Thoughts on Leverevolution 45-70 factory ammo on Deer

7.62mm

7.62mm

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Recently purchased a 1895 in 45-70 for fun, and was going to take it to deer camp this year. Limited selection of 45-70 factory ammo in my immediate area. How does the LeverEvolution ammo perform? Experiences...thoughts...etc are welcome. I don't have time to hand load, nor the desire to do so at this point, so please keep discussion to factory ammo.

Thanks!
 
Can't speak to the 45-70 but have used the 30-30 stuff.

It has a flexy tip so you can run their pointed bullet in a tube magazine.

Does it shoot "better, stronger, faster" - no, seriously it's a 30-30 - never meant to be a ballistic wizard. It's still a 50 yard brush gun that, in a pinch, is usable out to 100 yards.

I see this ammo is another one of those products that solved an issue that didn't really exist. The old "cowboy calibers" shoot slow bullets at close range, so while improving the aerodynamics of the bullet itself certainly doesn't hurt, I just don't see it helping much in the limited range these rifles are shot at.

But if the price is good and the product is available (when others aren't) I would use it again - just not willing to pay a premium for something that provides (me) with zero added value.

Even today a 30-30 Model 94 shooting a 170 grain round nose lead bullet still probably has a 5:1 kill rate on whitetails over everything else on the market in all calibers combined - and probably 99% of all whitetails are shot at distances less than 100 yards - don't need "superior ballistics" to do that.
 
galamb said:
Does it shoot "better, stronger, faster" - no, seriously it's a 30-30 - never meant to be a ballistic wizard. It's still a 50 yard brush gun that, in a pinch, is usable out to 100 yards.
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Excuse me while I laugh ...

OP, I don't know about the .45-70's performance on deer, but I suspect from what I've read it's an upgrade. I have a buddy who reloads using the FTX bullets and they are the real deal.
 
behind the goofy tip is 325 gr copper projectile .458 dia travelling around 1800 fps.....they hit hard .there's been talk of fragmentation ,but I've dug them out of a sand bank & wouldn't want to get hit with whats left.
 
7.62mm
Use the Hornady stuff and never look back. I have an 1895 and now the 30-30 rarely sees the light of day.
I took my first Black Bear in northern Ontario with the 325grain Leverevolution ammo and was extremely impressed with its performance.
For me the 45-70 is highly capable for multiple game

YMMV
Shoot straight - chrisco
 
A great deal of the fun of the 45-70 is in the reloading, and also reloading cast. Yes i did read that the OP is too busy to reload. Not sure what a box of 45-70 runs were you are from, but here it is $50/box or more. So all things being equal, consider reloading, find someone that will reload for you, alternately consider selling your brass to offset the high price of ammo. Therein lies my point, Hornady lever revolution brass is 1/10 shorter than standard, perhaps to keep overall length standard with the pointed projectile. Hornady brass would not sell or at a lower price, making it less attractive to offset the price of ammo.
 
nowarningshot said:
A great deal of the fun of the 45-70 is in the reloading, and also reloading cast. Yes i did read that the OP is too busy to reload. Not sure what a box of 45-70 runs were you are from, but here it is $50/box or more. So all things being equal, consider reloading, find someone that will reload for you, alternately consider selling your brass to offset the high price of ammo. Therein lies my point, Hornady lever revolution brass is 1/10 shorter than standard, perhaps to keep overall length standard with the pointed projectile. Hornady brass would not sell or at a lower price, making it less attractive to offset the price of ammo.
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LOL....this is CGN for ya.....you specifically ask for the discussion to not be about hand loading....and sure enough, as if on cue, someone posts the how's and whys you should hand load. Furthermore, the poster didn't have any relevant info that you asked for. Thanks for the info that I didn't want, and thanks for the laugh.

BTW...if you are willing to work up a load for me be my guest....I head out for my hunt next Friday at 7 am, so if you can get that to me by then it would be great. Otherwise, I head to the gun store tomorrow and get some factory stuff so I can get the gun sighted in.....I appreciate the help.
 
The Hornady LVR .45/70 loads are excellent and very accurate out of the 1895's and No.1's that I have tried them in... I was given 10 boxes to try, but I normally hand load the FTX bullet with H4198... it is a great combo.

"galamb" - I have taken a couple whitetails at 200 yards with a Win 94 and the original buckhorn sights... right through the boiler room and complete pass-throughs on both... if placed correctly a .30/30 bullet can quite handily kill deer from 100-200 yards.
 
7.62mm said:
Recently purchased a 1895 in 45-70 for fun, and was going to take it to deer camp this year. Limited selection of 45-70 factory ammo in my immediate area. How does the LeverEvolution ammo perform? Experiences...thoughts...etc are welcome. I don't have time to hand load, nor the desire to do so at this point, so please keep discussion to factory ammo.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The 325 grain ftx ammo is extremely accurate in my brothers marlin 1895 in 45-70 cal.
We were shooting less than 1 inch 5 shot groups with it this summer at the range.
It runs about $30 per box.
Can't see a 45 cal 325 grain bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2000 feet/sec having any problem dropping any deer, bear, elk, moose shot within 200 yards.
 
