ORIGINAL: bigpapa
Man you picked the best rifle to start out with. A 30-30 is a fantastic brush gun. Low recoil and decent range but my question is this. Why are you putting a scope on a 30-30? The farthest you will shoot it is about 100 yards. After 100 yards the drop on a 30-30 is so significant I wouldnt take the shot. Still, you should be able to shoot that without the bother of a scope. Anywho, I'd go to some pawn shops and picke up either a Marlin or an old Winchester. The older model Winchesters are fantastic. Mine is about 35 years old and shoots like new. Again you made a good choice. The 30-30 is just plain fun to shoot. Good luck
While it is true that the scope is not needed for short-range fast snap shooting at deer that you can clearly see, and that are in the open with no obstructions between the shooter and target, it is better to have a scope so if necessary shots can be taken through holes in brush and foliage that can't be seen well with the naked eye. In addition, a low-power, wide field of view scope is the fastest of all possible sighting systems, followed by a good open aperture with a Sourdough blade on the front.
However, the idea of putting a large objective, variablescope on a .30/30 is ludicrous. They just don't have the range to need such a contraption, AND you want to keep the rifle as light and handy as possible. A large, heavy scope has the opposite effect. Try to find an old, used steel-tube Weaver Series 60B K2.5, a K3,a Leuopld M8 2.5X or 3X, or a Lyman All-American 2.5Xscope in good shape for the rifle. These are usually available on e-Bay.Nothing more isneeded, nor useful! Stay away from "see-'em-under" scope mounts, too!