Hornady LeverEvolution

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Stiofan

New member
http://www.hornady.com/story.php?s=198

I saw some of these rounds at a gun show this weekend, as a matter of fact my buddy bought some for his .45-70 Winchester to use as a backup gun when elk hunting in October. I had never heard of it. Has anyone here tried it, and does it perform as it's being hyped, i.e. you'll get about 100 yards extra accurate range out of your levergun.

My Marlin .45-70 is pretty accurate out to about 200 yards, and I can adjust out to about 300 with it, but it's dropping about 12 inches at that distance. If I could cut that down significantly with this new round I'd be interested.
 
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Scorch

New member
Hornady claims much better ballistics, due to the polymer-tipped bullet giving better ballistic coefficient and different powders that give higher velocity without high pressure. The combination of better bullet and better powders extends the effective range by about 50-100 yds. But they aren't giving the things away!

G&A ran a test a few months back. Out of a 30-30, they shot 1.5"-2" at 100 yds. Go to the Hornady or G&A website for more info.
 
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Yankee Doodle

New member
I'm not looking to get into an argument here, so I am a bit reluctant to answer the post. Keeping in mind the old "no guts - no glory" saying, I am goint to stick my neck out.
If I wanted to extend the range of my lever guns, in all probability I would be using another action, and caliber. You are not going to get a 45-70 to shoot like a more modern cartridge no matter what you do. It is the nature of the round to be a middle distance load.
I was able to increase my success average by simply getting a bit closer. After all is said and done it is still called "hunting". Been the sniper route, and it is still much more satisfying to me to get as close as the round requires.
You can easily shoot the Marlin at 300 as is, but you will have to put in the range time to perfect your technique. Learn the bullet drop, and hold for it. Of course, you will have to be able to estimate range accurately. Takes practice, but well worth the time and effort.
So, I guess what I am saying is that in my humble opinion this new ammo is just another solution to a non-existant problem.
I am sure many will think I am some kind of a screwball, but that, for whatever it's worth, is my opinion.
Y.D.
 
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Stiofan

New member
Thanks for your post. Yes, everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Personally I wouldn't automatically eschew new technology simply because I've learned how to do it "the old way", which I have. That's just me. My .45-70 is my backup gun anyway, I'm partial to my .270 when hunting normally. The appeal of a ballistically superior round does interest me though.
 
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Limeyfellow

New member
Also there was a big recall of a lot of the rounds though there should be a link about with the lot number on it of the recalled ones.

For the price they are going for they give a bit of an increase in performance but not worth the extra cash in my opinion.
 
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rlong5

New member
there was a big recall of a lot of the rounds
Click to expand...

One lot of 30-30 ammo was recalled; that lot was shipped during a specific 10-day period. Delete "big" and replace "a lot of the" with "some 30-30", and you're left with an accurate statement.

I had 4 boxes from that lot...:(

Hornady Recall Info
 
1

101guns

New member
I just happened to have a Savage 30-30 bolt in the safe and tried some of the HLE's. Shot well--about 1.5" at 100 yards. I think that the ammo companies have done such a good job with advertising (convincing us that if its pointed it must go further and straighter) that everyone wants to believe that the new round will work miracles. I too will avoid that debate. It shot well in my Savage bolt.
 
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JohnKSa

Administrator
If I wanted to extend the range of my lever guns, in all probability I would be using another action, and caliber.
Click to expand...
On the other hand, even if you still shoot at the same range, the Leverevolution rounds will provide more energy and less bullet drop.
 
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gak

New member
My understanding is that--however big the lot--the recall had nothing to do with the "new technology" tip but under-loaded powder.
 
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Big Ruger

New member
A friend was telling me about these. He was hitting his 600yd. gong with a 30-30 with em. Course he just finished fourth at camp Perry recently. I don't believe for a second that I could shoot em that good. He was impressed with them though. Oh yeah that 30-30 had a 30 inch tube. :eek:
 
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rlong5

New member
According to their web site, the LeverEvolution is available in 30-30; 35 Remington; 444 Marlin; 450 Marlin; and 45-70.
 
F

FirstFreedom

Moderator
My opinion is that the extra BC helps a *little bit* at longer ranges. Not nearly as significant of an improvement as the marketing hype would have you believe. It may add 25-40 yards to the PBR and 75-100 yards or so to the effective range, but that's about it, IMO. I do not believe that it turns the .30-30 from a 200 yard gun into a 300 yard gun, for most people and most game.

It is an evolution. It is not a Revolution - but the R at the end of the word lever makes it seems like they meant revolution.

As for better powders - bah, I don't believe it. If they had the extra great powders, which they do, they would use them in other rounds, which they do, and did previously to these rounds.

As for the extra bbl length of the Marlins, well yeah, but so what - can add bbl length to any rifle. What they probably DID do, is make the powder match longer bbl lenghts (24" in .30-30 instead of 20), using slower powder blends. But again, meh- can be accomplished by any handloader.
 
D

DPris

Member Emeritus
Should be an article coming out fairly soon in Gun World Magazine on the newest Marlin XLR rifle designed to mate with the new Hornady Evolution rounds in .45-70.
Factory figures differed quite a bit from what I got, they show about a 4-inch drop between 100 and 200 yards. I got about a foot of drop between those two measured distances. Talking to Hornady about it, they used a scoped Marlin in determining their drop figures. I used the factory sights, can't bring myself to put glass on a levergun.
Still flatter than many factory loads, and it was accurate. With enough holdover & a big enough target, it was a viable combination out to 200 yards with factory sights (this is a totally different deal than the long-range target guns) on a hunting levergun. Don't sight your gun in with other brands of .45-70 ammo & then toss the Evolution stuff in it for hunting, there's a difference in point of impact. If you're going to use the Evolution in the field, sight in with it at the range.
Denis
 
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treeprof

New member
There are a lot of posts on this ammo at the marlinowners.com forum. The .45-70 ammo shoots into 2" @100 yds in my 1895GS (factory sights). I have some .30-30. but have not shot it yet.
 
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treeprof

New member
Denis - Was that in the XLR? From what I read and hear, people seem to generally get somewhat better accuracy from the XLR's across the LeveRevolution line.
 
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