Hunting Guns 101 subscribers receive receive access to my extensive (and growing) library of ballistic gel test results, most of which are NOT on UA-cam. Learn more here: huntingguns101.com/order?UA-cam&HG101&YT&
If you witnessed or heard witnesses talk of the shot my dad killed a deer on the farm, you just would not believe it. That same moment as others were shooting their high powered rifles, missing, and telling my dad not to let it get away. Well, he killed it with one shot. Never underestimate the power of a 30-30 in the hands of an old farm boy. And his rifle to this day is in mint condition as that was his “go to rifle”.
I know I’ll hear it for this, 165gr ftx, 7 pt buck hoof wt 147pound, 306 yds out of a house blind. Scope on 9x, I put the lateral scope line on his back and held double lung windage, he went 12 yards.
@@RebeccaMcLamb-b7t I've heard the FTX bullets turned the 30-30 from a 150 yard rifle to a 300 yard rifle. So I believe it. I have 200ct of FTX to reload for my 30-30 yet.
I shot a nice 8 point whitetail buck with this load out of a Marlin 336 BL with an 18 1/2" barrel. Deer was around 50yds away, the shot hit him perfectly, right behind the shoulder and he ran about 50yds before piling up. There was a bulge on the off side so i dug out the bullet but it was only the lead core which weighed 100grs, never found the jacket. I don't consider this a bullet failure as its a regular cup and core bullet and he only went 50yds. Great load and accurate out of my rifle, at longer distances the bullet would hold up better. I consider this, and the Federal 150gr Fusion or hammer down load to be the best for the excellent 30-30! Thanks for a really good video, take care.
When you use the hornady lever revolution bullet in the 30-30 you will immediately see a difference in speed and power on whitetail deer . Incredible performance and it puts 30-30 back on top with the hornady bullet When all the new calibers are out to beat it like 350 bushmaster and 360 buck hammer..
He's from Alberta. And he proved 30-30 is no slouch but do need to know its limits and practice to eliminate marginal error. But this round really helps the 30-30 shine for longer range shots
Good video. Hornady did a great job with this bullet for the 30-30. I reload this bullet (never bought the loaded rounds) to 2350 fps for my Savage 340. For distance and accuracy it far far outclassed the many other bullets I've tried. I agree 200 yards is about the limit of comfort, but that's 100 yards farther than I felt comfortable with the traditional bullets.
Never used it but Federal Fusion 150 grain 30-30 has been flawless for us. Remington 150 grain Core-Lokt has been nearly as good, and we have been using it for a long time. And both are cheap and plentiful.
LeverEvolution has made 30-30 Winchester, 32 Winchester Special, 35 Remington, 444 Marlin and 45-70 Gov’t all legitimate 200+ yard cartridges especially with modern optics. To see the capabilities of 30-30 watch Brobee223 channel video titled “Elk Hunt! The 30-30 puts meat on the table. BONUS - monster ammo review!” It is the best, most exhaustive test of 30-30 velocity, energy and penetration at typical actual hunting ranges I have ever seen. Shows two deer taken at typical medium ranges with Winchester 94 then culminates with one shot DRT kill on cow elk at 300 meters using a modernized 336 Marlin with dial it up scope. There’s other stuff besides technical issues in the video but well worth watching. I have no connection in any way to the channel.
@@Thebiggamehuntingblog I've been shooting this ammo out of my Winchester 94 and Marlin 336 for close to 10 years now and have had wonderful terminal results out to 200 yards on whitetail and hogs.
Great channel, very detailed information 👍 PS. I have.30-30 rifles in Winchester and Marlins, but my favorite is my savage model 99 with a 24 inch ! barrel !
@Thebiggamehuntingblog Most shots are about 100 y. But had 1 around 300 across open field. Sighted in 1-2" high at 100. Most shots are at least a partial broadside with an exit.
The entire Leverevolution line is pretty dang ideal, in my experience. I run the 225 gr FTX out of my Henry Big Boy X in 44 Rem Mag. Outstanding performance for PNW black bear.
Sort of. There are definitely instances where the lead will shed off into the gel block, but that's more of a gray color than black color. I've shot a lot of gel blocks with a lot of different bullets and I've seen that same black "burnt" look to the gel with copper as well as lead core bullets. It's a weird phenomenon and I can't explain why we see it sometimes and not others.
