The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Henry 30-30 Optic

JeepHammer · May 19, 2018, 08:22 AM

This is MY experience, I did a lot of brush country hunting for 35-40 years, so take it for what it's worth...

On shorter range rifles, I perfer lower powered optics. I don't need to see the ticks in a deer's ear, I need an optic that gives me a reasonable field of view so I can find the deer in the optic when I shoulder the rifle...
The higher the magnification, the smaller the field of view, the harder it is to find your target.
The higher magnification will keep you from seeing what's around & behind the one you see, the 6 point is fine, but the 12 point standing the brush 10 feet away is better!
Looking through a drink swizzle stick, seeing cuckle burrs is fine if you are taking pictures... I'm out there to put meat on the table...

The optics with a dozen adjustments fail more often than the simple optics.
Too many seals to fail on adjustments/knobs, too may REALLY small parts that have to hold together & work precisely for decades, no matter how hard you bang around the rifle.

Brush country hunters know this, you often don't have TIME to fiddle with a half dozen adjustments while your buck wonders in & out of sight. Simple is good!
When he steps out from behind that tree, I GOT HIM! I'm not consulting the owner's manual, I'm not looking down or over the rifle for adjustment graduations, I'm not cranking on 'Zoom' adjustments...
I saw the movement when he went behind the tree, when he comes out the other side in 1.2 seconds, I have a shot and I'll be ready!

On a lever .30-30, the smaller the better... If nothing but traditional reasons.
Practical/mechanical reasons, it's a short, fast, but heavy rifle... The cheek comb on lever gun is for iron sights snug to the top of the barrel, it's difficult to get an optic low enough for proper cheek weld, adding a big, bulky, potentially heavy optic doesn't make sense.

The idea is to have a cheek weld... And have the optic line up directly, reflexively with your sight line.
Since you can't move your cheek bone or eyeball up/down to adjust to the optic height, you will have to mount as low as possible, and probably add a cheek riser (removable pad) to get your cheek weld/eye alignment.
Searching for the optical center of the optic is slow and causes misalignment, and it kills your cheek weld. You have probably seen the 'Turkey Necks', bobbing & weaving around behind the optic trying to find center & a good sight picture... Don't be a 'Turkey Neck'!

The larger the objective/ocular bells on the optic (front & rear lense housings), the higher the optic has to be mounted...

The only .30-30 Lever I've owned I've mounted optics on was a fixed 4x.
No zoom, nothing extra on the tube or on the reticle.
Just a clean, clear reticle, minimum of adjustments, mounted so it centers with my eye immediately when I cheek weld and done.

My .30-06 mountain rifle (light weight) has a fixed 6x and the only 'Gadget' is a bubble 'Spirit' level,
Again, cheek weld adjusted to center my eye with the optic.

One thing about hunting optics, took me YEARS to lean this...
I don't use 'Clicks' (spring loaded detents between pre determined adjustment spacing).
I use FRICTION adjustments for windage/elevation. This let's me get that last 'Hair' of adjustment out of the optic instead of being 'to the right' or 'to the left' of my sight in target dot.
With friction adjustments, I can be dead center of the target dot, and therefore dead on the spot I aimed when the range isn't exactly 100 yards...

I don't want to be 'Just Right' or 'Just Left' of the heart of that buck at 152 yards... Or 203 yards...
This isn't paper, I don't need paper shooting adjustments, and since I'm not shooting 1,000 yards with all the time in the world to do the math, use the 'Clicks' plenty in advance of the shot.
I rarely have shots hunting I have time to mess with 'Clicks,...

Just some personal experience mixed with common sense, take it or leave it, your choice...

May 19, 2018, 08:22 AM	#12
JeepHammer Junior member Join Date: February 27, 2015 Posts: 1,768	This is MY experience, I did a lot of brush country hunting for 35-40 years, so take it for what it's worth... On shorter range rifles, I perfer lower powered optics. I don't need to see the ticks in a deer's ear, I need an optic that gives me a reasonable field of view so I can find the deer in the optic when I shoulder the rifle... The higher the magnification, the smaller the field of view, the harder it is to find your target. The higher magnification will keep you from seeing what's around & behind the one you see, the 6 point is fine, but the 12 point standing the brush 10 feet away is better! Looking through a drink swizzle stick, seeing cuckle burrs is fine if you are taking pictures... I'm out there to put meat on the table... The optics with a dozen adjustments fail more often than the simple optics. Too many seals to fail on adjustments/knobs, too may REALLY small parts that have to hold together & work precisely for decades, no matter how hard you bang around the rifle. Brush country hunters know this, you often don't have TIME to fiddle with a half dozen adjustments while your buck wonders in & out of sight. Simple is good! When he steps out from behind that tree, I GOT HIM! I'm not consulting the owner's manual, I'm not looking down or over the rifle for adjustment graduations, I'm not cranking on 'Zoom' adjustments... I saw the movement when he went behind the tree, when he comes out the other side in 1.2 seconds, I have a shot and I'll be ready! On a lever .30-30, the smaller the better... If nothing but traditional reasons. Practical/mechanical reasons, it's a short, fast, but heavy rifle... The cheek comb on lever gun is for iron sights snug to the top of the barrel, it's difficult to get an optic low enough for proper cheek weld, adding a big, bulky, potentially heavy optic doesn't make sense. The idea is to have a cheek weld... And have the optic line up directly, reflexively with your sight line. Since you can't move your cheek bone or eyeball up/down to adjust to the optic height, you will have to mount as low as possible, and probably add a cheek riser (removable pad) to get your cheek weld/eye alignment. Searching for the optical center of the optic is slow and causes misalignment, and it kills your cheek weld. You have probably seen the 'Turkey Necks', bobbing & weaving around behind the optic trying to find center & a good sight picture... Don't be a 'Turkey Neck'! The larger the objective/ocular bells on the optic (front & rear lense housings), the higher the optic has to be mounted... The only .30-30 Lever I've owned I've mounted optics on was a fixed 4x. No zoom, nothing extra on the tube or on the reticle. Just a clean, clear reticle, minimum of adjustments, mounted so it centers with my eye immediately when I cheek weld and done. My .30-06 mountain rifle (light weight) has a fixed 6x and the only 'Gadget' is a bubble 'Spirit' level, Again, cheek weld adjusted to center my eye with the optic. One thing about hunting optics, took me YEARS to lean this... I don't use 'Clicks' (spring loaded detents between pre determined adjustment spacing). I use FRICTION adjustments for windage/elevation. This let's me get that last 'Hair' of adjustment out of the optic instead of being 'to the right' or 'to the left' of my sight in target dot. With friction adjustments, I can be dead center of the target dot, and therefore dead on the spot I aimed when the range isn't exactly 100 yards... I don't want to be 'Just Right' or 'Just Left' of the heart of that buck at 152 yards... Or 203 yards... This isn't paper, I don't need paper shooting adjustments, and since I'm not shooting 1,000 yards with all the time in the world to do the math, use the 'Clicks' plenty in advance of the shot. I rarely have shots hunting I have time to mess with 'Clicks,... Just some personal experience mixed with common sense, take it or leave it, your choice...