Marlin 30-30 (with a variety of scopes)

[ButchA]

Hey there...

I think you might remember a post or two that I submitted where I bought a co-workers Marlin 30AS a few years ago. It's a sweet shooter and a heck of a rifle!

Anyway, remember the story where he had owned it for years, then wanted a bigger rifle. He first bought a huge scope for the rifle of his choice, then ran short of cash. So, he ended up saying "what the heck" and had the huge 4-12x40AO scope mounted on the 30-30!

Like this.....

I thought it was waaaaaaaaay too much scope and looked a little ridiculous with the see thru scope rings and all. So, I stripped it all off, sold the scope, and made it into a plain jane Marlin 30AS.

Then I decided I wanted a much more manageable, more common, type of slim-line scope for the 30AS, so I found this on Ebay: An old Glenfield fixed 4x32 scope with Weaver base and rings. Ebay price: $26 bucks - can you believe that?! It's a real nice used scope and still looks great. So, anyway, I just had it checked over and mounted on the Marlin 30AS by a reputable gun dealer and bore sighted, for only a few bucks... This is how the 30AS looks right now (from my wife's digital camera). It is really nice and doesn't appear top heavy or anything. The small sleek 32 diameter scopes seem to go perfectly on a 30-30. It's a heck of a sweet shooter now! [8D]


Butch A.

[Virginia7]

Much better!

[charlie brown]

That does look much better. Sounds like you made a good buy!

[Rebel Hog]

Good deal , Butch!

[Hunter4life81]

That looks good my sons look exactly like that

[JeffS]

The new scope looks like my Marlin .35 Remington, though the top looks like my Marlin .450. I put the large scope on my .450 because I hunt hogs at night w/ it and though it looks a little funny it is a perfect combination for what I use it for. I have a Ziess 3 x 12 x 50 mounted on my .450 and w/ any moonlight at all I don't need to use a light.

[ButchA]

Thanks, guys.... I took the 30-30 out to the range yesterday to put a box of 150gr rounds through it. After a few tweaks on windage and elevation, the Glenfield 4x32 scope is zeroed right in and is a tack driver at 50 yards! Then I moved the target out to 100 yards and finished the box of rounds off, and it still nailed the sight-in paper about an inch low!

Butch A.

[Slamfire]

Now that you've scoped it you might as well take advantage of the long range capabilities of the .30-30. If you sight it in so the bullet hits 2 inches high at 100 yards, it will be zeroed at 150 and only 5 inches low at 200. Then if you spot a nice buck across a hollar you're all ready to take him.

[ButchA]

200 yards with a 30-30?!? Isn't that pushing the range limit and the velocity? Honest, I've never shot my Marlin out that far.

One of the last few rounds at 100 yards, I exhaled and held the Marlin rock solid steady at the bench. I positioned the cross-hairs at the top of the center square on the sighting-in target, gently squeezed the trigger, and BAM! I put the round - miraculously enough - right in the center of the target at 100 yards! Don't know if I could do that again! ha ha ha....

Butch A.