This type of scope is specially used for brush hunting. That being said, the .30-30 round is rather popular however, they only accommodate two types of rifle which are the Marlin 336 and Winchester 94. These rifles on the other hand, are known as lever action rifles. Don’t forget to check out our scopes for the M1A rifle and Ruger 10/22.
So why is this type of scope special? First and foremost, it can be utilized for short to medium range hunting, maximum about 150 to 200 yards. Besides that that, lever action rifles refers as brush guns during brush hunting. In other words, they are designed to operate in brushes or any tight spaces.
Brush guns are designed to accommodate large cartridges that are powerful enough to take down games and varmints from close to medium range. Not only that, they need to capture a lot of light due to the area that is covered because of the brush. With optimum amount of light, a clear and bright sight picture will be produced, even under low light conditions.
Top 5 Rated Lever Action Rifle .30-30 Scopes
| Name of Product | Weight | Magnification | Objective Lens Diameter | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simmons 8-Point Riflescope | 13.2 oz | 3-9x | 50mm | $$ |
| Weaver K4 4x38 Tactical Scope | 9.9 oz | 4x (fixed) | 38mm | $$$ |
| Vortex Optics Crossfire II Riflescope | 1 lb | 3-9x | 40mm | $$$ |
| Nikon Buckmasters II Scope | 1.4 lb | 3-9x | 40mm | $$ |
| Leupold VX-3i Scope | 1.2 lb | 2.5-8x | 36mm | $$$ |
Simmons 8-Point Riflescope
Weighing 13.2 ounces, this riflescope comes with fully coated optics which provides enhanced light transmissions inside the scope. This in return will produce a bright and clear sight picture, so you get a good view of your target to shoot with maximum convenience.
Moreover, the tube is rather strong and sturdy. It holds up well to the recoils of the lever action rifles. However, it is good to apply Loctite on the mounting rings attaching the scope to the rifles so that it don’t get loose during a powerful recoil. Also, the tube is filled with inert gases therefore contributing to its fogproof, shockproof and waterproof performance.
This product comes with a generous eye relief measuring 3.75 inches. The eye relief is basically the distance between your eyes and your scope. It functions to keep your eyes safe from the powerful recoil of the brush gun as well as providing you with a full viewing angle of your target, from close to medium range.
It offers true zero elevation and windage adjustment with the option of locking it to zero so that the adjustments stay in place after multiple rounds. That being said, these adjustments feature the ¼ MOA Suregrip audible click. Also, the dials are free-moving and easy to adjust with a firm click. And the good thing is, instead of using a coin to turn the dials, you can just utilize your hands.
The QTA eyepiece on the other hand ensure quick target acquisition. Equipped with a 50mm objective lens diameter, this product has a magnification power ranging from 3 to 9 times. You get 31.4 foot field of view at the power 3 meanwhile 10.5 foot field of view at power 9. That being said, the field of view decreases when the magnification power increases.
Apart from that, this hunting scope comes with a truplex reticle. This type of reticle is almost similar to the duplex reticle (thin in middle, thick on outside) but with a longer thick bit and smaller thin bit. The optics are clear therefore providing you with a high clarity sight picture. Also, it is rather simple to sight in with this scope, not forgetting it holds zero well too.
In terms of appearance, it comes with a rugged black matte finish. You need to get high mounting rings so that the front optics clear the barrel, thus giving you a good field of view. Nevertheless, this product is not made for long range or precision tactical shooting. It only can be utilized for short and medium ranges. In my experience, I am able to shoot tight groups between 50 to 75 yards.
Suitable for :
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- Fully coated optics
- ¼ MOA audible click adjustments
- QTA eyepiece
- Truplex reticle
Weaver K4 4×38 Tactical Scope
One of the specialty of this tactical scope is that it comes with a fixed magnification power, instead of variable ones like most of the other products. In other words, it has a fixed magnification power of 4 times. This feature comes in handy as you don’t have to make much adjustments because it holds zero a lot better as well as holds the windage and elevation consistently.
In addition to that, it includes an objective lens with 38mm diameter. The objective lens functions to gather light into your scope for a bright and clear sight picture. Not only that, this product consists of a 1 inch tube. The tube on the other hand is solidly built as it is made from aircraft grade aluminium material.
