Marlin 30-30 is a classic American rifle that has been around for decades. Over time, it has proven its dependability, as many people have been with the same 30-30 action rifle for decades. This high performing rifle may not be the largest. Still, it can produce robust power for medium and above medium-sized games.
Even impressive rifles like the 30-30 lever-action need help if you must short distances farther than eye level. The help comes in the form of suitable scope. This cartridge produces minimal recoil, which makes it a shooter’s delight.
Scopes help with accuracy and reaching farther distances. The human eye will not be able to shoot targets at 150 yards which is the normal distance for rifles using 30-30 cartridges. That is why scopes are important as they increase the accuracy of your shooting even beyond where the normal eyes can reach.
Now you know that getting a scope for your marlin 30-30 rifle is essential. You may decide to rush to your local gun store to get something, only to be overwhelmed by the different scopes available. You can be overwhelmed by even scopes that are suitable for your rifle. To avoid making the wrong decision, it is best to understand how you can choose the right scope. We’ve made it even easier for you by running the tests and coming up with some of the best marlin 30-30 scopes in the market.
Table of Contents
Best Marlin 30-30 Scopes
Do you want to save yourself the stress of using several scopes before finding the right scope for your 30-30 if you’re lucky? Here’s a list of the most suitable scopes you can use that’ll not only reduce stress but save you time and money in the process. Without further ado, here you go:
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Vortex Optics Crossfire II 2-7×32 | • Magnification of 2-7x • Objective lens of 32mm • Fully multi-coated lenses | View Price |
 | CVLIFE 3-9×40 Optics | • Magnification of 3-9x • Objective lens diameter of 40mm • Special inner and outer structure | View Price |
 | UTG 3-12×44 Compact Scope | • Magnification of 3-12x • An objective lens of 44mm • 36 brightness settings available | View Price |
 | Vortex Optics 4-12×40mm SFP Rifle Scope | • Magnification of 4-12x • Objective lens of 40mm • Fast focus eyepiece | View Price |
 | Hawke Vantage 3-9×40mm AO Scope | • Magnification of 3-9x • Objective diameter of 40mm • Excellent optics | View Price |
#1. Vortex Optics Crossfire II 2-7×32
This incredibly popular scope, evidenced by the number of purchases on Amazon, is our topmost suitable scope for marlin 30-30. Vortex optics crossfire II has a lot of variants with different magnification, but we’ll be focusing on the type with magnification ranging from 2 to 7 times. This magnification is supported by a 32 mm objective lens diameter that ensures you get enough light inside your scope to brighten up the image. This fits the normal 150 yards distance rifles using the 30-30 cartridge reach.
It uses the dead hold BDC reticle, which is excellent for estimating holdovers, especially for hunting. The fast focus eyepiece allows you to quickly focus on the reticle, which reduces the time to aim. There’s also a large eye box and decent eye relief that allows you to aim when your eye is at varying distances from the scope.
This 1-inch tube scope is compact and lightweight, weighing only 1.4 pounds. Its fully multi-coated lens not only improves the light transmission inside the tube but also protects the lens from damage and removes the reflection of light on your eye. It won’t affect your movement or significantly increase the weight of your backpack.
Made from durable aircraft-grade aluminium, it doesn’t get damaged easily. Moving around with this scope, you may accidentally hit it a couple of times on hard surfaces or scratch against trees and bushes. The construction material improves its strength and durability.
It also sports customised hash marks that reduce guesswork regarding Holdover and windage corrections. A drawback is that this scope struggles when in low light conditions, which is a shock because it is mostly used for hunting.
Pros
- Magnification of 2-7x.
- Objective lens of 32mm allows it to fit closer to the bore and let in the right amount of light.
- Durable.
- Good eye relief.
- Fast focus eyepiece.
- Fully multi-coated lenses.
Cons
- Non-adjustable parallax (fixed at 100 yards).
- It will struggle in low light.
Bonus Read: 5 Best Ruger 10/22 Scope to Buy in 2022
#2. CVLIFE 3-9×40 Optics
CVLIFE scopes are well known to produce incredible images, which earned it the name blue blood. This scope is no different as it sports impressive features that make shooting a worthwhile experience. The magnification for this scope is from 3 to 9 times which is still around the average shooting distance of 30-30 rifles. Every scope magnification needs an accompanying objective lens diameter to be effective. The objective lens diameter used in this CVLIFE scope complements the magnification well with a diameter of 40mm. The objective lens will allow the right amount of light even at the highest magnification setting.
All its lenses have been covered multiple times with several coatings, each with different functions, including anti-reflective materials to prevent light from reflecting into your eyes. There’s also the coating that improves light transmission through the scope. On the other hand, the durability coating helps protect the lenses from scratches and dust, among others. It produces up to 95% light transmission.
It is an O-ring sealed scope purged with nitrogen to prevent fog and water from entering inside and obstructing your view while damaging the scope with time. The body is also made with durable aluminium material that makes it shockproof while keeping it lightweight.
