So I was going to buy a new rifle for deer hunting next year but I realized I have a perfectly good Winchester 1894 AE .30-30. I could use this as a good rifle but I have a couple questions.

1. The iron sights are great but if I wanted to mount a scope, what power should I use? It id drilled and tapped on top for a scope mount.

2. What's my max effective range to take a deer with a .30-30 round? 300 yards? Or less?

Instead of spending money on a new rifle, i can put it into optics, ammo, etc.

Thoughts?

I would go with a good fixed power 6x scope. Range is realistically 200 yards and under unless you just really, really know how to shoot that particular guh.

Depending on where you hunt, a lever .30-30 is one of the best short range deer guns you can get.

I'd go with a fixed power scope and look for Hornady LEVERevolution ammo. Regular .30-.30 ammo is good out to 100 yards, after that, it dies pretty quickly. The Hornady is good to 200 yards before it dies quickly.

I agree with the previous poster. Most people can't effectively shoot a .30-30 over 200 yards without a lot of practice. I wouldn't purchase that rifle specifically for deer hunting because there are so many better choices.

If you already own it, just make sure you do a little practicing at 200 yards. If you want to know why it doesn't work well beyond that distance, just do a little search online about .30-30 ballistics.

As I recall, a .30-30 with a 100 yard zero will drop about 8 inches at 200 yards and around 35 inches at 300 yards.

I hate going against schmellba99 but I would look real hard at a 4X With the 30-30 you really can't get much past 200 yds. So why have a scope that looks farther than you can shoot, plus your FOV on a 4 is bigger than a 6. Just a thought and what I would do. I hunt with one sometime but just use the iron sights. Hunting for me with the 30-30 is kind of a iron sight kind of thing. It is the way I killed my very first deer 60 years ago. 30-30 iron sights on my dad's shoulder because I could not hold it steady enough at that age.

Great brush gun. Not something to shoot a long distance in an open field or down a shooting lane but they are nails within 150 yards or so. One thing to think about it the type of scope mount. See through rings are popular for lever guns but may it pretty much impossible to get a good cheek weld quote using the scope. They sound niftier than sliced bread but they aren't as good as many imagine them to be.

My favorite scope for 30-30 has been a 1 - 4x. All the magnification you need, plus 1x is great for close, quick action shots like hogs

If I was going to purchase a rifle it would be a .308 Ruger M77. But since I already own the .30-30, I will use it. My dad recommended a fixed power scope. What are some brands I should look for?

It is a great deer gun at proper ranges. Agree with the Hornady ammo and the fixed power scope. Core Lokts will work just fine as well inside 150. INside about 150 yards a 30-30 is devastating. If your shots are inside that range, you already own the gun and it is already drilled there is no reason to buy another unless you just want too.

I have always pondered what cartridge has been used to kill the most deer historically in the USA. I know it would mostly be anecdotal but it would be cool to see. My guess is 22lr is the runaway #1 over the last century followed by the 30-30 and 30-06. Use of the 22 is all but gone now and the other two are losing ground every year.

I would not be surprised if the 30-30 was still in the top 5 or so.

I doubt the #1 would be a rimfire. It's not even legal to use for deer in many states, now. Not sure about earlier but, while I know it can be lethal, it would be a huge pain when bullet placement wasn't perfect.

[This message has been edited by TheEyeGuy (edited 12/29/2013 1:32p).]

Vortex is one of the go to "budget scopes," but I think those are all variable power. Leupold has a great fixed power but it'll run in the mid $200 range. I used to compete with a Tasco Silver Antlers scope for light rifle competitions (similar to silhouette shooting.) Oddly, it was a great scope and did not cost a ton.

A lot really depends on just where you are going to be shooting. If everything is in lowlight like in the woods, power won't matter as much as having a large objective to make images brighter as it gets darker. That being said, I'm not sure if it's even made, but you would get no advantage of anything over 40mm in size on the objective. 4x40 would be what I would look for here.

Has anyone hunted deer with a marlin 1894 in .357 mag? I know it would be short distance but was wondering if it would knock one down.

I don't know about that the eye guy. If you go back 100 years I bet the 22 is. I know both of my sides of the family shot them with 22s and my father shot his first ten or so with a 22 in the 60s. And during the depression the 22 was used extensively. I have read before that, prior to most of those laws you referenced, it's used was widespread in rural areas, especially poor rural areas.

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Has anyone hunted deer with a marlin 1894 in .357 mag? I know it would be short distance but was wondering if it would knock one down.

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Sure it would. People hit with that round out of a pistol all the time.

Since you're dealing with a "short range" gun and cartridge, and you say the iron sights are dead on, might I suggest a "see-through" scope mount? That's what I have on my .35 Marlin lever gun with a fixed 2.5X scope. I like the ability to throw it up to my shoulder and have a choice of the open sights, or some magnification, with your eye traveling very easily between the two options.

