An old Marlin 30-30 that was my granddad's was recently handed down to me. I bought a Leupold rail to mount a scope, but the screws that came with the rail don't fit the factory bore holes on the barrel even though the rail says it fits a Marlin 336. Any advice on where I can find the right sized screws, or another rail that will fit this model?

Get ready for optics shaming. Quite a few folks believe anything but irons on a 30-30 is heresy.

I had a set of "see through" rings on my old marlin for a while. Pretty sure I bought them at Academy in College Station.

Look at XS sight sysems for rails and iron sights for lever guns. I have their full rail and irons on my 1895 guide gun in 45-70 then you can put the scope in detachable mounts and have best of both.

NM

That's the end goal here. Wanting to mount the scope on rings so I can still see and use the open sights.

Do you have pics? That gun should be tapped into the top of the receiver and not the barrel. A lot of those old guns have had "custom" gunsmithing done.

Not sure how to post a pic, but the existing tap holes are indeed above the receiver and not the barrel. You're saying that suggests they are indeed factory? That's why I don't understand why the hardware with the Leupold rail doesn't fit.

Leave old guns you inherit alone. Don't F with it. Your grandfather never needed a scope on a 30-30 and you don't either. Buy a new rifle if you want one with a scope.
Did you ever see John Wayne using a scope?

Is it an old waffle top receiver?

Yes it is.

That's a nice gun that's 70ish years old. Pretty sure they were not d&t from the factory. I'd find some plug screws that fit and show off the waffle top.

But if you want to scope it-
Do the holes line up with the holes in the base?
Are the screws too big or too small?

Just need to find what the spacing is and what size fasteners it takes and get an appropriate set of bases.

CactusThomas said:

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Is it an old waffle top receiver?

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Holy crap, I change my whole opinion if you have a waffle top. No rail, no scope, iron sight all the way.

Well y'all might have changed my mind! Appreciate the input. It is 70+ years old I was told my grandad bought it new in 1950. It has some character…it was dropped out of a deer stand and the wood stock has been redone. I think I am going to leave it as is.

It sounds about perfect

m&w2009 said:

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Well y'all might have changed my mind! Appreciate the input. It is 70+ years old I was told my grandad bought it new in 1950. It has some character…it was dropped out of a deer stand and the wood stock has been redone. I think I am going to leave it as is.

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You can get some nice aperture sights for that gun that will make it much easier to shoot accurately. At least for me it is. They are low profile and not a heresy, as some have stated a scope on a lever might be.

Check out the Skinner Express for the 1895/336

AggiePetro07 said:

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m&w2009 said:

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Well y'all might have changed my mind! Appreciate the input. It is 70+ years old I was told my grandad bought it new in 1950. It has some character…it was dropped out of a deer stand and the wood stock has been redone. I think I am going to leave it as is.

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You can get some nice aperture sights for that gun that will make it much easier to shoot accurately. At least for me it is. They are low profile and not a heresy, as some have stated a scope on a lever might be.

Check out the Skinner Express for the 1895/336

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This is the correct answer.