My fine 6x6 bull elk was down and out. There'd be no need for any tracking on this hunt: Hornady's .444 LeverEvolution rounds had done the job to perfection. Upon examination, I found that my first shot had taken the bull in the ribs, slightly back from the shoulder. The second shot had punched the center of the left shoulder and was probably not actually necessary. That's okay, though, I like to see a game animal DRT: "dead right there." Quick, humane kills on game are always my goal.

Although we did not recover either of the 265-grain LeverEvolution bullets, it was clear from the tissue damage that they'd given good expansion and penetration. And, from the way the bull hit the ground, it was also apparent that the load had imparted a substantial amount of energy to the animal. This bull elk weighed approximately 900 pounds and had a 48-inch outside spread to his antlers. I can't imagine another bullet turning his lights out any quicker than the Hornady .444 did. Holt later told me that my bull elk was the first game animal taken with the new LeverEvolution ammunition.

On this particular hunt two other hunters used the Hornady .444 LeverEvolution round to take two more bull elk, and another hunter used the Hornady .30-30 165-grain LeverEvolution loading to drop an elk as well.

Hornady's plans are to offer this new LeverEvolution pointed bullet in loaded ammunition for the .30-30, .35 Remington, .444 Marlin, .450 Marlin, and .45-70. The .30-30 and .444 ammo should be available on your dealer's shelves by the time you read this; the other selections will be available soon. Initial production will be limited to loaded ammunition, but bullets for handloaders shouldn't be too far behind.

Flat, quick-shooting lever-action rifles are an excellent choice for hunting in heavy timber and brush. They are easy to handle in the thick stuff and offer quick subsequent shots should they become necessary. Hornady's new bullets carry the combination a step further by extending the effective range and power of these firearms by allowing the use of pointed bullets. In my case, the .444 LeverEvolution bullet dropped my bull elk with such authority that I am already looking forward to using it on moose, black bear, and caribou.

Lever-action rifles are still a major part of the American hunting tradition, and I think it is amazing that Hornady has found a way to increase their performance in such a meaningful way. The serious lever-action hunter will find that his success rate is greatly enhanced by using Hornady's fine LeverEvolution ammunition.