There are 94's with 16 1/4, 18, 20 24 and 26" bbls. In all my years on this planet being a gun nit and owning a vast amount of sales material and gun books and magazines, I have never once seen a 94 listed or mentioned with a 22" bbl unless it was customized from a 26" gun.
Not impressed with bullet weight retention, i don't want to eat lead. Another YT channel did tests same as yours & Federal Powershok 95% retention at 2X expansion & cheaper. Federal Hammer Down 99% retention at 2X expansion both 150's. Any copper test results ? Just found your channel, Keen to see what other tests you have run.
I have not tested the Power Shok or Hammer Down ammo in the 30-30. However, I've tested 150gr Federal Power Shok in 30-06 and 150gr Federal Fusion ammo in 308. Both had excellent weight retention and well in excess of 2x expansion. However, neither one penetrated very well though. In fact, that 30-06 Power Shok load had one of the shortest penetration depths I've tested for ANY caliber. This makes sense though because I've observed that penetration and the final expanded diameter of a bullet are inversely related (more expansion results in less penetration. The only way to guarantee you won't eat any lead is to use a lead free bullet. Though I haven't tested any lead free offerings for the 30-30 in gel (yet), I've done extensive testing with copper bullets in other cartridges (223, 6.5 Grendel, 6.5 Creedmoor, 270 7mm Rem Mag, 30-06, 300 Win Mag, etc). Without exception, every single one of those copper loads delivered outstanding penetration. More details are available at huntingguns101.com/form
What was impact velocity at gel? This is implied but not stated. For example we need to know the cartridges performance at various distances and therefore velocities. So in conclusion the video is of limited use which is to bad.
Same. I believe the tips are too soft and deform in the tube mag.I had better accuracy when I single loaded rounds straight from the box. I settled on Hornady Whitetail for a good catch-all for cost\accuracy esults. I've turned deer hearts into what looked like cooked taco bell meat with them. I also only consider it a 150 yard gun with open sights, and about 200 yards with a scope but I don't like scopes on lever guns....so I have no use for niche rounds like the leverevolutions. If I'm going out to 200 yards or more, I'm bringing the .308.
@@Thebiggamehuntingblog No minute of angle with factory. About 2" at 100 yards. I get the same problem with the 35 Remington. They both open up to 3 1/2" to 4" at 50 yards with Leverevolution. Both guns have microgroove rifling.
I'm not doubting your results (after all, every rifle is different), but this has been easily the most accurate ammo I've shout out of my 30-30, 35 Remington, and 45-70. Sorry you didn't get the same results!
@donaldanderson3249- Why? You don't even explain your reasoning- which hints in the fact that you're either inexperienced, or just idiotically bashing ammo brands. I think it is a little of both. The Hornady FTX is the most accurate projectile I've shot out of my 16.5" carbine. Velocities of 3 shots averaged 2285 fps despite the short barrel, and expansion is above average. Love this ammo.
Hunting Guns 101 subscribers receive receive access to my extensive (and growing) library of ballistic gel test results, most of which are NOT on UA-cam.
Learn more here:
huntingguns101.com/order?UA-cam&HG101&YT&
If you witnessed or heard witnesses talk of the shot my dad killed a deer on the farm, you just would not believe it. That same moment as others were shooting their high powered rifles, missing, and telling my dad not to let it get away. Well, he killed it with one shot. Never underestimate the power of a 30-30 in the hands of an old farm boy. And his rifle to this day is in mint condition as that was his “go to rifle”.
There you go!
I know I’ll hear it for this, 165gr ftx, 7 pt buck hoof wt 147pound, 306 yds out of a house blind. Scope on 9x, I put the lateral scope line on his back and held double lung windage, he went 12 yards.
@@RebeccaMcLamb-b7t I've heard the FTX bullets turned the 30-30 from a 150 yard rifle to a 300 yard rifle. So I believe it. I have 200ct of FTX to reload for my 30-30 yet.
finaly something for the actual hunter lol..i was exited to see this..helo from Ontario Canada
Glad you enjoyed it!
I shot a nice 8 point whitetail buck with this load out of a Marlin 336 BL with an 18 1/2" barrel. Deer was around 50yds away, the shot hit him perfectly, right behind the shoulder and he ran about 50yds before piling up. There was a bulge on the off side so i dug out the bullet but it was only the lead core which weighed 100grs, never found the jacket. I don't consider this a bullet failure as its a regular cup and core bullet and he only went 50yds. Great load and accurate out of my rifle, at longer distances the bullet would hold up better. I consider this, and the Federal 150gr Fusion or hammer down load to be the best for the excellent 30-30! Thanks for a really good video, take care.
