Deer Season

SteelChickenShooter · August 2, 2011, 01:03 PM

I'm presently setting up a Marlin model 336 in 30-30 with the large loop to fit cold weather gloves. A Leupold VX-II in 2-7X is installed and my plan is to set the Hornady Lever Evolution 160 grain ammo to be 3 inches high at 100 yards which should give me close to zero at 200 yards.
I would like to read some feedback from experienced hunters regarding how such a combo may or may not have worked well for you.

BfloBill · August 2, 2011, 02:08 PM

Sounds like you have things covered. My favorite deer scope is a 1.5-4 Weaver, the variables with low end magnification work well when you hunt in an area that is a mix of thick crap, hardwoods and fields. How high you are holding is good (at least according to these #'s):

http://www.hornady.com/store/30-30-W...EVERevolution/

And since my fingers froze last year you may have talked me into buying a lever with the oversized loop.

If you have not hunted with a lever gun before you will be pleasantly surprised, they handle so much better in the thick stuff.

PawPaw · August 2, 2011, 02:29 PM

It looks as if you've got a handle on the ballistics and the Model 336 is a fine rifle for the deer woods. Now, buy a couple of boxes of ammo and practice enough that you'll be capable of enjoying the rifle.

Gunplummer · August 2, 2011, 06:31 PM

I don't know about the heavy glove thing. Seems like when you are in a hurry for the second shot the glove will give it to you whether you are ready or not.

Discern · August 2, 2011, 09:29 PM

If you are in a hurry for the second shot, it is likely you rushed the first shot; and the accuracy is not there. Make the first shot count.

Doyle · August 2, 2011, 09:30 PM

I used a similar combination a few years ago. The only difference was that mine was a Win '94. Everything else was the same.

Be aware that people have mixed accuracy results from LeverEvolution. Many guns shoot it quite accurately. Some guns won't shoot it well at all and the group looks more like a load of buckshot more than several rifle shots. You just have to pattern it in your gun to see how it shoots.

Gunplummer · August 4, 2011, 10:29 AM

We can't all sit and shoot at half tame deer in the open woods. If you can't say you rushed a shot, you never really went hunting. Makes me wonder why firearms companies even bother to make rifles that are not single shots. I heard people tell me they would never shoot at a running deer. If we did that nobody I hunt with would have shot half the deer they have gotten over the years. I will admit that even getting a second shot is rare, but if you knock one down and it regains it's feet, it is nice to have.

Discern · August 4, 2011, 08:36 PM

@ Gunplummer

I have taken running deer and quick shots with open sights, scopes and holographics, but I am not in a hurry. When shooters are in a hurry, they tend to lose their accuracy and not think about safety. I use speed but still keep everything under control and do not rush the shot. If I can't get off a well placed shot I pass. IMO, I owe it to the animal.

SteelChickenShooter · August 5, 2011, 01:51 AM

I made a coarse dial in at the range yesterday morning and had good results using my old ammo: Federal Vital-Shok conventional 170gr blunted tip rounds. I began with two shots 5 inches left at 40 yards. I set the Leupold 12.5 MOA right times 40% equals 5 inches correction and fired three more rounds. I was 1.5 inches high and the three holes were covered with a dime on center.
I'm ready for the next visit: load the LeverEvolution ammo and move the target back to 100 yards. My beef might be the scope. It seems fine for actual deer hunting. Easy enough to fit a deer in the crosshairs even out to 200 yards. But for zeroing at the range, the 2-7X power is a bit weak viewing holes on paper. A 3-9X would work better. For now I'll stick with the 2-7X and make sure I don't leave my spotting scope at home next time out. For those of you that hunt deer and say people can have mixed results with this ammo- please check back. I'll report just exactly what I did or did not accomplish next range visit.

PawPaw · August 5, 2011, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gunplummer

I will admit that even getting a second shot is rare, but if you knock one down and it regains it's feet, it is nice to have.

Exactly! I had that happen twice last year. Both deer hit hard, both deer regained their feet. Second shot anchored them. Autopsies at the camp later showed that any one of the four shots would have eventually been fatal, but both deer took two shots to anchor.

