Need Advice on New Gun!
 

The wife got me a Marlin 336 in .30-30 for x-mas. I love the gun, but here is the thing....It came with a scope. It's not mounted yet, I would have to take it back to where she bought it , and they would mount it for me and bore sight it. There is nothing on the scope, but I'm assuming it is a Tasco or Simmons.It's a 3-9X40 if it makes a difference.Iam just getting into rifles, I'm moreof a shotgun guy. I have a mosin nagant in 7.62x54r with iron sites that I hunted with this year with success. I don't have any rifles with scopes on them.I just don't know whether I should have the scope mounted or not? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Adam

RE: Need Advice on New Gun!
 

if you think you need it put it on there, i have an old 336c with a fixed 4X power bushnell that has killed a truckload of deer, i never shoot it anymore but always have nephews, cousins kids and stuff that will use it for there first season deer hunting, like mentioned the gun has killed a bunch of deer, i have 3 other lever guns 2 .22's and a 41mag. for some reason i like these better W/O the scopes even though i have a scope for the 41 i have never mounted it and last year i killed a doe @80 yrds with irons, kinda felt cool;)

like the lever guns, got my eyes on a .444 marlin next:D

RE: Need Advice on New Gun!
 

You know, a good trade off is to mount the scope using the over/under rings where you can use the scope, or iron sights. I had a 336 mounted this way and it worked very well for me.

Just a thought. I think they were Weaver mounts but I could be mistaken.

RE: Need Advice on New Gun!
 

Some guys don't like them, but I have never had any problems with the see thru rings. Have taken many deer and hogswith this set-up.

RE: Need Advice on New Gun!
 

I dont really like the see thru sights. The scope is too high for me to be comfortable with them. I am looking at my first lever gun though. I want to get a Browning BLR in 300 WSM to have a gun with iron sights for hunting in the thick junk.

RE: Need Advice on New Gun!
 

Yes, mount the scope.

The thing is, in practicle terms, even a short-range gun like a 30-30, is limited if you're only using iron sights and, in my opinion, your accuracy over 50 yardsis limited to what half of the deer you're shooting at and that's about as precise as you can get with iron sights.

Now before the lever action guysstart protesting outside my house, let me askthis. If you had to shoot in a 100 yard target competition and the stakes werebig money and you had your choice of scoped or unscoped rifle, which would you choose? I thought so.

There is an old myth going back to the 1950s that says scopes are useless in the brush. My father heard that over and over again when he first showed up in deer camp in northern MNin 1960 with a pump action .30-06 and a 2X10 scope. All the other guys carried the old 30-30.

Over the next few years he proved again and again that the ability to precisely place a shot on a deer that was partially hidden or hard to see in the brush, or at long range,completely outweighted thearmchair theory that you "can't pick them (a deer) up in the scope in the brush".5 yearslater the otherguys, without exception, had scopes on thier guns.

And BTW, I've had great performance with Simmons scopes. Maybe it's just me, but I think they're great value for the money and I have them on handguns and 2 rifles. Never had one go bad yet and to me, at least, it's no contest when it comes to performance and prices. The next step up for a 6X24 varmint scope was over $125 more! Fro that money I'll stick with the Simmons and it if only lasts 10 years, so be it.

Grouse

RE: Need Advice on New Gun!
 

I love my 336 with the see thru mounts they have never been a problem for me. I have a 3x9 40mm on it at it works great. Try the hornady leverevolution ammo for your 30-30 it works great. My 30-30 have killed a pile of deer and will continue for year to come. I have a tasco from wal-mart that I got before I knew any better but it have never moved from zero and has new let me down. I just wish it was a little clearer.

RE: Need Advice on New Gun!
 

Whatever you do-stay away from see-thru mounts. It's a idea that sounds good on paper but works lousy in practice. They put your scope so high you can't get a good fit and the "tunnel" for open sights is small,thereby obscuring your field of view.
Instead,mount your scope as low as possible and keep power turned down all the way at 3x and it'll be even faster than open sights. Don't believe me? Try 2 rifles,both identical except for 1 with scope mounted low,the other with see-thru mounts,throw each to shoulder as if you were shooting at a deer fast. See which works best!

RE: Need Advice on New Gun!
 

Power turned down for hunting?

I keep my scopes on 5x for hunting and turn them up a I need it.

Keeping your scope as low as possible is also an old wives tale.

All you have to do is sight it in at the range that you think that you are going to shoot and it will be just fine.

There is no use sighting in a gun for 200 yards if you are only going to shoot 50 - 60 yards. That is how a majority of deer are missed each year.

RE: Need Advice on New Gun!
 

I don't think you'll ever need see through rings if you have a good quality scope and know how to use a scope. Some cheap scopes can fog up on you, but stick with a good scope and it shouldn't be a problem. I agree with others that see through mounts set the scope up where it's not in the best location. ideally you should be able to see through the scope with your check on the stock.