Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors 30-30 leverevolution vs 300 savage?

117 years & those "other" leverguns are still trying to catch up , they never will.


Mike

In the deer woods, it's very difficult to beat "PERFECTION"... namely a Model 99 (EG) in .300 Savage caliber.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

Ron, I hate to break the news to you but there are a plethora of other Savage models and chamberings that are equally as good!

There, I fixed fo ya.............

Seems like there's a huge variety of powders for the .308, and anything that works well in the .308 oughta work well in the .300 Savage - with care working up loads, of course. I think the .300 is going to have at least 200 fps over any of the hottest .30-30 loads.

That said, people generally use .300 Savages for the aesthetic pleasure of hunting with classic rifles, and are unlikely to go buy a Marlin with Leverevolution loads, to replace their .300.

Now people who are not rifle loonies, and own one gun, a .30-30 LVR loads are a pretty neat deal.

The .30-30 has never had a problem with velocity...in it's heyday it was a "high velocity" round. More velocity is great, to a point, and that point is accuracy. In most of the .30-30's I've encountered (Winchester and Marlin) the accuracy just wasn't there. 3" at 100 yds was about all you could depend on. So the flattened trajectory that the new ammunition supposedly offers, is useless unless you find a good, make that very good, .30-30 to shoot it. The pointy, gummy tipped bullet does not improve trajectory till you're beyond 200 yds in practical terms. It's a fix (in my opinion) to a non-existent problem.

Now if there's a Savage 99 in .30-30 out there, that one of the brethren is willing to experiment with this new-fangled ammo, I'd be willing to listen. All kidding aside, it's a very rare Winchester or Marlin that will even come close to a Savage for accuracy and I've got an even dozen of those off-makes to back up my claim. Any of you .30-30 Savage 99 owners have any accuracy data on your pieces? The .300 is a proven performer...how 'bout the .30-30?

OTOH, a 300 Savage in the venerable 99 is famous for its accuracy and doesn't need gimmick bullets to make it work. I've posted here before on the 300 and my example (a 300-99 EG built in '52) routinely puts 3 shots into an inch at 100 yds. Hornady's Sierra's, Speer's, even M1 Carbine 110 gr FMJ's will shoot that well. I've found 2600 fps or a little more, is easy with a 150 grainer...and 2700 is not out of range. And padnuh, that's plenty enuf for the lower 48.

Rod

How about 2600 fps hornady ftx 160gr from a .300 savage?

http://www.hornady.com/assets/files/ftx_load_data/300_savage.pdf

I nominate rod to be our guinnea pig and test it out for us

In my Marlin 336 carbine (20"), I get 2300 fps at best with the 30-30 LeverEvolution. In my Savage 99EG with a 24" tube, I get over 2600 fps with 150 grain 300 Savage loads. I did take a nice 6x6 bull with the LE round in 2006. 110 yards, quartering away slightly and he dropped where he stood. Entry behind right shoulder, blew up the heart, took out a lion share of both lungs and lodged in the offside shoulder roast. In regard to the .303 post, the LE bullets are available from Hornady as a component item and Hodgen offer LE powder. I would think the 30-30 data would do but, as usual, start low and work up. Be aware there are two different .308 bullets available from Hornady, one specifically for the 30-30 and one for the .308 MX. The crimp rings are located differently to accomodate proper COL. Hope this helps, Larry

[quote=antiacus]How about 2600 fps hornady ftx 160gr from a .300 savage?

http://www.hornady.com/assets/files/ftx_load_data/300_savage.pdf

I did not see where 2600 fps is listed going to the above link?

Second page there's a chart of powders and load data. 2600fps is the max listed for several.

Duh...blind in one eye and cannot see out the other! Thanks. I did note the
projectile they are showing is the same one they use their factory 30-30 loads
and not the one they use in the .308 Marlin Express load.

I've been wondering about loading .303 Savage rounds with the LeverEvolution Powder. Pressures within limits and it should be able to get 150-200 fps more with 170 grainers or maybe even use the 160 grain LeverEvolution bullets. That would be a 160 grain bullet at around 2,600 fps in a 26" barrel. I keep thinking that if I'm going to do that, why not just use a .300 Savage?

Here's the load data for the 160gr FTX bullets in a 30-30 from Hornady. Maxes out around 2100fps, would also apply to the 303 Savage (work up carefully from a starting load).

http://www.hornady.com/assets/files/ftx_load_data/30-30_win_ftx.pdf


Oddly, Hodgdon lists a max of 2380fps with that combo on their web site. Can get 2512fps with a 150gr flatnose, which is pretty darned good.