Last November's whitetail. LeverEvolution 325 in 45-70. He didn't go far...

Buck1_zpsac347aec.jpg


RC
 
helped a buddy skin a moose this past week he shot with this leverevolution 325 in 4570. the bullet was just under skin on opposite side of shoulder. remaining bullet weighed 295 grains. pretty impressive.
 
The Hornady Leverevolution 45-70 Government 325 gr FTX is probably the most recommended factory ammo for this gun. I like it in my Marlin 1895G but I don't have a lot of practice with it. Put a box downrange and you'll be set for game to 100 yards. If you've got more skill or practice time another box will make you comfortable to 200 yards. After that the sky is the limit if you can see the target and understand the ballistics of the cartridge.
 
I picked up the 1895 guide gun last week and fired it with this ammo yesterday for first time. shot several groups all around 1.5 or a bit less at 100 yards. Fantastic performance and I cannot imagine it not being a fantastic performer on game. I plan to use it as my treestand rifle this year.
 
Accurate stuff, I had a red dot on my 45-70 previous and had a 150yd zero going with it. I actually prefer HSM's "Bear Load" - 430gr hard cast gas check. The only thing I've shot with the 325gr leverevolution was a black bear point blank in the chest. The bullet fragmented horribly causing A LOT of meat damage. I'm sure it would hold together better at further distances as it slows down.
 
galamb said:
Can't speak to the 45-70 but have used the 30-30 stuff.

It has a flexy tip so you can run their pointed bullet in a tube magazine.

Does it shoot "better, stronger, faster" - no, seriously it's a 30-30 - never meant to be a ballistic wizard. It's still a 50 yard brush gun that, in a pinch, is usable out to 100 yards.

I see this ammo is another one of those products that solved an issue that didn't really exist. The old "cowboy calibers" shoot slow bullets at close range, so while improving the aerodynamics of the bullet itself certainly doesn't hurt, I just don't see it helping much in the limited range these rifles are shot at.

But if the price is good and the product is available (when others aren't) I would use it again - just not willing to pay a premium for something that provides (me) with zero added value.

Even today a 30-30 Model 94 shooting a 170 grain round nose lead bullet still probably has a 5:1 kill rate on whitetails over everything else on the market in all calibers combined - and probably 99% of all whitetails are shot at distances less than 100 yards - don't need "superior ballistics" to do that.
Click to expand...

Well cousin, I realize we run a great risk of running afoul of the strict guidelines set out by the OP, but I just couldn't let this go.

"Does it shoot better,stronger, faster,-no."
Lets state some facts abut the 30-30. I have chronographed old Dominion 30-30, 170 grain bullets, from about the 1950s and found they gave a velocity the 30-30 was designed for, right around 2200 fps. I'll have better information in a couple of weeks, but I have reason to believe that modern factory loaded 30-30 ammunition give about 1900 fps.
The power given with reloads using maximum loads as shown in modern loading manuals is at least as dismal, with some that are likely under 1900 fps.
I have not used, or tested, the factory loaded Leverevelution. But I have used and tested the LVR powder. Hodgdon on line show 36.3 grains of LVR to give a 170 grain bullet 2332 fps. In a 30-30 I had, this charge gave 2256, which is somewhat less than they claim, but still far and away better than any other hand load in the manuals.
When I upped the LVR powder a bit to get the velocity Hodgdon claim, 37 grains gave me 2320 fps.
This could easily be 400 fps faster than one will get with the average factory load, or a hand load, using other powder at the amounts shown in modern manuals and that is a huge gain. And by the way, my top load of LVR gave a very tight extreme spread.
Bruce Lamb
 
galamb said:
Can't speak to the 45-70 but have used the 30-30 stuff.

It has a flexy tip so you can run their pointed bullet in a tube magazine.

Does it shoot "better, stronger, faster" - no, seriously it's a 30-30 - never meant to be a ballistic wizard. It's still a 50 yard brush gun that, in a pinch, is usable out to 100 yards.

I see this ammo is another one of those products that solved an issue that didn't really exist. The old "cowboy calibers" shoot slow bullets at close range, so while improving the aerodynamics of the bullet itself certainly doesn't hurt, I just don't see it helping much in the limited range these rifles are shot at.

But if the price is good and the product is available (when others aren't) I would use it again - just not willing to pay a premium for something that provides (me) with zero added value.

Even today a 30-30 Model 94 shooting a 170 grain round nose lead bullet still probably has a 5:1 kill rate on whitetails over everything else on the market in all calibers combined - and probably 99% of all whitetails are shot at distances less than 100 yards - don't need "superior ballistics" to do that.
Click to expand...

Whole bunch wrong with this post. I dont even know where to start
 
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