30-30 with a red dot?

[Junkyarddawg724]

My 7 months pregnant wife is coming hunting with me for opening weekend of rifle in Meriwether in a couple weeks. She is a beautiful soul who is willing to come with me even though she's mostly a city girl at heart and the outdoors is just really not her thing.

Last year she wasn't able to get a shot on a decent deer 30 yards in front of us because she couldn't sort out the crappy eye relief on the scope on my Marlin 336. The window of opportunity was extremely short and (15ish seconds, maybe less) and with it being her first deer, she was understandly anxious. It took off before she even found him in the scope.

I've been trying to brainstorm possible solutions for this year. I've got a red dot with a .5 MOA dot that I've used on some of my ARs over the years that I think might actually be perfect. All three of the "buddy stands" on the property are looking at 75 yard shots, max, and I'll carry the 270 with us anyways, just in case.

Edit:I should say she's had a ton of experience shooting ARs (some with red dots) and handguns. She's a better shot than I am most of the time...

Any thoughts on this (other than a red dot on a classic lever is sacrilege)? Anybody tried something similar for a wife or child?

 

[AceOfTheBase]

Great idea, help her practice with it, a bunch..

 

[Joe Brandon]

I think that sounds really cool, do what works for y'all. May I also suggest a 26in shotgun w/buckshot if you have one. That should be good for 30 yds. I use one myself when stalking or when useing stands w/ less than a 50 yd shot.

 

[kmaxwell3]

Not trying to rain on your parade but she shouldn't be shooting gun while pregnant. It's not good for the baby. Not sure if your talking about after baby's born or not. I found this out when I took my wife to gun range when she was 6 months pregnant. They would not let her shoot. Asked her doctor at later appointment and she said the noise can put the baby in distress and some thing about the sonic waves from when the gun goes off.

 

[Junkyarddawg724]

Not trying to rain on your parade but she shouldn't be shooting gun while pregnant. It's not good for the baby. Not sure if your talking about after baby's born or not. I found this out when I took my wife to gun range when she was 6 months pregnant. They would not let her shoot. Asked her doctor at later appointment and she said the noise can put the baby in distress and some thing about the sonic waves from when the gun goes off.

Thanks for the concern! We have spoken to our doctor and he was very clear that indoor shooting ranges and long periods of shooting would be off limits, but that the baby should experience no ill effects from a shot or two, especially outdoors.

 

[Junkyarddawg724]

I think that sounds really cool, do what works for y'all. May I also suggest a 26in shotgun w/buckshot if you have one. That should be good for 30 yds. I use one myself when stalking or when useing stands w/ less than a 50 yd shot.

I do have a 20 gauge with a 26 inch barrel that I hadn't really thought of. Naturally it only has a bead sight, but I wonder if I could put something together there.

 

[Lilly001]

Not trying to rain on your parade but she shouldn't be shooting gun while pregnant. It's not good for the baby. Not sure if your talking about after baby's born or not. I found this out when I took my wife to gun range when she was 6 months pregnant. They would not let her shoot. Asked her doctor at later appointment and she said the noise can put the baby in distress and some thing about the sonic waves from when the gun goes off.

Interesting.
I'm not doubting your information but my wife went hunting while 8 months pregnant with my oldest son. She shot a 20 ga quite a lot and he seems to have turned out OK.
I guess thats one of those things we used to do before we knew better.

 

[kmaxwell3]

Interesting.
I'm not doubting your information but my wife went hunting while 8 months pregnant with my oldest son. She shot a 20 ga quite a lot and he seems to have turned out OK.
I guess thats one of those things we used to do before we knew better.

Yes. She had shot a 38 special revolver that I had bought when she was around 4 months. The thought never crossed my mine either till we showed up at gun range and read the rules and talked to the owner. Then asked her doctor. Had me freaked out thinking baby would born with some kind of problems. He seems to be ok now he is 18 months old. Live and learn

 

[BUCKFAT]

Have that exact setup. Hate to say it but it's a Walmart 30-30. With the new safety on it. I put a Burris red dot on it. Also hate to say it is not my go to gun. Use it while scouting, still hunting and close range setups. Very easy to shoot and acquire target. Always have it with me as my back up gun.

