Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles LeverRevolution: Is it really that good?

What say you. Sounds like some of you really like the stuff. Please share with the rest of us, on what you think makes it so wonderful. Thanks.

It's about $36/pound in my neck of the woods.

I use it in my Marlin 336 in 30-30.

I tested it against my regular 30-30 powder, H4895, and found it boosted the velocity considerably and gave good accuracy.

When Hornady came out with LeverEvolotion ammo and components, I tried both the bullets and the powder. The bullets were okay, but it was the powder that was the better part of the pair. I finally settled on a 150 or 170 Hornady FP over LVR powder.

It's a very versatile powder. Some gripe about it being dirty but I don't mind cleaning my barrel if I'm getting good results with different rounds!

In my very limited efforts to employ it in 8x57, .30-40 Krag (not Ruger #1), 7.65 Mauser...it more or less acts a lot like H380, and the one place where it did well, the 7.62x54R, it did very well. That was in a scope sighted M39 Finn of exceptional accuracy. The chronograph generally shows some fairly wide velocity spreads...maybe my WLR's are a little brisk?
I have got a Christmas vacation project coming up, my goofy grandson bought a bubba Enfield No4 Mk1, I've got the wood and fittings to 'restore' it to full military dress, and we will try to cook up some moderate loads for it...he only weighs about 110 pounds...and maybe the LVR will find a home in the .303. If I needed powder, I'd buy it again...but I wouldn't go shopping for it. My 100 yr plus lever guns get RL-7 or 4198.
On the other hand, I'd cut of some body parts for that CFE223, some claim it's close to BL-C2, but I like it much better. You can hear the angels sing in the 8x57.

Nope, it's got an extremely narrow window of use. Weirdest fkn powder I've ever used:


Beyond 55 grains of powder capacity, it showed pressure signs in a 338 rcm. So any 30-06 capacity medium bore, it's a no-go.

It kinda went like this: 55 grains, gobs of room left in case. Low pressure.

56 grains, massive fkn ejector mark, easy extraction.

57 grains, no ejector marks huh? Let's keep shooting!

58 grains, ejector marks back, easy extraction. 5-6 grains of empty space.


The granules are so fine, it'll bind up some powder hoppers like the cheesy lee hoppers.


BUT, some magic window like 180, 200 and 220 grain bullets in the 308 winchester, the smaller powder column hits the narrow window perfectly. 2600 fps with 200 grainers. 2480 fps with 220 grainers. No other powder will do that in a 308.

ONLY signs of pressure: loose primer pockets, but extracts like butter. Very weird powder, be careful. Re-priming cases was the only way I could find a sign of excessive pressure.

I theorize that the granules are so fine, they pour down into primer pocket, even getting past the little anvil, resting right against the primer compound. When the pressure gets around "full power", this powder prematurely ignites, and unseats the primer. Then the brass flows back against the bolt face as the powder continues to ignite, damaging the primer pockets.

Manzo's 308 Winchester Alaskan Load:
46 grains leverevolution
Standard primers
Winchester brass
200 grain norma oryx
2600 fps from a 22" barrel.
Bison legal.
The widest expansion of ANY 30 cal heavy.

I use it alot in the 5.56 along with stuff like the 35 Rem, 30-30, etc. It's darned near the same as CFE223 in most of my uses.

I burn alot of it on the progressive with 5.56 and 77's..

I didn't have any luck with the Lever factory
ammunition or the powder or bullets at all
The accuracy was so-so, so I stopped any
testing right there
Just shows how every gun is different once again

No it’s not, stay with 4895, more versatile.

The only things I have used it in are 30-30 for a friend, and just very recently 303 Savage for myself.

My 303 is really, really... realllllly fiddly with loads across all powder/bullet combinations. Half a grain is the difference between touching shots and a pattern looking like buckshot in it. The rub has been with the gaggle of powders I used previously, getting accuracy always came with sacrificing a ton of velocity.

I decided to give LVR a whirl in it a couple weeks ago when Runnings had it in stock, and was real happy with the results. I used it with bullets from 110-190gr and got good groups with velocities between 100 and 175fps faster than I'd been able to with any other powder.

The tradeoff is filth...it has to be the absolute dirtiest shooting rifle powder I've ever used, and that's including cast loads with Green Dot, Unique, etc. Bore is filthy, brass is filthy, guts of the rifle are filthy... brass takes twice as long to come out clean in the tumbler as usual. It's almost like it mildly stains brass.

I won't be using it in anything but the 303 Sav, but it sure brought a bit of life to that old beast.

Was tempted to give it a try in a 6.5 Grendel. Seems it is a winner in that cartridge for many, but I got the impression that it is fairly sensitive to temperature changes.

Scored me a pound of IMR 8208 XBR and went that route instead.

Works great the 35 Remington with the 180 Speer and 200 Hornady.

Some great posts guys. Thanks for sharing your experiences, whether good or bad. I've used it in the 30-30, like some of you here, and it worked. Just didn't know if I should be trying it in other cartridges. I've heard guys praising it in the 223 rem as well.

If you have a 6mm ARC it's the cat's ass. Also good in Grendel and I use it in my main load for my Garand, it's a very versatile powder. Only downside I've found is that it's temp sensitive.

It isn't nearly as dirty in my buddy's 30-30, but I think that's because that is a lot warmer load than any of the ones that shoot well in my 303. The rifle likes being babied, so with the exception of the 190 grainers all of them are fairly mild charges.

I need to revisit my 30-30. I have not shot it much, but LVR is top of the list of powders I will be testing.

Yes sir, forgot about the 6.5 Gren, 6 ARC and 224 Valk as well. All three of them have used a few pounds of my stash. The new 22 ARC looks like it'll thrive off the stuff as well.

Yeah it seems to be temp sensitive. Depending on ones particular needs that might not matter, for instance if one lives in an area with fairly consistent temps throughout the year, or in an application like a 30-30 that might only see use during a late fall hunting season.

I like it. Have been loading it in 35 Rem using Speer 180 and Hornady 200gr. Gives groups of .8 to 1.0 in my Marlin 336 and Rem 760 both 35s. The Hornady LVR factory ammo will group less than an inch in each rifle.

LVR has its place in at least a few cartridges with velocity in mind. Probably need more data for a few cartridges not yet addressed. Although if temp stability is at all high on your criteria then I'd shy away from LVR.

6mm ARC is one place I like LVR. Although other propellants I like in the 6mm ARC as well. Would really like to see data for 6.5mm Grendel with 129 grain offerings.

It has been quite a few years and a phone or two ago, so I don't have any target pics, but it is a nickel or better grouper from his 336 @ 100yds with the 160gr FTX. 34.8gr with a CCI-BR2, velocity 2134fps according to my notes. He and his boy have both plugged a couple deer with it over in Indiana over the past few seasons.