I bought a Marlin 336T about 40 years ago. After taking deer for 10 years, I decided to upgrade from shooting iron sights and spent about $45 on a 4x bushnell sport view and weaver mount. I went back and forth using the scope and taking it off, but taking deer for the next several years. I finally bought another rifle a few years ago when I had opportunities for shots over 100 yards. The 30-30 is a great deer cartridge as long as you know it's distance limitations. For me, that was about 150 yards with the old core lockt ammunition. There is a lot of satisfaction successfully hunting iron sights and a classic firearm. Just practice enough to be proficient and enjoy.

In North America the 30-30 has taken more deer than all other calibers combined.

94's with scopes make me ill. to each their own, I suppose.

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I hate going against schmellba99 but I would look real hard at a 4X With the 30-30 you really can't get much past 200 yds. So why have a scope that looks farther than you can shoot, plus your FOV on a 4 is bigger than a 6. Just a thought and what I would do. I hunt with one sometime but just use the iron sights. Hunting for me with the 30-30 is kind of a iron sight kind of thing. It is the way I killed my very first deer 60 years ago. 30-30 iron sights on my dad's shoulder because I could not hold it steady enough at that age.

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4x works too

My dad used to hunt deer (along with other stuff) all the time with his old 30-30 Winchester and iron sights.

I think a fixed 4x is perfect for .22s and .30-.30s. They are light weight, quick and simple and would probably even work well on AR carbines. They are getting more rare as variable power scopes become more common.

I am not sure but Leopold has revived the Redfield brand. They are good scopes for the money and would work well for you I think.

Lever action 30-30 is one of my all time favorite calibers and gun. I have a Winchester but no scope. I'm interested in what you choose.

Thinking of going with a fixed 4x scope. Does anyone know about this scope I found on Midway USA?

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/174349/weaver-classic-k-series-rifle-scope-4x-38mm-dual-x-reticle-matte

4X but I'd go with one with a large lens. Gathering more light is important in brushy or woodsy conditions where the 30/30 has the range.

I started hunting with an open site 30-30, so not sure on a scope recommendation. You could probably get it mounted above the view line of the iron sites.

As a rule of thumb (and not trying to sound derogatory by any means), if I need a scope to see something - it is too long a shot for the 30-30. Great gun within 100 yards.

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this, I had a .32 Remington with open sights as a kid. It shot almost the same as a .30-.30. I remember the first time I tried to shoot a deer in an open field that was probably farther than I should have been shooting. I saw my bullet hit below the deer about even with his hooves. That's when I started paying more attention to the bullet trajectory and distance estimating.

Don't try to find a hideously huge objective. Without getting into the physics of it, anything over a 40mm won't matter much in a fixed power in regards to light transmittance. It can give you a larger area, but won't change things in regards to brightness.

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Has anyone hunted deer with a marlin 1894 in .357 mag? I know it would be short distance but was wondering if it would knock one down.

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I used a .357 mag rifle to kill my first 2 deer. Out of a rifle, the .357 isnt much less than a 30-30. It works fine out to 125 yards or so but after that it falls off very quickly. Both were one shot kills at about 90 yards, double lungs and they went 50 yards or so. Ive killed 3 hogs with a .357 but that was out of a pistol and a much closer range.

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As a rule of thumb (and not trying to sound derogatory by any means), if I need a scope to see something - it is too long a shot for the 30-30. Great gun within 100 yards.

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Y'all don't put scopes on your .22 rifles?
A scope isn't just useful on shots over 100 yards.

I do not put scopes on .22's! I agree with the point that scopes are only for distance. Why put a scope on a weapon that will not shoot that far.
I own several non scoped weapons, by choice.

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Why put a scope on a weapon that will not shoot that far

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They make low power scopes in magnifications from 1x to 4x. You can make precise shots at ranges like 50 yards in low light. A .22 rifle with a 4x scope is a blast to shoot squirrels with.
The military has also found low power scopes like ACOG's useful. Some people put scopes on handguns and slug guns for hunting.
A .30/.30 is an accurate gun at 100 yards. It is more capable at 100 yards than your iron sight will allow.

[This message has been edited by PineTreeAg (edited 12/31/2013 11:46a).]

My .22 will easily shoot decent groups at a 100 yards. Check out the Nikon BDC 150 rimfire scope. It has notches for 50, 75, 100, 125 and 150 yards. I have a bolt action Savage with a bull barrel and accutrigger on it. http://www.gunblast.com/Savage-MarkIIBV22.htm

Here is an article where he is shooting 3/8" groups at 50 yards with one.

http://www.gunblast.com/Savage-22s.htm

OK