Weighing 9.9 ounce, it measures 11.5 inches in length. It includes a dual-X reticle with ¼ inch adjustments at 100 yards, for proper aiming at your target thus contributing to the precision of your shot. This type of reticle contains crosshairs that are fine in the middle where they intersect, and thicker towards the edges. Also, it has a generous amount of eye relief with large exit pupils.
The thicker part assists you in lining up your target quickly with maximum ease whereas the fine ones keeps the ‘X’ from blocking your target. With all that assistance for aiming, you’re good to go to take a shot. The parallax correction on the other hand is set at 100 yards which is essential to ensure the precision of your shot.
Besides that, the scope is fully multi-coated to provide you with an optimum clarity image due to its increased light transmissions. Furthermore, the glass lens are crisp clear and parallax free. Both of these features contribute to having clear and bright sight picture ranging from 15 to 100 yards. The bright sight picture comes in handy especially under low light conditions.
In terms of making adjustments especially to the windage and elevation, it is rather straightforward. That being said, you just have to move the dials and turrets by hand clicks. Also, you need to purchase separately a pair of mounting rings which is utilized to mount the scope on the Marlin or Winchester rifle.
Suitable for :
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- Fully multi-coated lenses
- Fixed power (4x)
- Dual-X reticle
- Aircraft grade aluminium construction
Vortex Optics Crossfire II Riflescope
First things first, the Vortex Crossfire scope is equipped with a dead-hold BDC reticle. This reticle is basically a second focal plane reticle which means that, the size of the reticle remains the same when the magnification power is increased or decreased. Meanwhile, the crosshairs on the reticle are easy to read and rather clear so you get to properly aim at your target.
Like most products, it has a magnification power ranging from 3 to 9 times. Magnification comes in handy if you plan on hunting distant games. However, keep in mind that when magnification increases, the field of view decreases. Hence why, you shouldn’t overuse the magnification power because it will only cause your image to be blurry. Also, it comes with an objective lens with 40mm diameter.
The single-piece tube on the other hand measures an inch and is constructed from aircraft grade aluminium, which further contributes to its durability. That being said, it improves the alignment for maximum accuracy as well as offers optimal visual performance and strength. Not only that, the hard anodized tube is O-ring sealed as well as nitrogen sealed in order to ensure a lifetime waterproof, shockproof and fogproof performance.
Moreover, the lens are fully multi-coated with multiple anti-reflective coatings on all air to glass surfaces, which leads to improved light transmissions in the scope. This in return contributes to the bright and high clarity sight picture of your target. Also, its clear glass lens and optics further contribute to the excellent clarity of the sight picture.
It includes a fast-focus eyepiece which ensures instant target acquisition and quick reticle focusing. The longer eye relief on the other hand comes in handy to protect your eyes from the powerful recoil of the rifle as well as providing you with a full viewing angle of your target for better aiming, so you will most probably land an accurate shot. Not only that, it is great for short to medium range shots in which it produces tight groups at 100 yards.
In addition to that, the resettable MOA turrets ensures an optimal performance when hunting. Another plus point is that you get to make adjustments using your hands, instead of using tool such a hex keys to adjust the windage and elevation. Also, it holds zero well and is rather easy to sight in.
Suitable for :
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- Dead-hold BDC reticle
- Resettable MOA turrets
- Fully multi-coated lens
- Fast focus eyepiece
Nikon Buckmasters II Scope
Weighing 1.4 pounds, the tube of the scope is O-ring sealed as well as nitrogen purged to ensure that no moisture will penetrate the scope interior and cause internal fogging. Hence, this feature contributes to the waterproof, fogproof and shockproof lifetime performance. Also, it includes lifetime warranty, thus making it very well worth your investment, in my opinion!
It comes with a brighter anti-reflective system which consists of multi-coated lens to provide you with over 92 % of increased light transmissions thereby, producing a high clarity and vivid sight picture. Also, it includes great optics and clear glass lens which further leads to a high clarity sight picture in the long run.
Furthermore, this product features a BDC (Bullet Drop Compensation) trajectory-reticle compensating system, which is designed to offer quick and easy aiming points for varying shot ranges. In other words, Nikon’s BDC see-through ballistic circle provides both long and short range shots, where its crosshairs serves as an aiming point.
In terms of magnification power, this product offers zooming ranging from 3 to 9 times so you are able to take shots at distant games. The magnification allows you to see your target clearly however, it does reduce your field of view. The diameter of the objective lens on the other hand measures 40mm where it functions to gather light for the scope.
