Optic for Winchester 30-30

[loadedp3at]

Would you put a red dot or a scope on the Winchester 30-30? this may be for hunting and my eyes are not as good as they were.I have seen both talked about but wondered if people in here had used a dot on theirs?

[Slappy]

I'd put a low powered scope on it.  Something like a 4x, 2-7x or at most a 3-9x.  With a 30-30, ballistically, anything more than that would be far out perform the round you are firing.  I have red dots on my AR's and anything over 100 yards just "feels" far even with my fairly young eyes.  You also need to look cool when you are hunting, and a scope on a 30-30 just seems right.  

[gregintenn]

Williams Foolproof receiver sight. A scope on a Model 94 is an abomination.

[nightrunner]

What ranges do you hunt at that you would use your 30-30 at?

30-30 will run out of steam by 200 maybe 225 with specialized ammunition.

Most deer hunting here in TN is under 100 yards unless you are hunting across a bean field, which a 30-30 is not the best choice for.

I would suggest trying it as is or getting a good peep sight and seeing how you do shooting it at the range. If necessary, get a fixed low power scope, no need for a variable power scope on a 30-30.

My eyes are terrible without glasses, and I’d try my best to make do with some good irons first.

[Ronald_55]

What kind of Win 94 is it? Top eject or angle eject? Any idea when it was made? These factors determine how you can mount a scope and that determines what you might want. 

[loadedp3at]

It is a top eject. I need to find a place to check the serial number to know the age. My old eyes are having trouble bringing in the front sight.

[Ronald_55]

Here is a PDF put out by Winchester. Go to page 9.

https://www.winchesterguns.com/content/dam/winchester-repeating-arms/support/faq/serial-number-reference/Winchester-Manufacture-Dates-by-Year-2012-Scanned-Documents.pdf

[Griffen]

I put a Williams adjustable peep sight on my Winchester 1886 45-70 and it works great. I have the older eyes issue, too, with iron sights and this was a great fix. Zeroed it at 200 yards and feel very comfortable taking that shot and anything nearer. Action and ejection work perfect.

 

[Handsome Rob]

https://imgur.com/a/cEg3npb

 

Edited September 6, 2020 by Handsome Rob

[RandyB]

I have a Nikon 1x4 on mine. We rarely ever shoot beyond 50 yards.

[Quavodus]

I've never had a Model 94 but, did have a Model 336 Marlin and had a Bushnell 4x on it.

[Grayfox54]

I've always considered any kind of optic on a lever gun to be pure blasphemy. 

However, like you, my eyes ain't what they used to be. I've considered the Pearson. No Gunsmithing Forward rail many times. It allows for a scout scope  or red dot type mount without interfering with ejection.  Just can't get myself to pull the trigger. 

https://www.mod94scoperail.com/

[221 Fireball]

Just get closer to your game. 

I called in this bobcat and took him at 35 yards with my 1966 Winchester 30-30. My eyes are 65-years-old wore out, so yes, iron sights are tough, but still work for me close up.

I limit my deer shots to 50 yards with irons. Not hard if you hunt thick woods. If I'm hunting open fields, I still have some scoped bolt guns for that.

[loadedp3at]

Nice pic. do you only have the ramp sight of are you using a peep sight?

[Quavodus]

What is your rifle there? Nice.

[221 Fireball]

14 hours ago, loadedp3at said:

Nice pic. do you only have the ramp sight of are you using a peep sight?

I'm using the factory ramp sights and there's no front hood on this model, which is good. Even on models I have with hoods, I always remove them. It allows more light to hit that sight I have found. I've also found that putting a dab of white paint on the front sight tip makes it a lot easier to pick up against a brown background, like the side of a deer.  

The rifle is a Winchester Centennial 66, made in 1966, in 30-30. When I bought it from my friend Terry W (TGO member) it had never been fired, nor loaded. I told him I was going to hurt the collectability and shoot the heck out of it. He was good with that. LOL ... actually, it's the nicest shooting 30-30 I've owned. It has a 26" octagon barrel which adds some FPS and really steadies out nice for off hand shots. I'm not a collector, I'm a shooter, so anything I have I shoot. It's a shame so many of the commemorative 94s are collecting dust. They're really made to shoot!

https://www.chuckhawks.com/win_centennial_66.htm

Edited December 28, 2020 by 221 Fireball