[COACH]

I would like to find a 150gr Sierra or hornady that will achieve 2400 true fps in the 20 inch barrel. Will the lever powder get it there? I have looked at hogdon and a few other sights and the claim is around 2500 fps but I assume that is out of the 24 inch barrel commonly used for testing powder to give the best velocity figures. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Lever has been impossible tot get locally. I can order but if anyone has a Better powder for high velocity with 150 let me know.

 

[BillyHill]

Hi Coach. The 30 30 specs on the Winchester/Hogdon load data site are for a 24" barrel. The Federal Fusion 150 grn chronographs at 2300 fps out of a 20" barrel. There was a test done by Real guns on the 160ftx loads that showed they chronyed 2280 (about the same as the fusion) from a 20" inch barrel. The Winchester powder site shows a sierra 150 grn at 2512fps using leverevolution powder. I think that same load should get you pretty close to 2400fps from a 20" barrel. The old Hornady 3rd edition manual shows a 2400fps load from a 20" model 94 using Norma 201 powder BUT GOOD LUCK FINDING IT! The new Hornady manual has 3 loads at 2300fps from a 20" barrel using Win 748, VHT N-135, and H 335 but I have yet to find load data that shows any powder yielding HIGHER velocity than Leverevolution for a 150 grn bullet in a 30-30.

 

[Pard]

FPS is not the end all. It has to be combined with small grouping. Which is much harder to get, the faster you go.
I used Reloader 7 & ball C lot 2, and got them up around 2300ish, but they shot much better around 2150.
out a 20 inch barrel

 

[Halwg]

Add 4" to your barrel.

 

[ELGATO]

Hi Coach,I have achieved my perfect load using Wc735 a surplus powder.My chrony numbers were between 2320 and 2410 the higher of the numbers was a hot load that i dont use anymore.This powder is 5 to 6 % faster than H335.My accuracy using 20 inch barrel and FTX hornady bullets,has made me very happy with my Marlin 30-30.
Pic is at 100 yards and off benchrest.

 

[NFG]

Are you talking about the 30 Leverpower wildcat of way back or the Hornady Leverevolution ammunition?

If it is the 30 Leverpower wildcat I would forget that and go to the 307 Win instead...it is MUCH easier to find cases or use 308 cases than to muck about forming 30 Leverpower cases from 303 Brit cases, you don't need a set of custom dies, and the 307/308 case has a slightly larger case volume, and it is a simple rechamber. Reload to keep the pressures down below 50KCUP.

Or...rechamber to the 30-30AI and gain a little bit extra...another quick and easy rechamber many people have done by hand reaming.

The best thing to do is be satisfied with the velocity you're getting, go to a longer barrel or go to a larger cartridge in a different rifle.

Everyone seems to buy a 30-30 for it's handling and simplicity then want to turn it into something else.


LUCK

 

[bteague]

I beleive he his talking about the Hodgon Leverevolution powder.They just made it available.They say it is the same powder Hornady is using in their Leverevolution ammo.

 

[Dr. A]

I got 2300fps with the 30_30 factory leverevolution. That is easy to beat with their max. I also got right at 2517fps with max dose of LEV and a speer 150GR bullet. Accuracy was excellent, and I got this in a 18.5 inch BL.

 

[BillyHill]

Thats good news Dr. A. Did you see any pressure signs getting close to max loads? When you say a max dose were you refering to the Hodgdon/Win. website data? I see that the new Hornady manual doesn't show a load using LVR. powder for the 150grn bullet. I would bet they do that to get more customers buying the Leverevolution factory ammo.

 

[Dr. A]

Hodgedon

I saw no pressure signs on the 30-30.

 

[NFG]

One of these days I will learn to read..or maybe get my glasses changed. ??? :

That's some nice velo's out of a short barrel. I tried the Hornady ammo in my Marlin, but didn't quite reach advertized speed, but the velo was higher than "normal" Fed 30-30 ammo by almost 200 fs.

Another powder to try out if it ever arrives in my area.