August 2, 2011, 01:03 PM	#1
SteelChickenShooter Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2011 Posts: 863	Deer Season I'm presently setting up a Marlin model 336 in 30-30 with the large loop to fit cold weather gloves. A Leupold VX-II in 2-7X is installed and my plan is to set the Hornady Lever Evolution 160 grain ammo to be 3 inches high at 100 yards which should give me close to zero at 200 yards. I would like to read some feedback from experienced hunters regarding how such a combo may or may not have worked well for you.

August 2, 2011, 02:29 PM	#3
PawPaw Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2010 Location: Central Louisiana Posts: 3,137	It looks as if you've got a handle on the ballistics and the Model 336 is a fine rifle for the deer woods. Now, buy a couple of boxes of ammo and practice enough that you'll be capable of enjoying the rifle. __________________ Dennis Dezendorf http://pawpawshouse.blogspot.com

August 4, 2011, 10:29 AM	#7
Gunplummer Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2010 Location: South East Pa. Posts: 3,364	Discern- We can't all sit and shoot at half tame deer in the open woods. If you can't say you rushed a shot, you never really went hunting. Makes me wonder why firearms companies even bother to make rifles that are not single shots. I heard people tell me they would never shoot at a running deer. If we did that nobody I hunt with would have shot half the deer they have gotten over the years. I will admit that even getting a second shot is rare, but if you knock one down and it regains it's feet, it is nice to have.

August 5, 2011, 01:51 AM	#9
SteelChickenShooter Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2011 Posts: 863	Range Report I made a coarse dial in at the range yesterday morning and had good results using my old ammo: Federal Vital-Shok conventional 170gr blunted tip rounds. I began with two shots 5 inches left at 40 yards. I set the Leupold 12.5 MOA right times 40% equals 5 inches correction and fired three more rounds. I was 1.5 inches high and the three holes were covered with a dime on center. I'm ready for the next visit: load the LeverEvolution ammo and move the target back to 100 yards. My beef might be the scope. It seems fine for actual deer hunting. Easy enough to fit a deer in the crosshairs even out to 200 yards. But for zeroing at the range, the 2-7X power is a bit weak viewing holes on paper. A 3-9X would work better. For now I'll stick with the 2-7X and make sure I don't leave my spotting scope at home next time out. For those of you that hunt deer and say people can have mixed results with this ammo- please check back. I'll report just exactly what I did or did not accomplish next range visit.

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August 2, 2011, 02:08 PM	#2
BfloBill Senior Member Join Date: August 2, 2010 Location: Buffalo, N.Y. Posts: 457	Sounds like you have things covered. My favorite deer scope is a 1.5-4 Weaver, the variables with low end magnification work well when you hunt in an area that is a mix of thick crap, hardwoods and fields. How high you are holding is good (at least according to these #'s): http://www.hornady.com/store/30-30-W...EVERevolution/ And since my fingers froze last year you may have talked me into buying a lever with the oversized loop. If you have not hunted with a lever gun before you will be pleasantly surprised, they handle so much better in the thick stuff.

August 2, 2011, 06:31 PM	#4
Gunplummer Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2010 Location: South East Pa. Posts: 3,364	I don't know about the heavy glove thing. Seems like when you are in a hurry for the second shot the glove will give it to you whether you are ready or not.

August 2, 2011, 09:29 PM	#5
Discern Senior Member Join Date: July 30, 2011 Posts: 471	If you are in a hurry for the second shot, it is likely you rushed the first shot; and the accuracy is not there. Make the first shot count.

August 2, 2011, 09:30 PM	#6
Doyle Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2007 Location: Rainbow City, Alabama Posts: 7,167	I used a similar combination a few years ago. The only difference was that mine was a Win '94. Everything else was the same. Be aware that people have mixed accuracy results from LeverEvolution. Many guns shoot it quite accurately. Some guns won't shoot it well at all and the group looks more like a load of buckshot more than several rifle shots. You just have to pattern it in your gun to see how it shoots.

August 4, 2011, 08:36 PM	#8
Discern Senior Member Join Date: July 30, 2011 Posts: 471	@ Gunplummer I have taken running deer and quick shots with open sights, scopes and holographics, but I am not in a hurry. When shooters are in a hurry, they tend to lose their accuracy and not think about safety. I use speed but still keep everything under control and do not rush the shot. If I can't get off a well placed shot I pass. IMO, I owe it to the animal.