.308 Winchester and LeveRevolution powder

[Deaf Smith]

Has it been done? I see no loading data anywhere for the .308 Winchester and LeveRevolution power.

I see .308 Marlin express (but it's a 46,000 cup rifle, not 50,000 cup.)

Any idea folks?

Thanks,

Deaf

 

[ArchAngelCD]

When I spoke to Hodgdon about LVR they told me it has a very narrow selection of cartridges it will benefit. There is a different formulation used in each one of the Hornady Leverevolution factory cartridges. They designed each powder to maximize each cartridge.

The powder on the market from Hodgdon is the 30-30 formulation. I was told it will not benefit any cartridges it was not designed to improve. The .308 Marlin Express is not the .308 Winchester so any similarities in name or bullet diameter mean nothing when it comes to LVR powder.

I do however like it a lot in the 30-30 and 35 Remington.

 

[Bullseye]

Hodgdon, loaddata.com, handloads.com and Lyman #49 have no .308 Win load data using LVR powder. Probably for good reason.

 

[jwrowland77]

Your best bet is to either A) email Hodgdon or B) take it as a sign that there is no data (because it's not good or possibly dangerous in the .308 Win.)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Your best bet is to either A) email Hodgdon or B) take it as a sign that there is no data (because it's not good or possibly dangerous in the .308 Win.)

Exactly... If the powder manufacturer/distributor doesn't supply data for a powder/cartridge combination there is usually a very good reason.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Interesting thing is the .308 Marlin has just about 3.5 percent less case capacity than the .308 Winchester. Looking at the data I just don't see why LeveRevolution powder won't work.

LeveRevolution powder and .308 Marlin Express:
.308 Marlin Express 170 GR. HDY FP LeveRev 41.4gr Max 2565 fps 24 inch bbl.

Nosler manual shows:
.308 Marlin Express 150 gr Nosler Varget 42 gr Max 2636 fps. 24 inch bbl. 1-12 twist.
.308 Marlin Express 170 gr Varget 39.5 gr Max 2459 fps. 24 inch bbl. 1-12 twist.

Same manual

.308 Winchester 150 gr Nosler Varget 46.5 gr Max 2895 fps 24 inch bbl. 1-10 twist.
.308 Winchester 180 gr. Varget 43.5 gr Max 2590 fps 24 inch bbl. 1-10 twist.


Say start off with 41 grains of LR power and a 165 gr bullet and work ones way up.

Seems to add 100 fps to the .308 Marlin for same weight bullet. 46,000 cup for the Marlin, but I suspect the .308 Winchester, having more volume, will have a lower pressure. But the .308 Winchester can go up to 50,000 cup. So one can work their way up.

Deaf

 

[horsey300]

Both cartridges use h322 with a 130 gr Speer (Marlin is fp), 34 starting and 37 max on Marlin and 40 and 43 max on win. I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT THIS IS INTERCHANGEABLE WITH LVR. I'm not even suggesting there would be a benefit. I am suggesting that if you want to truly "need" to try it, it could be doable, I personally would not, I would just use a powder I could find data for and play it safe.

 

[horsey300]

Same bullet, LVR 41.7 start and 45.3 Max. On the marlin

 

[Deaf Smith]

Here is what LeveRevolution and the.300 Savage can do.

http://ataleoftwothirties.com/?p=1026

Deaf

 

[Deaf Smith]

Good heavens.. They have loading data on the .338 Federal using LeveRevolution powder!

And the .338 Fed in just a.308 necked up!

Deaf

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Might I ask why you want to use LVR in the .308 Win when there are already so many good powders for that cartridge?

 

[Grumulkin]

I'm betting they just haven't gotten around to work up loads for the 308 Winchester with Leverevolution and that if you wait, they will come.

That said, if I really wanted to try that powder in a 308 Winchester, I could do it easily and safely given the number of similar sized cartridges for which there are published loads.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Might I ask why you want to use LVR in the .308 Win when there are already so many good powders for that cartridge?

100 fps extra, especially since my .308 is a Ruger Compact 16 inch bbl rifle. I need that 100 fps!

Yes I have Varget and I use it in my 30/30 and 30-06 but... I also have a can of LeveRevolution powder to and a whole bunch of Speer 165 gr Grand Slam slugs (deer season is just a month away!)