Reticles sometimes move slightly when you make adjustments which reduce the accuracy of your shooting. To negate this, CVLIFE has incorporated a special inner and outer structure to hold the reticle tight. This is an impressive scope judging by its features. However, it does come with a limited warranty which raises some eyebrows.
Pros
- Magnification of 3-9 times.
- Objective lens diameter of 40mm to complement the magnification power.
- Unique inner and outer structure to keep the reticle in place.
- Precise elevation and windage turrets.
- Fogproof, shockproof, and waterproof.
- Fully multi-coated lenses.
Cons
- It comes with a limited warranty.
#3. UTG 3-12×44 Compact Scope
This compact UTG comes with a wider power from 3 to 12 times magnification to cater for a wider shooting range. To make this high magnification level meaningful, it uses a 44mm objective lens diameter. And this is quite large as it allows a high amount of light to enter the scope and brighten images even if you’re using the highest power. Hence, it will cover people shooting below 75 – 150 yards without precision problems.
Aside from its magnification and objective lens, it is an illuminated scope with green and red options to choose from, depending on your preference. The unique circuit housing it uses keeps the illumination interrupted even when there’s recoil. It can be used during the day and at night. Its 36 brightness settings give you the flexibility to structure the scope to the available light condition. It gets even better as the brightness settings can be adjusted by tapping any of the two ergonomic buttons of the scope.
The scope front area is built with an angled projection to serve as a sunshade to reduce glare. The lenses are also emerald coated, and the back lens comes with a lens cap so you can cover it when not in use.
The windage and elevation turrets are adjusted using ¼ rated MOA per click. The clicks are audible to make adjustments easier and faster without removing your eyes from the target.
Pros
- Magnification of 3-12x.
- Objective lens diameter of 44mm to complement the magnification.
- Wide magnification range.
- 36 brightness settings available.
- Can be used for night and day shooting.
- Special housing circuit protects the illumination system.
Cons
- The large objective lens makes it bulky.
#4. Vortex Optics Diamondback 4-12×40mm SFP Rifle Scope
Vortex is a popular brand in the optics industry with numerous top-ranking models. It suits the marlin 30-30 rifle because its range covers around 75 to 150 yards. The diamondback series have scopes with different magnification levels, but we’ll focus on the 4-12 power. This is a wide power range, so you can shoot varying ranges without changing your scope. The objective lens diameter is 40mm. You get the right amount of light into the scope to brighten the image, to get you a crisp image even at higher magnifications.
This scope is a one-piece tube known for its durability and sturdy nature. It uses a BDC dead hold reticle that sorts holdover corrections. And a second focal plane reticle keeps it in the same position no matter the distance or magnification level. It has a hard anodised finish that does not reflect light and give away the shooter’s position. The finish also helps to increase durability.
Apart from its shockproof ability helped by the durable materials used and anodised finish, it is also waterproof and fog proof. The tube is O-ring sealed and argon-purged. You can also quickly focus the reticle using the fast-focus eyepiece.
If you want to get accurate tracking when using a scope continuously, you’ll find this vortex optics diamondback quite useful due to its precision glide erector system.
Fully XR multi-coated lenses provide high contrast and clear pictures at any time of the day. Zeroing your turrets is easy with precision, supported by audible and tactile clicks.
Pros
- Magnification range of 4-12x.
- Objective lens diameter of 40mm.
- Fast focus eyepiece.
- Audible and tactile turret clicks.
- Fully XR multi-coated lenses.
- BDC dead hold reticle.
- Second focal plane reticle.
- Precision glide erector system.
Cons
- Expensive scope.
- Turrets don’t track well.
Also Read: Best Long Range Rifle Scopes – Our Top 7 Choice
#5. Hawke Vantage 3-9×40mm AO Scope
A not so popular entrant into this list is the Hawke vantage scope with a 3-9 magnification level, which covers distances below 100 yards without stress. It comes with a higher than normal 40mm objective lens diameter as it focuses on producing incredible images without any blurriness.
The Hawke vantage AO scope is not a joke when it comes to optics quality. It weighs 0.47 kg and is a hunting scope. Its lenses are fully multi-coated with 11 layers of different coating to provide improved image quality and ultimately improved precision. This is ideal for small game hunting in short to medium distances. And has an outstanding image quality even for small targets.
The scope is illuminated and can be used during the day and at night. You can simply adjust the illumination setting with the help of the knob located close to the windage and elevation turrets. The scope comprises a side focus parallax dial, so you can focus on shooting. Its fast focus eyepiece means you can hit that target in record time. This feature becomes all the more important when dealing with moving targets.
Pros
- Magnification of 3-9x.
- Large objective lens diameter of 40mm.
- Fast focus eyepiece.
- Fully multi-coated lenses with 11 different coatings.
- Side focus parallax dial.
- Excellent optics.
Cons
- Mil dots are small.
Summary
If you decide to go for any of the scopes listed above for your marlin 30-30 rifle, you’ll find that your shooting will improve. Ultimately, you’ll enjoy the experience more as it becomes easier and more fun. These scopes are the most suitable scopes for rifles using 30-30 cartridges available in the market.
