re: .30-.30 Poor Expansion

Man I lucked up with it. Never lost any of the deer I shot with them things because I always managed to get one or two more holes in em before they got out of sight.

I've never been one to buy into gimmicky shite either, but it seemed like a good idea incase I ever dropped my pipeline rifle.

Looking back I need my arse kicked for swapping from something which was working perfectly to something nobody knew anything about.

Hornady Leverevolution bullets are garbage in my opinion. I had used them last year and I believe lost three deer last season with the Hornady Leverevolution bullets...At first I thought it was me...but the more I hear about similar situation the more I think it wasn't. My thoughts of these bullets are that these bullets act more like an arrow tip and does minimum damage...If that makes any sense....

If you have to count backup shots into the equation, you've got something seriously fricked with your rig. It's either your accuracy, placement, or terminal performance. All of which have resolutions that are simple.

You can fudge it with higher velocity and lower weight. But when you can't really reach high velocity, like in a 30-30, you've got to do it with weight. And if it's still not performing and you think you have to keep shooting....

You're using the wrong rifle.

I have made 2-100 yard shots and a 125 with my 30-30 and the Core Lokt 170g bullets. The two 100 yard ones had good pass-throughs and the 125 went probably 7/8 of the way through

I'm largely anti hornady as well. Fantastic marketing and unimpressive products.

I shoot the core locs too. Ive been using my 30-06 or the wifes 7-08 lately, but Ive had more deer drop in their tracks with a 30-30 than any other rifle. Might be becasue in the past it was my go to gun in close quarters though. There are better guns out there and there are worse, but it will always be one of my favorites because of my experience with it.

I shot around 50 deer with my 45-70 shooting leverevelution bullets. Also my son shot 10 or so with a 30-30 using leverevelution.

The bullets performed like shratnel, blowing all to pieces. These bullets will deliver a large amount of shock to a deer, but very little blood trail most of the time. I found every deer shot, but a couple shot with the 30-30 where extensive trailing jobs.

I would recommend the leverevelution bullets for the 45-70 because of the superior ballistics advantage. But because the 30-30 is far inferior in muzzle energy campared to the 45-70, I would recommend a bonded or cored soft point, surrendering the superior ballistics for terminal performance.

I glad I'm no tthe only one with this issue. My guns shoots the Winchester 150's like clockwork. I will switch to them. I went the hornady for the higher vol. but, if it doesn't exist, it isn't worth a sh**.

I can tell the .30-.30 has knock down power - its dropped the buck in his tracks. However he got back up after each shot till I finally laid him down for good with the 4th shot. Maybe a little over kill but, I was in alot of water and knew tracking was not an option.

Normally I shoot a .270 and love it. I just got this gun beaucse everything you read explains that the .30-.30 has killed the most whitetails.

Thankfully I was given a .243 so I don't have to shoot that shitty cartridge any more.

I guess the gun was build to shoot slower rounds, so it preformes better with slower rounds.

Thanks for everyones insight, I feel the answer is to switch bullets. I only use the .30-.30 for the woods/under 100 yards anyway. Its a fun gun so I hope to keep shooting it.