Deaf

 

[Sunray]

"...it's a 46,000 cup rifle..." Hodgdon's site shows pressures measured in PSI's not CUP. There is no mathematical conversion for that either.
Hodgdon also says their Leverevolution powder just doesn't work well in most cartridges. .308 Win appears to be one of 'em. However, sometimes there's no data because the manufacturer hasn't gotten around to running the tests. Might be worth an E-mail to ask 'em.
"...I need that 100 fps..." Change bullets. Hornady shows a 140 grain MonoFlex in the .308 Marlin has 2800 FPS of MV. Those little creatures ya'll call deer will drop like bricks.

 

[buck460XVR]

When I spoke to Hodgdon about LVR they told me it has a very narrow selection of cartridges it will benefit.

The powder on the market from Hodgdon is the 30-30 formulation. I was told it will not benefit any cartridges it was not designed to improve.

Same thing they told me.

Directly from their website....

The list of cartridges and bullets is limited with this highly specialized powder

 

[Deaf Smith]

Well on further research:
.308 Winchester 165 gr Deep Curl
powder start fps max fps
Varget 41.0 2475 45.0 2688
748 39.5 2368 43.5 2656

.338 Federal 200 gr Speer Hot core

powder start fps max fps
Varget 45.0 2485 47.0 2571
748 45.5 2504 47.5 2570

.338 Federal 225 Gr
powder charge fps
Varget 44.5 gr 2,408

.338 Federal 225 GR. SFT SP
powder charge fps
LR * 48.0 2518


*LeveRevolution

Now .338 Federal is NOT a 46k CUP round but the same pressure as the .308.

If it works in the .338 should work in the .308.

Have to try a LR charge made for the .308 Marlin Express in the .308 W. I have a chrono to!

Deaf

 

[ArchAngelCD]

100 fps extra, especially since my .308 is a Ruger Compact 16 inch bbl rifle. I need that 100 fps!

Yes I have Varget and I use it in my 30/30 and 30-06 but... I also have a can of LeveRevolution powder to and a whole bunch of Speer 165 gr Grand Slam slugs (deer season is just a month away!)

Deaf

This is exactly what I have been trying to tell you throughout the thread. LVR does not deliver additional velocity in every cartridge, only the ones made for.

You keep trying to make a correlation between the .308 Win and the .338 Federal to make your point but the ballistic engineers at Hodgdon and Hornady disagree with you. BTW, did you write or call Hodgdon and ask them?

I'm done here. If you are so convinced you are correct and everyone else is wrong why are you still posting instead of loading ammo and shooting it?

 

[Deaf Smith]

BTW, did you write or call Hodgdon and ask them?

Better yet, I'll handload and let you guys know...

Deaf

 

[LoonWulf]

Have fun, and be safe Deaf. Im interested to know what you come up with.
Ive done some experimentation with superformance, and so far ive gotten pressure signs before extra velocity in most of the cartridges ive tried it in that arnt listed with hodgdon, so be careful and best of luck

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Have fun, and be safe Deaf. Im interested to know what you come up with.
Ive done some experimentation with superformance, and so far ive gotten pressure signs before extra velocity in most of the cartridges ive tried it in that arnt listed with hodgdon, so be careful and best of luck

That's because Hodgdon developed Superform for the newer super short magnum rifle cartridges without having to compress the powder. They warned us it will not deliver higher velocities in all cartridges just like the warned us about LVR. In the 30-06 you will generate higher velocities with H4350 than with Superform but in the 243 Win Super Short Magnum Superform will deliver 162 fps more with a 90gr bullet than with H4831 according to Hodgdon. It delivers more velocity that every powder they list with higher velocities between 80fps to over 220fps according to the data on their load data site.

 

[LoonWulf]

Yes....kinda the correlation i was trying to make, obviously i didnt do a very good job lol.

Ive used it in the .243, and the .30-06 and it performed as advertised on the can. Tried it in most of the other cartridges that i thought it might work (cause the loads i thought id use shot like crap in my guns), and pretty much all were flops. Probably work great in the super squaties.
Point being that hodgdon does a pretty good job of telling u whqt something will work with and what it wont, atleast with the more common cartridges. Theres nothing wrong if you want to experiment, go for it just be safe, and dont go in expecting to turn a standard round into a magnum.