Home Forums Lever Action Central Marlin 336 Lever Actions Leverlution in 336A .30-30, anyone?

Has anyone shot or hunted with the new Leverlution ammo? I asked about this in another thread but it got burried. The Hornady You-tube add says its viable out to 400yds.

What might this round be compareable to balisticly? .308win/7mm-08?

Would like to hear some real world experience.

Thanks

I have a Marlin 336 30.30 that was made in 1953. The Leverevolution ammo shoots more acurately in it than anything I have ever shot in it. I have taken several deer while using this ammo and it has performed very well. I would keep my shots under 300 yards and expect good results if you do your part.

Wilkshunter,

Did you get complete pass thru with the .30-30 160 gr. FTX?

Doc

Wilkeshunter,
I also have a early 336 RC (1952) that shoots the 160 GR Leverevolution great. I have it sighted in at 100 yds currently. What kind of drop are your getting at 300 yds ? I

I have killed four deer and a pig with then and I got exits and short tracking with them. They are super accurate in my 336 but I never shot over 100 yards with them. I would have taken a 250 yards shot with them if the opportunity had presented itself though.

400 yards is a big stretch! Approx 3" high at 100 will give a 200 yard zero and 13-14" low at 300. The 300 yard energy is about the same as a 170 grain at 200. I dropped a 6x6 bull where he stood with one round at 110 yards. He shuddered for a couple of seconds, tried to take a step and dropped. Bullet entered just behind shoulder, macerated the heart and lodged in the off side shoulder. My rifle is a 1990 336CS.

Wow!! You shouls send in a picture of your Elk to Hornady to be included in their catalog.

Doc

I did send it to be included in the "Team Hornady" album. It wasn't the prettiest rack. He'd been fighting and had three broken tines! It's on here too in an old LeverEvolution thread.

Thanks Doc. Those are the drop figures that I came up with also from JBL. I limit myself to about 225 yds with that rifle and load.

My son got complete pass through with the 160 ftx out of his 336.

50 yards. 30 cal entrance. 100 cal exit. Deer went about 3 yards doing the break dance of death.....


Not sure on the max range, but he's holding a 4" group at 200 yards with a 4x scope. About a 4" drop off his 100 yard zero.

Here is my LeverEvolution stories.... First I must say how accurate it really is, also even more so if you know how your rifle shoots. I have taken several nice animals with this 30-30 ammo. One in a Marlin 93 model that is 100+yrs old. Second was with my Savage model 99 in 30-30.. all animals were at 100 yrds. The farthest shot was with the Marlin 93 at a crazy 190 yrd shot. I had seen him at roughly 120 yards and while I was stalking him he gained distance on me and I did not know it. Only after shooting him did I range where he dropped that it was almost 200yrds. Anyway I have not even taken my high powered rifle out of its case this deer season, only my lever actions.

190 yards moved less than 10yrds after shooting.

ran about 20 yards and saw him drop

dropped in his tracks 113 yards

ran about 20 and heard him crash against some brush 100yrds

All with Hornady LeverEvolution ammo. I have my point of impact 1" high at 100yrds.... This ammo has proven itself for me. I now reload with it too. I plan on reloading for my new Savage Model 99R in .300 Savage. I wouldnt use anything else now in my old lever actions.

Smokey15,

Nice pictures and great animals. Did your drill and tap the older Marlin 93 or buy it "D&T" ??

Doc

MMM.. honestly I cant remember. I hope it was drilled and tapped already. I sent if off for restoration... (dont hate me :o) and it came back that way, so I cant remember if I put it in the requests... It did not matter for me because I plan on handing it down to my two little deerslayers! It currently carries a weaver limited edition 4x scope that is engraved... nice shooting rifle and rarer with the octagon and 1/2 mag or 2/3's... cant remember that either without puttin' a tape to it. The wood was left alone as it has nice figure and nice color.. but eventually will need some protection as the finish is off in a few places. just not sure what to put over top of it that will leave it close to original and match whats left of the original finish.... glad you enjoyed the pics!

Smokey15- your 1" high at 100yds, at what range are you dead on and what is your drop at say 100yds beyond that? and BTW I wouldnt have that savage 99 in the pics, that pretty little thing out-shines them all.

PS thanks for the input guys...