This is the perfect 30-30 round.
Excellent video review. Thanks for staying on topic perfectly!
My pleasure, and thanks for the kind words!
When you use the hornady lever revolution bullet in the 30-30 you will immediately see a difference in speed and power on whitetail deer . Incredible performance and it puts 30-30 back on top with the hornady bullet When all the new calibers are out to beat it like 350 bushmaster and 360 buck hammer..
Gentleman in Canada folded an elk across a field with this load, 339 yards. Central nervous system shot. The .30-30 suffers a lot of underestimation.
He's from Alberta. And he proved 30-30 is no slouch but do need to know its limits and practice to eliminate marginal error. But this round really helps the 30-30 shine for longer range shots
I have some of those bullets that I was going to reload and glad to see that they perform well!
A no BS evaluation. Thank you!!
You're welcome!
Good video. Hornady did a great job with this bullet for the 30-30. I reload this bullet (never bought the loaded rounds) to 2350 fps for my Savage 340. For distance and accuracy it far far outclassed the many other bullets I've tried. I agree 200 yards is about the limit of comfort, but that's 100 yards farther than I felt comfortable with the traditional bullets.
That round ligit revived the old lever guns. Having shot wtd at ranges exceeding 200 yards I was blown away at the smackdown this bullet delivers.
I like the ammo reviews!
Glad to hear it!
Never used it but Federal Fusion 150 grain 30-30 has been flawless for us. Remington 150 grain Core-Lokt has been nearly as good, and we have been using it for a long time. And both are cheap and plentiful.
LeverEvolution has made 30-30 Winchester, 32 Winchester Special, 35 Remington, 444 Marlin and 45-70 Gov’t all legitimate 200+ yard cartridges especially with modern optics. To see the capabilities of 30-30 watch Brobee223 channel video titled “Elk Hunt! The 30-30 puts meat on the table. BONUS - monster ammo review!” It is the best, most exhaustive test of 30-30 velocity, energy and penetration at typical actual hunting ranges I have ever seen. Shows two deer taken at typical medium ranges with Winchester 94 then culminates with one shot DRT kill on cow elk at 300 meters using a modernized 336 Marlin with dial it up scope. There’s other stuff besides technical issues in the video but well worth watching. I have no connection in any way to the channel.
That's farther than I'd personally shoot a 30-30, but LEVERevolution is definitely the best factory ammo for that sort of situation!
@@Thebiggamehuntingblog I know you’re busy but when you have time watch the video by Brobee223. It’s a real eye opener.
@@Thebiggamehuntingblog I've been shooting this ammo out of my Winchester 94 and Marlin 336 for close to 10 years now and have had wonderful terminal results out to 200 yards on whitetail and hogs.
I'd love to see a test of this ammo in a 16" barrel. It would be cool to see if this bullet design can work well in a handy little carbine.
Great channel, very detailed information 👍
PS. I have.30-30 rifles in Winchester and Marlins, but my favorite is my savage model 99 with a 24 inch ! barrel !
Thanks! Glad you're enjoying my videos!
I have used this on large Midwestern whitetail. Excellent results, as well as accurate, flat shooting, etc.
Awesome! What are your typical shot distances? And is that bullet usually exiting for you?
@Thebiggamehuntingblog Most shots are about 100 y. But had 1 around 300 across open field. Sighted in 1-2" high at 100. Most shots are at least a partial broadside with an exit.
The entire Leverevolution line is pretty dang ideal, in my experience. I run the 225 gr FTX out of my Henry Big Boy X in 44 Rem Mag. Outstanding performance for PNW black bear.
Awesome! Can you tell me a little bit more about the experiences you've had with that ammo on black bear?
Why do the gel block cavities turn black. I’ve searched the net but can’t get an answer. Is it carbon from burnt gelatin?
A lot of it is actually shed lead off the bullet. Copper monolithic gel blocks tend to look very clean.
Sort of. There are definitely instances where the lead will shed off into the gel block, but that's more of a gray color than black color. I've shot a lot of gel blocks with a lot of different bullets and I've seen that same black "burnt" look to the gel with copper as well as lead core bullets. It's a weird phenomenon and I can't explain why we see it sometimes and not others.