 

[kmaxwell3]

Thanks for the concern! We have spoken to our doctor and he was very clear that indoor shooting ranges and long periods of shooting would be off limits, but that the baby should experience no ill effects from a shot or two, especially outdoors.

Just wanted to make sure yall knew. We learned the hard way. Never crossed my mine that it could cause probs. Good luck.

 

[Ohoopee Tusker]

I do have a 20 gauge with a 26 inch barrel that I hadn't really thought of. Naturally it only has a bead sight, but I wonder if I could put something together there.

A 20 gauge with buckshot will have twice the recoil of a 30-30. If she's a bad shot with the rifle she's still going to be a bad shot with the shotgun, plus buckshot doesn't give the greatest blood trail. As said above, lots of practice is the best answer.

 

[Junkyarddawg724]

A 20 gauge with buckshot will have twice the recoil of a 30-30. If she's a bad shot with the rifle she's still going to be a bad shot with the shotgun, plus buckshot doesn't give the greatest blood trail. As said above, lots of practice is the best answer.

It's not that she's a bad shot, she's just not comfortable shooting through a scope, especially in this particular scenario with a very short time to adjust eye relief. She's actually a really great shot with my ARs and pistols.

She shoots skeet like it's free with the 20ga.

 

[Ohoopee Tusker]

It's not that she's a bad shot, she's just not comfortable shooting through a scope, especially in this particular scenario with a very short time to adjust eye relief. She's actually a really great shot with my ARs and pistols.

She shoots skeet like it's free with the 20ga.

Ok I gotcha. Is the AR a possibility for hunting? I put a red dot on a 336 years ago. Never hunted with it because it was the old cheap type that needed to be turned on just before shooting. Worked great for target and wad lots of fun shooting.

 

[Junkyarddawg724]

Ok I gotcha. Is the AR a possibility for hunting? I put a red dot on a 336 years ago. Never hunted with it because it was the old cheap type that needed to be turned on just before shooting. Worked great for target and wad lots of fun shooting.

Both of the ARs I currently own are chambered in 556 and I just don't love that as a deer caliber. I used to have a 6.5 Grendel which would be the answer right now, but it came and went for too cheap a price. :/

I know you can ethically kill a deer with a 223/556, but the margin for error is so slim. I could be wrong, but I went in to this thinking a bigger, more 'deer caliber' bullet would be a bit more forgiving for an inexperienced hunter.

 

[Harbuck]

Why not just use the iron sites on the 30-30?

 

[WayneB]

Both of the ARs I currently own are chambered in 556 and I just don't love that as a deer caliber. I used to have a 6.5 Grendel which would be the answer right now, but it came and went for too cheap a price. :/

I know you can ethically kill a deer with a 223/556, but the margin for error is so slim. I could be wrong, but I went in to this thinking a bigger, more 'deer caliber' bullet would be a bit more forgiving for an inexperienced hunter.

Just use expandable type bullets, rezero and have at it.
Shot placement is key, if she's more comfy with the AR, then use the AR.

 

[Killdee]

Doesn't sound like the eye relief is set right for her or she's trying to shoot from an uncomfortable position she's not accustomed to or the scopes turned up to high of magnification.

 

[Rich M]

I had a Winchester 30-30 with a Bushnell Trophy red dot on it - 4 inch dot? It covered the bottom of a beer can at 100 yards. Could keep all the shots in there. Great deer gun.

 

[Stroker]

Great sight platform for 100-125 yards. Run one on a plinking AR, another on a 870 turkey set up. Put one on my sons 30-30 and really liked that set up, made me think about putting one on my .444 as well. I prefer the ones with a 30 mm tube, a choice of different rectiles, adjustable recticle brightness and a choice of red or green recticle. I keep mine on and set to a medium recticle brightness when hunting and have good battery life but I always have a couple of back up batteries in my back pack just in case.

 

[bucktail]

Fun!!