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Hornaday now has a new line of loaded ammo intended for the tube mag rifles.There is a pretty good review in Shooting Times.Spire points,designed to safely work,and deliver better terminal ballistics.Thus far 30-30,35 REM, 444 Marlin,45-70,450 Marlin.....have a ball!!!!

Okay, I'll go ahead and be the first one to say it. It really doesn't mean squat to me, and I'm a big user of lever action rifles. Not taking anything away from Hornady(Dave Emary, I think?), but I don't see it benefitting me much. I like the shock imparted to the animal on impact by the flat nosed stuff. If I was worried about my lever action not having enough juice( range) to close the deal, I'd have a bolt gun in my hands. The new bullets may be a good thing for someone who only owns or hunts with a 35 Rem or 30-30 exclusively, but I don't see them increasing the effectiveness of the 444 or 45-70. Maybe the range a little, but certainly not the killing power. Again, great idea, but I just don't see myself personally gaining anything from it. My lever actions kill just fine, thank you----2MG

I think one of the benefits to this new ammo is that the increased velocities and such get you closer to 307 and 356 Winchester levels. I know that I would get a 356 if they were made again. At least now a person is in the ball park w/out having to go broke trying to get a 356.

I have shot several boxes of Hornady .30-30 Lever-evolution in three Winchester Model 94�s, a 26� barrel Buffalo bill, a 20� Black Shadow and a 16� Trapper. While I have not shot a deer with it yet my results indicate Hornady has come up with an interesting and accurate load.
Shooting the Lever-evolution load at 30 degrees in the 26� barrel we got 2378 fps.
In the 20� barrel Black Shadow we got 2292 fps.
In the 16� Trapper we got 2087 fps.
The data on the box claims 2400 fps.
We then shot some bulk170 grain Remington RN bullets loaded ahead of 34.1 grains of Alliant Reloder 15. These chronographed 2,339 fps from the 26� barrel.

In the 26� rifle we compared Lever-evolution with the 34.1 grain Reloder 15 handload at 200 yards. We found the 170 grain Speer bullet fell right into the same group with Lever-evolution. The round nose Remington bullet shot about 2� lower.
In the 16� Trapper the Speer 170-grain bullets shot about 2� lower than the Lever-evolution. The 170-grain Round nose Remington bullet shot 6� lower than the Lever-evolution.
It appears to me the 26� long barrel does not receive any real improvement at 200 yards with the Lever-evolution ammo. The 16� Trapper on the other hand, received a significant improvement with less drop at 200 yards. With the 16�Trapper it was easy to tell the different groups from each other.

If you are not a handloader it appears Lever-evolution provides a significant boost in performance. Certainly the 16� Trapper seems to receive a significant reduction in bullet drop over the best .30 caliber bullet available to the handloader, the Speer 170 grain. According to the external ballistics generator in RCBS Load, if I work with a 6� target circle (3� above and below the line of sight) with my Trapper sighted to hit on at 170 yards the bullet will be 2.8� high at 96 yards and 3� low at 200 yards. At 200 yards the 160 grain bullet is still delivering 946 fpe. Our range tests with Lever-evolution seem to comfirm the prediction.

Our Hornady Lever-evolution ammo has a mixture of Silver and Gold primers in the same box. We wonder if Hornady is using Winchester primers?

Good post slim,

As my oldest boy has a Trapper in .44 mag, maybe I'll pick up a box and play with them. Heck I can always clean my teeth. (grin)

I don't believe they are available in .44 Magnum. Hope they will be! Dennis

With the Leverevolution, my 24" Winchester 94 AE Shadow now performs almost like a 20" 307 Winchester XLR and factory FN ammo. Go ahead, laugh and say "Awe Bull - No Way". Then check out the ballistics and medium range energy of both (remember the barrels). Thus, I have switched back from my 3006 cannon to the 94. It carries much better. The Whitetail my son shot with the Leverevolution last week went down in one stride shot through both lungs, striking ribs in and out. The internal damage resembled many I have shot with the 3006.

I have plenty of old 30-30 ammo of all sorts, some of it expensive too. That's mostly plinkin stuff now. I will keep the Federal / Noslers for hogs, since it penetrates so well.

Can you buy the bullets for hand loading?

I'm anxious to see the 44 magnum loads out of my old Ruger autoloader. Hope components are available soon.
Harold