Great video. Thanks for sharing.
Are you sure the 94 you held up has a 22" barrel? Both my 94s have 20 inchers. Great performance from the bullet and great velocity for a 30-30.
there are 94's with 20"- 26" barrels.
There are 94's with 16 1/4, 18, 20 24 and 26" bbls. In all my years on this planet being a gun nit and owning a vast amount of sales material and gun books and magazines, I have never once seen a 94 listed or mentioned with a 22" bbl unless it was customized from a 26" gun.
Not impressed with bullet weight retention, i don't want to eat lead. Another YT channel did tests same as yours & Federal Powershok 95% retention at 2X expansion & cheaper. Federal Hammer Down 99% retention at 2X expansion both 150's. Any copper test results ? Just found your channel, Keen to see what other tests you have run.
I have not tested the Power Shok or Hammer Down ammo in the 30-30. However, I've tested 150gr Federal Power Shok in 30-06 and 150gr Federal Fusion ammo in 308. Both had excellent weight retention and well in excess of 2x expansion. However, neither one penetrated very well though. In fact, that 30-06 Power Shok load had one of the shortest penetration depths I've tested for ANY caliber. This makes sense though because I've observed that penetration and the final expanded diameter of a bullet are inversely related (more expansion results in less penetration. The only way to guarantee you won't eat any lead is to use a lead free bullet. Though I haven't tested any lead free offerings for the 30-30 in gel (yet), I've done extensive testing with copper bullets in other cartridges (223, 6.5 Grendel, 6.5 Creedmoor, 270 7mm Rem Mag, 30-06, 300 Win Mag, etc). Without exception, every single one of those copper loads delivered outstanding penetration. More details are available at huntingguns101.com/form
@@Thebiggamehuntingblog Thanks for the work you do so we can help make better ammo choices.
You're welcome!
That stuff won’t cycle in my lever rifle. Mine likes Remington 170 grain
Everyone has a damn Garmin lol. I just can’t justify the 600 bucks. I want one though
It was a hard justification for me too, but I'm glad I made that purchase!
I wish you would have done 3 round average.
What was impact velocity at gel? This is implied but not stated. For example we need to know the cartridges performance at various distances and therefore velocities. So in conclusion the video is of limited use which is to bad.
Impact velocity was ~2,245fps on the gel block.
Can you do 30-30 Buffalo Bore please?
Have had good out of 20" barrel.
Have had bullets blow up out of a 24" barrel
Tell me more
The long barrel was a Marlin XLR, at close range bullet was not able to be found. Still dead deer
Could never get these to stabilize in my marlin…….
Interesting, they shot great out of my rifle
I can't hit the broad side of the barn with it in a Marlin 336
Oh jeez, that's too bad. How does that rifle shoot with other ammo?
Well, not all of us are snipers... 😛
Same. I believe the tips are too soft and deform in the tube mag.I had better accuracy when I single loaded rounds straight from the box.
I settled on Hornady Whitetail for a good catch-all for cost\accuracy
esults. I've turned deer hearts into what looked like cooked taco bell meat with them.
I also only consider it a 150 yard gun with open sights, and about 200 yards with a scope but I don't like scopes on lever guns....so I have no use for niche rounds like the leverevolutions. If I'm going out to 200 yards or more, I'm bringing the .308.
@@Thebiggamehuntingblog No minute of angle with factory. About 2" at 100 yards. I get the same problem with the 35 Remington. They both open up to 3 1/2" to 4" at 50 yards with Leverevolution. Both guns have microgroove rifling.
I'm not doubting your results (after all, every rifle is different), but this has been easily the most accurate ammo I've shout out of my 30-30, 35 Remington, and 45-70. Sorry you didn't get the same results!
👍
This bullet just keeps dropping deer where they stand with excellent expansion period !!!!
This is the worst ammunition I've ever used in my 30/30 and will never use that crap again
Tell me more
@donaldanderson3249-
Why? You don't even explain your reasoning- which hints in the fact that you're either inexperienced, or just idiotically bashing ammo brands. I think it is a little of both.
The Hornady FTX is the most accurate projectile I've shot out of my 16.5" carbine. Velocities of 3 shots averaged 2285 fps despite the short barrel, and expansion is above average. Love this ammo.