LUCK

 

[COACH]

Hey thanks for the replys guys, I have not looked lately, it seemed this thread was getting no replys. The reason I put it out there was due to high velocity claims with low pressure and great hi speed accuracy. The proverbial free lunch that you never get. I too am a believer of accuracy first. Thanks.

 

[GJinNY]

I have found Reloader15 to be a good powder for the 160gr FTX
Should be easier to find than the LE powder

I have also had good results with a 150gr Winchester round nose with IMR3031.

 

[randkib]

I have been experimenting with Lever powder in my (3) .30-30 rifles. They are all Winchesters. I have 26", 24" & 20" barrels.

The results so far have been odd, to say the least.

At the recommended loadings per Hodgdon's web site, the 150 grain loads were disappointing. They were clocked at anywhere between 2350 to 2500 feet per second in my 26" barrel. My 24" barrel had the identical erratic results. The burn rate was so erratic that I didn't bother to shoot groups. The velocity using Lever powder in my 20" barrel were sometimes slower than 150 grain factory Remington or Federal loads.

I also experimented a little with using 125 grain bullets and Lever powder. The velocities were slow and erratic.

I am using TAC powder by Ramshot as my main powder. I am using a 150 grain Sierra flat point (#2000) bullet. I am getting very good results. MY 24" and 26" rifles are almost identical in velocity at 2550 fps. The same load in my 20" barrel gives 2460 feet per second. I am using 33 grains of TAC powder with a magnum primer. I do not remember why I started using a magnum primer, but it works for me. The 26" rifle is a heavy octagon barrel on a Canadian Centennial. With factory open sights this rifle will shoot inch and a half groups at 100 yards with the TAC load. This load is a bit hot for a light 20" Winchester. I have my eye on a Marlin 336. I am hoping the heavier 20" Marlin rifle will like this load.

Remington 150 grain Core-Lokt factory load performance in my rifles:
26"- 2420 fps (TAC load - 2550 fps)
24" -2390 fps (TAC Load - 2450 fps)
20" -2255 fps (TAC load - 2460 fps)

The load I really like for my 20" rifle is using TAC powder with 125 grain Sierra .30-30 bullets. I am loading 35 grains of powder with a magnum primer. The velocity is 2520 fps in a 20" barrel. The same load in my 26" barrel clocks at 2590 fps. This is a very accurate load in my 20" rifle, but I have only grouped it at 50 yards. This load works well in my 24" barrel rifle, which is an NRA Centennial. It is a light rifle also, but it shoots great.

Just for kicks, I tried using a magnum primer on the Lever powder today. I reduced the load a little from Hodgdon's published load. DON'T TRY THIS! I chronographed a 150 Remington Core-Lokt bullet at 2850 feet per second out of my 26" barrel .30-30. I didn't believe what I saw. The burn rate was very stable. It didn't vary 20 fps in all the rounds I fired. It was also a very accurate load. I am not going to say what the Lever powder charge was, only that it is too high!

 

[ForneyRider]

http://www.hodgdon.com/burn-rate.html

Hodgdon puts LVR powder right around Varget, IMR 4064, Win 748, VV 140 and RE15 territory. I am not sure if it single-based or double-based, but if you can't find it, any of these others should get you there.

 

[357 marlin]

i use imr 4064, it it very accurate in all but one of mine, and it like 4895. i don't think that lvr will ever be avalible to me localily, and i'm not paying the hazmat & shipping.

 

[strat1080]

I think LVR powder should get you close to 2400. I went to the range over the weekend to try out a new load I just made. I had been playing around with 35.0 and 35.5 gr of LVR with the Hornady 160 gr FTX. I recently got the Hornady 8th Edition manual and they have a max as high as 37.0 gr. I loaded some at 36.0 gr and they did really well at the range this weekend. I got 5 inside of 1.5" and a 6th inside of 2.5". Not much cooling in between shots either with a rather crude rest. I'm confident this load get to around 1" with a better rest. I chronoed this load at right around 2300 fps. I'm sure that powder could get close to 2400 fps with a 150 gr load.

Of course velocity doesn't mean a whole lot if the accuracy isn't there.