Patterning the Hock Shop Marlin 30TK

[airedaleman]

I finally got to the range with my bargain ($175 OTD) Marlin 30TK. Misaligned open sights and nearly 70-year old eyes made the trip an exercise in patterning a rifle, rather than shooting for groups. The pictured target shows the end result. The ten shots clustered about the bull were as good as I could do after finding the sweet spot in my progressive lenses, and a lot of tapping withthe brass hammer. Range was 50 yards, with a simple shotbag rest. This'll have to do for now.

I don't know which I'm worse with, the rifle or the computer. Somehow I managed to get the image in with the text. Please bear with me...

...and here's a poor picture of the rifle.

[86er]

It looks like the rifle has promise and you can navigate the computer and site pretty good too. I think practice will improve both!

[O.S.O.K.]

Put an aperture sight like a williams on this and I think you will see improvement in your accuracy! Mid-barrel sights can be a real challenge for experienced eyes... or just mount a low scope and see like an eagle!

You got a great deal on that rifle - those are very cool - I like em

ETA - that rifle would have been priced at $500 in the Pawn shops around me... they don't sell many guns...

[nemhed]

Yeah, looks like a great rifle for $175, love that straight stock. I think you'll get it sorted out.

[TedH]

You got a great deal on that little beauty.

[J Miller]

airedaleman,

Since that is a modern Marlin may I suggest you call Marlin and tell them about the misaligned sights. Have them make the sights straight. After all crooked fac
0
1111111111111111 (kitten on keyboard )

tory sights are a factory defect and should be fixed by them.

After that you can really decide what kind of sights you want on it.

Just my two bits worth.

Joe

[JustaJeepGuy]

After all crooked fac
0
1111111111111111 (kitten on keyboard )

tory sights

My cat has never done that, but I always expect her to.

[airedaleman]

Thanks, gentlemen. I may put a tang sight on it. The 30TK strikes me as being an odd agglomeration of parts. It looks like it was made up for the mounted constabulary of some banana republic, which makes it appealing (to me). I may not have been clear enough regarding the "misaligned sights." When I bought the rifle, the rear sight was mebbe 3/16" off to the left of center. I left it that way until I had a chance to shoot it. Sure enough, it was shooting about six inches to the left at 50 yards, hence the brass hammer and drift. The target above is the end result of the tapping. For now, I'm reasonably satisfied with the the last ten shots around the bull. I went through three boxes of of old handloads. The twenty cartridges fired on this target were done up with once-fired 30-30 cases of varying manufacture, CCi large rifle primers, 28.0 grains of IMR 3031, and a Hornady 170 grain flat point bullet. We'll see what develops with this waffle iron...

[Mutt]

Heck , that looks like some of my revolver shooting. I understand the eye bit. Right eye is the good one and a quack screwed up my left, and it can't be repaired. At 71 seems like I have to compansate for a lot of things lately . But any time I can blow up a 2 gal gas can at 50 yds, I figger I might do ok if need too. But some times it not more than driving a different car. Takes some trips to get used to it , Hang in there . ... You did hit the paper.I Remember those times I had to look outside the square paper to find the hits ..........Mutt

[Jaguarundi]

Sweet rifle !At a bargain price !Well those groups can only improve with the right load and good barrel break in.

[Rusty]

I think that rifle is begging for a low power scope. I can almost hear it through my monitor. A 2.5 power shotgun type scope wold be just the thing.

I never have cared for tang sights after we put one on my son's Rossi one time. It seemed like that darn sight was always right where I wanted to be putting my hand.

If ya gotta go with a peep sight try one of the Williams WGRS sights that mount real low on top of the receiver. I have one on my Cowboy II.

Happy Trails and God Bless,
Rusty <><

[TedH]

If ya gotta go with a peep sight try one of the Williams WGRS sights that mount real low on top of the receiver.

I tried a WGRS on my 30TK. Even at the lowest point it required a ridiculously tall front sight. I took it back off and installed a 2.5X compact scope.