Savage .17

Hey guys just purchased a 30-30 and are wondering what your thoughts are on it as a deer/coyote gun. Hunt in more wooded areas max of 150 yds shots. Scope or open sights?? Thanks for your info/stories.

WIbuckchaser

I have killed several deer with a 30-30. If it knocks down a deer it will definitely knock down a coyote. For deer I wouldn't need a scope. Be patient and wait for a good walking or standing shot. For coyote I would want the scope because they don't like to stand still. What do I know, I don't hunt coyotes?

magicman54494

I started hunting with a 30-30. I missed 2 8 point bucks (standing still broad side)with it on the same day. I had a guy check it out for me and he said it shot fine. I sold it to that guy and boughtthe 30-06 that I still hunt with today. That was over 30 years ago. I could never shoot good with that gun even when sighting in. I am deadly with my 06 on the other hand.

country1

For a shot within 150 yards I would not suggest a scope. If you are insistant on putting optics on it, I suggest a holographic sight (a red dot scope is not a holographic sight). A 30-30 will do a very good job on deer and coyotes (statistics show that more deer have been taken with a 30-30 than any other caliber).Your coyotepelt will definitely pay the price using a 30-30, but if all you are concerned about is controlling the coyotes it will do that very well.

Phil from Maine

I used to use my brothers Winchester Model 94 when I was growing up. He went into the service so I put his rifle to work. I shot a few deer with it as well as missed a few. I then went ahead and bought a Marlin 30-30 and never looked back That rifle has shot alot of deer for me. I like a good tip-off scope on it though. When hunting in the brush you only need an open sight. When hunting in openings like clear cuts and ect.. the scope works fine. I sight them both in differently so up on the closer shots I stick with an open sight. For longer shots I go with the scope. The tip-off mount lets me tip the scope out of the way and it has worked great for me.

retrieverman

I own 5 Marlin 30-30's and have killed NUMEROUS deer and hogs with them. I would say if you wanted a limited use gun then leave it open sighted, but if you want get the most out of your gun, by all means scope it up. I have a Leupold VariX II 3-9 on one, a VX II 2-7 on another, a VX III 2.5-8 on another, and a Zeiss Conquest 3-9 on the one I use the most. One is currently not scoped, but I don't use it at all.

I would suggest trying Hornady LeverEvolution ammo, but keep in mind, that some guns just do not like it. One of my guns will shoot it under an inch at 100 yards all day, but the rest of my guns will only shoot it at 1-1.5 inches at 100 at best.

The debate about scoping a 30-30 or not is really kind of silly to me. You never hear a debate on whether to scope a 308 or not, and I use my 308 to hunt the same terrain that I use my 30-30. Why not hunt with it open sights too?

jerry d

I had a Marlin 336 in 30.30 i sold the gun because it misfiring & accuratesee issues. Definately a defective gun.Long story short I bought the same gun in .35 Rem. & it's been a great gun for me.
I personally like the 30 .30 for deer as long as you keep your shot within the rifles limitations{150 yds.}.
I'm not familiar w/ the levereloution ammo that may increase your distantance a bit.

marquismarc

I have a Winchester 30-30 and so does my wife.......we both have scopes on ours and they have taken deer with ease. I like having the scopes on them.

kodiakhuntmaster

That was all I used for years. I killed around a dozen deer with an oldMarlin 30-30, never missed one with it but my furthest shot was about 75 yards. All of them dropped on the spot too. I always used a scope, it just makes it easier to see clearly in dark brush. A scope that fits good will be just about as fast to aim as open sights, and help a lot if you do get a longer shot in some open hardwoods.

Since you asked for stories, here's one;
I was hunting in Meriwether County Georgia back in 1999 on a hunting club. The afternoon kind of got away from me after I got home from work so I was a running late getting into the woods. It was November and the rut was just starting, I hadn't seen much from my ladder stand but I had a good feeling about it on this day and still hunted on my way to the stand. As quiet as I could, I climbed up and hit my grunt call, and to my surprise, I heard a grunt answer me (that was a first for me)... So I grunted back, and I heard it again! I grunted once more and got ready. Within minutes, I could hear a buck grunting softly as he walked and at 30 yards I saw him. I got the scope on him and waited until he was 25 yards away for a clear shot (I was hunting in thick pines). He was facing straight on, but upon the shot, he dropped like a ton of bricks. I had only been in the stand for 15 minutes! He's still my best whitetail to date.



I think you'll be happy with the 30-30.

ButchA

The timeless classic .30-30 has dropped more deer than any other cartridge in its 115 year history. At 100 yards I wouldn't use a scope. (My personal opinion: a scope just doesn't look right on a lever gun - but that's just me). But then with the new Hornady Leverevolution, I would be tempted to put a small, sleek, 4x32 scope on it.

I love hiking around the thick woods and mountains ridges with my open sights Marlin .30-30 rifle. It feels like I am following in the footsteps of all the generations of hunters before me. For longer ranges and overlooking fields, I have a Savage .308 with a 3-9x40 scope on it and I also love using. Two rifles....Two different styles of hunting.