I have two rifles,a Win 94 30-30 and a Enfield 303 sporterized, niether has a scope. which should I scope?

Question

This would be for white tail deer in fairly thick brush at 75 to 125 yards.

Answer 1

When you say "sporterized" with regard to the Enfield, I'm wondering "how sporterized"? If all the military hardware and wood is gone and the barrel has been shortened and recrowned and it's in a lighter syntheric stock, then it would make a fine brush gun for deer. If not, you are going to need to do this and ask if it's worth the investment with the Model 94 at hand?

.303 are very popular in Canada and other former British countries for obvious reasons and there are quite a few in the US set up for this purpose. My biggest concern in the condition of the barrel and it's accuracy with commercial hunting ammo. If it rates well at the range, then by all means go for it if you want.

Don't listen to the naysayers about the .30-30. Modern hunters in my opinion feel the need to take too much firepower into the field for whitetails......it's gun manufacturer marketing hype combined with overgrown machoism if you ask me. (.300 Win Mag for deer is overkill, plain and simple!).

My Grandaddy used a .30-30 Marlin lever gun....no scope just a peep sight....... for decades and never had a wounded deer get away after taking a round.

You may find it's easier to scope the 94. Don't get too powerful of a scope for brush hunting and a fixed power one is better.

You really owe it to yourself to look at a "Scout Rifle" setup for the 94. I'd suggest a Long Eye Relief (LER) Leupold scope on a "Scout" style forward mount......quick and easy swing and target aquisition for heavy brush hunting. Check out the links below.....

Answer 2

The ballistics of the .303 are better, but check the date it was made. I don't have half of my left thumb because a .303 Enfield made in 1917 blew up on me. I later found that in World War 1, the factory had metallurgy problems, and recalled thousands of .303s made in 1916 and 1917 because they were blowing up on soldiers, and some of the bad guns were accidental sold as surplus after the war and ended up in America. Odds are your gun is ok, but have it checked.
Your .30/30 will do what you want, and with cheaper ammo, so I would put the scope on it and not the .303.
If your budget allows, get a Ruger Model 77 Stainless Steel. Synthetic Stock in .308 and scope it. I have 3 Stainless Model 77s, a .223, .308, and a .300 Winchester Magnum, and they all shoot great. I've killed 10 deer so far with the .308, and 9 with the Magnum, but it's overkill for what you are doing.

Answer 3

Enfield. I have an Eddystone .30-06 (P1917) Enfield that I have a Leupold on right now. I've taken several animals with it and that rifle is nearly about as accurate as it gets with factory loads.
The 30/30 you can get away with your rail/peep sights for up to 100 yards and I wouldn't shoot a 30/30 farther than 225 yards or so anyway....with or without a scope.

Answer 4

Leave the 303 at home, and put a red dot scope on the 30-30

Answer 5

I would say the 30-30. That is what i use it haven't had any deer get away. The only problem with the model 94 is that the scoop is a side mount and it will take you a bit to get use to it. But i love mine. I've taken 2 bucks and one doe with it this year.

Answer 6

Why? I'm putting scopes on a couple of rifles that have bare barrels right now, and I wish to heck I'd had sense to buy something with an aperture sight. Keep your iron on, and if you don't have an aperture sight on the Win, get one from Lyman, Williams, or some such, buy some binocs with the bucks you'd have spent on the scope, and hunt away.

Answer 7

The 303 Is flatter shooting there for it would be better to scope it with a scope you can find the holes to make a shot. You can see if anything is in the way Brush limbs etc.

Answer 8

The 303!!!

Answer 9

Do up that 303 man, I would kill for a scoped 303 Enfield, they're bitchin!

Answer 10

30-30. Mine is great with that. I have a redfield 3x-9x