Recommend scope for 30-30.

[Northslope Nimrod]

I have two 30-30's... the '94 is iron sights and the Marlin is scoped. The 30-30's are my backup rifles...but I find that I carry them almost exclusively on the deer hunt and carry them about 50% of the time on the elk hunt.

My current scope is not perfectly clear. I want something wide and clear with pleny of light.

I hunt in pretty thick Utah timber with some open shots out to 250 yards.

I want a light weight scope so I don't defeat one reason I carry the 30-30.

I want to keep it around $100 - $125

I'm leaning toward a 2x to 7x but don't know if I can get one in my price range.

Which manufacturers or models should I avoid?

OR Should I put my Nikon Buckmaster 3x9 on my 30-30 and buy a new scope for my 30-06. This scope was fairly low priced....has worked great and is fairly light. But...if I do this...I will need recommendations on a new scope for the 30-06. I will spend a little more on the scope for the 30-06. It will need to be 3x9 at least.

 

[azredhawk44]

I have a similar setup: A 1970's model 94 with iron sights and a new 94AE that I just outfitted with a Swift 3-9x40 wide angle.

For $75, it is very bright and clear. It handles the recoil of such a light rifle fairly well.

I sighted it in at convergence at 50 yards, which should put me about 1" high at 100 and flat again around 150-175. I have yet to test this, but at 50 yards I touch all my shots together. I am using the leupold mount and leupold half-height rings.

I do admit I've only put about 20 rounds thru it thus far, but I see no reason that it will let me down. This scope is very responsive to its adjusters, and in general the quality is comperable to Burris and Weaver scopes on other friends' rifles.

Maybe I got an exceptionally good one. Other folks like to trash talk Swift scopes.

 

[rbernie]

You're going to find that 3x9s are cheaper than 2x7's, most likely because of the economy of scale on the manufacturing side (they make more 3x9s than 2x7s).

The Buckmaster can be had for under $200 new, or $150 used. I'd probably put the Buckmaster on the 30-30 and (if you're capped at $200 for the replacement scope) get a Sightron SII 3x9/44 from MidwayUSA for $199 for the 30-06.

 

[Byron]

I use a Weaver 2 1/2 power on my 94 AE. It is quick in dense woods and yet I feel comfortable at 150 yrads with it. Byron

 

[Sulaco]

I use a Weaver V3 on one of my 336's. It works great and 1 power is really nice to have.

I think Leupold makes a real nice Vari-X III if you can afford it.