I would say it would be dead on at about 150-175 as I have not shot it at that distance. The range I shot my furthest buck at, 190yrds, the bullet dropped about 10" or so on the deers body.. now some of that may have been me. I sighted it in on the bench with a solid rest to get the 1" high.. that is what I do all my other rifles at... maybe I should go 2" high at 100 and it will probably reach out further w/ less drop at those ranges.. but the settings I have them at now I have not had any problems.. all animals hit in vitals and did not go far.. The only prob I have had was a missed hog at 125 yrds.. but I did not give up the hog in the crosshair and I actually over shot him by inches... I think it would have hit point of aim.. I raised to just at his hair line on his head and overshot... oh well.

I have the exact same gun. The Leverevolution ammo is as accurate as any handload I have tried in the gun. I have not taken any game with it to this point.

I would not classify it in the 7/08, .308 class of ammo as it starts out 300-500 fps slower from the 20 inch carbine barrels that are standard to this type of gun. I am getting @2350 fps out of my 336 with the LVREVL ammo. I get 2270 with Sierra 150 grain RNFP's and Varget. On the other hand I get 165 gr. BT's or 165 gr. Sierra BTSP's to move along at @2700 fps out of my .308. I would still keep this round inside 250 yards on Deer sized game. Just my opinion though.

Smokey15,

I noticed in your pictures the rifle has new case color. Your Marlin 93 really enhances a any picture you and the rifle may show up in. In your picture the magazine appears full length to the end of the barrel, I am guessing the barrel is 24 or 26 inches.

A tang sight on that Marlin 93 would make add some flavor to using that ole' gun.

Regards

Doc

Yeah.. those tang sights are $$$... the mag tube is either 3/4 length or 2/3, it does not go all the way...

Smokey15,

Wow, that is beautiful case color. The rifle is going to stay in your family for many generations.

Doc

I was reading the posts here. I currently have a marlin 30 as in 30-30 that I really love! I have been meaning to try the hornady leverevolution 30-30 version. I may be deer hunting on my uncle's farm where a typical shot probably won't be over 75 to 80 yards. According to what I am reading, this new hornady 30-30 load should absolutely vaporize a whitetail! Any comments welcomed!

That is a very handsome rife Smokey !!!
I only wish my newer 1936 ( not much different ) in 32 spcl liked the L R ammo

That claim depends on which caliber of Leverevolution you're using.

In 30-30, the drop is way too much and it has little knockdown power at 400 yards.

If you really know your hold over or use a BDC scope the 308 or 338 Marlin Express can take game out that far. Size of game you'd want to try it on depends on the caliber.

The 308 Marlin Express gives performance within 5% of the 308Win, the 338 give ballistics very similar to a 30-06 180 gr bullet but hits a little harder.

One individual on marlin owners took out a coyote with a neck shot at 370 yards with his 338MX
Coyote at 370 yards

They are accurate enough. Another member there took a moose down at over 300 yards (using his rangefinder) with the 338MX.

The 308MX and MXLR are just as accurate. There are reports in various places of taking deer at over 300 yards and antelope over 350 yards with the 308 version.

One thing people are learning, the LE ammo in a 336 or 30A either shoots well or poorly.

This has to do with the rifle. If the rifle has bands that are too tight, or pressure on the barrel from several possible causes, it won't like the LE ammo. This can be corrected, but takes some work. My guess is the issue may be the change in barrel harmonics created by the higher speed of the LE ammo reveals improper assembly of the rifle.

30-30 LE bullet recovered from my 6x6 bull. Was in the offside shoulder after taking out the heart and part of the lungs at 110 yards.

Looks dang effective !!

Mine seems to be in the chamber , maybe it was bored out a little deep . Not sure , but after a few stickey extractions I went back Win , Rem , and Federal , and they all worked fine .

well If Im not mistaken the OAL of the Hornady cartridge is a bit longer than the standard lengths of the Win and Rem loads your probably using... just a fraction.. so it may be in the throat of your rifle... not that it is a problem or done wrong.. just was mated to the ammo of the time period as we are using newer ammo in older rifles. You probably could reload on your own and shorten your OAL to match your current ammo, just adjust for the grains in the cartridge as well so pressures arent a problem.

I know this is about 30/30 but my 336 .35 loves the L/E took a deer at 50 yards through the front shoulder and out the ribs deer hit the ground so fast thougth I hit him with an .06

For those of you that have the Micro-groove barrels, you will need to clean the barrel a lot more often than with the copper clad bullets. Hornady will tell you that in the micro-groove barrels, the bullet will lead up the barrel and start keyholing. I quit using the ammo for that very reason.

??????

Doc