Besides that, it offers precise hand-turn adjustments of ¼ inch at 100 yards. The positive click reticle adjustments comes in handy as it gets you zeroed in a whole lot quicker and maintains your setting even when in contact with powerful recoils. It has 100 yards parallax setting to improve the accuracy of your shot, with reduced amount of error.
This product has a generous eye relief which functions to protect your eyes from the recoil of the Marlin/ Winchester rifle. It also provides you with a full viewing angle of your target for better aiming. Another plus point is that it comes with the handy Nikon Spot On Ballistic technology which is extremely beneficial to discover exact aiming points for specific ammo, at the reticle.
Suitable for :
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- BDC reticle
- Multi-coated lenses
- Spot On Ballistic technology
- Generous eye relief
Leupold VX-3i Scope
Leupold’s twilight max management system plays an important role to provide great contrast and bright images across your entire field of view so you can properly aim at your target, and most probably land an accurate shot.
Moreover, it is rather user-friendly as well because the scope is equipped with an easy turn power selector. That being said, it can be quickly and easily turned, even with gloves on for your added convenience. Its watertight seals on the other hand ensures a fully waterproof and fogproof performance therefore providing the best shooting experience for you.
This product utilizes a Duplex reticle. They are simple but quick and handy. Also, they are great to be used during low light conditions. Not only that, the riflescope features a dual spring precision adjustment which performs with match grade accuracy. It is also known as the twin bias spring erector which functions to improve the accuracy of your shot.
Furthermore, the adjustment turrets and dials produce audible clicks once you’re done adjusting the windage and elevation. The lockable fast-focus eyepiece on the other hand allows for instant target acquisition. Also, it comes with plenty of eye relief to provide you with a full viewing angle of your target for better performance when shooting.
The exterior lens surface are rather solid because they are treated with ion-assist lens as well as Diamondcoat 2 coating. These coating ensures higher light transmission and superior abrasion resistance. That being said, the increased light transmissions are essential for shooting under low light conditions.
Equipped with objective lens with 36mm diameter, the hunting scope has a magnification power ranging from 2.5 to 8 times. Magnification is essential so you can properly view your target from long ranges, therefore contributing to the precision of the shot. However, refrain from using too much magnification because it will cause your picture to be blurry.
All in all, this riflescope is good for short to medium ranges hunting. In other words, it is best to be utilized for brush hunting under 150 yards for an amazing shooting performance. It comes in a matte black finish as a sleek addition.
Suitable for :
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- Easy turn power selector
- Diamondcoat 2 exterior lens
- Lockable fast-focus eyepiece
- Twilight max management system
Important Features for ANY Scope
Magnification
The magnification power of the riflescope defines how big your target picture is enlarged. It comes in handy for precision shooting, especially at longer ranges for distant game hunting. However, magnification can be divided into either fixed or variable magnification where both of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Though magnification is really important, you should not misuse it because it will cause your picture to be blurry in the end, when adjusted to the highest power frequently. Keep in mind that, your field of view will be vastly decreased when the magnification power increases.
Objective Lens Diameter
The objective lens comes in handy to gather light for your scope, mainly to ensure that you have a bright and clear sight picture. A clear sight picture will allow you to view your target with ease, therefore allowing you to aim properly and most probably landing an accurate shot. However, it doesn’t increase your field of view. All in all, a larger diameter objective lens will ensure that more light is entering your scope.
Reticle
A reticle consists of crosshairs or dots arranged in a circle. These crosshairs are important to be used as an aiming point when you’re about to shoot at your target. That being said, there are many types of reticle available in the market which has different arrangements of crosshairs and lines for specific purposes.
And there are also illuminated reticles (get a red dot sight for red light illumination). They usually come in either red or green or both colors which come in handy during low light conditions. But no matter, it’s totally fine if you don’t have illuminated reticles. The lenses are mostly multi-coated to improve the light transmissions in the scope for a brighter sight picture.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a .30-30 scope is used for short or medium range shooting. Besides that, the only rifles it will accommodate is the Marlin 336 and Winchester 94. All in all, a scope is important to provide you with good magnification as well as improve the accuracy of your shot (get yourself a laser bore sight for maximum shooting accuracy). Therefore, I hope my review assists you in making the right decision.