There is just something about a .30-30 that can't be explained. maybe it is its small size but it is just the way it feels in your hands, it's like no other for me.

 

it has stopping power, confortable, NO KICK to speak of, i could shoot this gun all day and never ever have any issues.

Im a HUGE fan of lever guns

 

I don't think it is the scope... I had it mounted on a weatherby 240mag and it shot fine groups. Best group I could get out of the 30-30 was about 3.5" at 100yds.

 

As far as adding a scope, much of the areas you will have to hunt are going to be where you can't see beyond a hundred yards here on the east coast. And in many areas even less. May want to just use iron sites. I know when I used to hunt, a scope would have been useless for deer. Only thing I used a scoped rifle for was groundhog.

 

I have multiple friends that have moved to a 30-30 just "because". No explanation other than that, they simply like it better. Again, most of the places we hunt are in wooded areas, so long range shooting is never necessary. I prefer my .270. I would say that a .243 or a .270 would be your best bet for first starting to hunt. Both are very versatile guns and are perfect for the type of game you will be hunting. And I would say a hunters safety course is a must also, just makes sense you know?

 

I've never found a scope very usefull for hunting. If you were to clear a long lane in this area, the game would run like hell.
I have however been in the woods running a chainsaw and the deer just standing there watching.

 

Have found them useful, but not in my local area for deer. Used scopes for groundhog where I was in farm fields with ranges up to 400 yds. Just prefer iron sites for deer. Easier to use and especially easier at dusk and dawn.

 

I'm a Lever Gun guy myself. For most hunting situations where range isn't too far, and game isn't too big. The 30-30 is a great rifle.

I'm also a big fan of Thomson Center, the encore rifle is a good one if you would like the ability to have different caliber barrels with the same stock/receiver. Not to mention they are very accurate

 

Scopes are good for those that are "old" have bad "eye's" and would like to hunt in lower light situations. It's really hard for me to see because I have a bad dry eye problem. A scope helps "clear up" the problem.

But depends on where and how I'm hunting if I will need a scope or not.

 

As the Goat herder pointed out in another thread, I'm not as young as I used to be either.(flipping bird smiley inserted here).
I don't hunt anymore, but I understand what you're saying. I just never became accustomed to using a scope. So I'm just not real good with them. My eyes used to be so good I never needed one.

 

I can tell ya this, that the Leupold is probably the best scope you can buy. My brother and I both have a VX3 scope. Brother had his 308 rifle come off his shoulder while getting into the stand. It fell at least 15 feet, with the scope hitting almost every rung on the stand on the way down. The barrel went into the ground with the butt of the gun pointing straight up. After cleaning the gun really good; we went to the range that day to see how bad he had knocked the scope off. To our amazement it was MAYBE an eighth of an inch off at 100 yards, we never made any adjustments to it. And he is still shooting with that very same scope with the exact same settings over 10 years later. I am a firm believer that you get what you pay for, and if that had been any of the "cheaper" brands it would have be ALOT worse. Maybe even a broken scope. But it only suffered a few scratched.

And if you are looking for a "starter" rifle for your son, I would suggest either the 243 or a 308. But would I lean towards the 308. I started out with the 243, it doesn't have the knock down power that I would like. I had many a deer run a LONG way when shot with a 243, even when being hit in the lung. To me the bullet is just to small for whitetails. Now the 308 on the other hand, is an excellent deer gun along with the 270. It doesn't have the recoil that the 270 has. So, that makes it a really good starter rifle. The 308 is the gun I would start my son out on before putting him behind a 270 or higher caliber. Now, I shoot a Browning A-bolt 270 and love it, flat shooting bullet and very effective on whitetails up to about 200 yards. Now a 308 or a 270 with a Leupold VX3 scope is a match made in heaven IMO. With regards to a make of gun, I suggest either a Browning (the best trigger pull and shooting gun I have ever shot, but made in Japan) or a Remington (a high quality American made rifle). Both of these guns are top of line rifles. Good luck, and take your time. Do ALOT of research, even if you need to wait till next season. It will be more enjoyable for you and your son to learn all you can. Don't rush into hunting. Do your research, find a place to hunt, do your scouting, and then enjoy reaping the rewards of all the hard work y'all did during the "off season".

 

Join the NRA, find and join a local rod and gun club, take the hunter safety course (usually only given in the late summer/early fall before hunting season). Practice shooting at a gun range or trap/skeet range. Even though I live south of aPINCHbetter90, I'm in a rifle county and use a 30-30. Most shots for deer are within 100-125 yards tops. Try to hunt for more game than just deer. Small game season in N.Y. is 5 months long where deer season (rifle/shotgun) is only 3 to 4 weeks here unless you use a bow or muzzleloader. Good luck, be safe and stay warm.