carry the rest of the box on them......

If I shoot once, I want to have a back up round for follow up shots. But if I need 3 shots- I shouldn't have taken the first one to begin with........

I'm not so sure I'd call the new Hornady ammo revolutionary.
But, it does appear to shoot a touch flatter and carry a bit more energy than flat point bullets at the same distance.
Now, whether you can use that extra little bit of range/energy in an open sighted woods carbine is another question. If you like a scope on your lever gun, you may well be able to use the extra bit the ammo gives you.
Revolutionary? no.
But, it certainly isn't a step backwards- it's another step forward in the development of ammo.

Yes/No. If that isn't clear enough for you here it is.

I shoot a iron sighted 30-30 marlin in heavy brush at shots of MAX 50 - 75 yards. 170 grain remington core lokt will devistate deer, hogs, and chinchilla at that range. Yes even the rabid chinchilla.

A buddy of mine shoots a scoped 30-30 marlin along the riverbanks of the angelina. He sometimes shoots 100 - 150 yards. He uses 170 grain remington cor lokts and takes lots of deer and hogs.

Another buddy of ours shoots a scoped 30-30 marlin at paper targets out to 200 yards. He uses lever revolution ammo and kills tons of paper targets with mighty impressive groups.

Me and buddy #1 spend around $11 a box which gets use approx 20 animals per box. 1 animal 1 shell try to keep track here folks.

Buddy #2 spends around $17 a box and can't eat what he shoots, but he has alot of fun turning a nice brush gun into a nice bench/target plinker.

None of us are wrong, but it may be of interest Buddy #2 uses remington core lokts to hunt with WHEN he uses his 30-30 to hunt (Which was once last year when the scope on his 270 got busted in a truck wreck.)

my 2 cents.

GoodOlBoy

I have a friend who hunts deer with a .30-30 Marlin, he got some leverlution ammo and shot a deer with it, guess what--- the deer fell down and died. He is a great fan of the latest gadget, keeps primos and tinks and those others in business. I think a lot of guys are like that, maybe all of us are to some extent, I use a .243 to hunt the same area he hunts with a .30-.30, we both kill deer, and are not undergunned. Gun and ammo companies have to have something to keep people interested, case in point, Rugers new .327 magnum, a .32 magnum? Really? We need that? I was not aware of that. Didnt H&R do this already? Hmmmm.

Jack
 

What's your opinion of the new ammo and Nauga hunting:p
muledeer

Naugas
 

Muledeer, I saw a couple of Naugas today while trying to hunt up a coyote. They were just going over the hill when I saw.. They were gone before I had a chance to shoot. Been trying to get a Nauga since the late 60's:rolleyes:

here,here...

I haveta add,if you need "new"ammo to get some reach outta your lever gun,then you have the wrong lever gun.
Savage has been makin the right one for years...just doesn't look cool enough for western movies...

JMO

Skeet
 

Well if ya ever git one, I'd like to buy a hide from ya;) I'm thinkin Jack might have some.
muledeer

If'n I git one
 

I'm gonna have the seats in my truck covered in Naugahide. I haven't had any seats covered in naugahide since the late 60's early 70's. Wouldn't that be cool... My own Nauga hide covered seats:D yeah!!

Remington had this figured out like 100 yrs ago. It's called a spiral magazine tube and can use pointed bullets all day. My 141 has it and on occasion I have used the pointies (though I prefer roundnose for deer).

... "Muledeer, I saw a couple of Naugas today while trying to hunt up a coyote. They were just going over the hill when I saw.. They were gone before I had a chance to shoot."
Those naugas are darned elusive!
Naugahyde seat covers! What a great idea.
Muledeer, I'm sorry, don't have any naugahydes at the moment- but I'll be trying! I'll let ya know when I get one!:D

muledeer
 

if you want Naugahyde...let me know. I have a bunch of it in orange

jeeeeeeee...i have a marlin 1894c...very accurate with iron sights an more 'n' enuff to knock down small deer an' similar critters within 100 yards...what more does a feller need?