Savage 840 and how not to mount a scope!

[arlon]

I was at a local pawn shop a few months ago and noticed a Savage 340 in 30-30 (turned out to be an 840). Left and went on my way. Was back in the area this weekend and it was still there and it ended up coming home with me.

Someone didn't have a clue how to attach a scope! It has a Weaver base where the ring hooks on one side and screws down on the other. Previous owner missed the part of hooking the back side. I guess they couldn't get the scope to tighten up so they stuffed about 1/8" of folded paper under the ring and tightened it down. Scope was a Barska pretty recent model from China.

I guess they figured this would work, took the gun out and shot it. I suspect it shot very poorly. I doubt this rifle has much more than a box of bullets through it. Accuracy had to be horrible so I suspect they took to the pawn shop and traded for something newer with a scope already attached. Seriously! I feel sorry for the guy that thought this would work. I hope it wasn't a family heirloom.

Oh, well.. The rifle has a new home and will get more than a few boxes of rounds put through it. It will never see anything but light to moderate cast loads. Scope is now a Weaver K4 with Post reticle and properly attached.

Only issue I see with the rifle is the missing front sight. If I can only find one of those newer sights with the single mounting hole, the scope will probably go away and it will be an iron sights and cast bullets only proposition. Perfect for pigs that like to destroy my pond in the dark. I'll only need to be able to hit a gallon jug sized target at 25 or so yards.

[richhodg66]

These are better than the old Weaver side mounts for the 340, though they don't look traditional on them. I have one of these on my .30-30.
https://www.amazon.com/Sun-Optics-US.../dp/B003O9YGJU

[Texas by God]

I had that Weaver mount on my Springfield(Savage).22 Hornet and hated it. I’d pursue the front sight and a peep for the rear iffin’ it was mine. I think there was a simple folded steel Savage factory mount at one time that was much trimmer than the Weaver. That Sunoptics mount looks better if the scope is lower than the Weaver that’s bonus.

[arlon]

I had that Weaver mount on my Springfield(Savage).22 Hornet and hated it. I’d pursue the front sight and a peep for the rear iffin’ it was mine. I think there was a simple folded steel Savage factory mount at one time that was much trimmer than the Weaver. That Sunoptics mount looks better if the scope is lower than the Weaver that’s bonus.

I actually have an old Lyman peep sight for the Savage but this one is later model and doesn't have the holes for the peep sight or relief in the stock. Maybe I'll run across an older one some day I can put the peep sight on. I did find a front sight after some google searching.

[Buzz Krumhunger]

Nice clean looking rifle. Let us know how it shoots.

[arlon]

Not sure when I'll get to shoot it. I sure hope it shoots better than it looks. It sure doesn't have much going for it in the way of aesthetics. It has to be the most unattractive firearm I own at present and I have a bunch of ugly guns in the safe.

If it turns out to be a decent shooter, I can live with looks, I'll just keep in wrapped in a brown paper bag when I take it out in public.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I wondered where Bubba was........he seems to move around.

[arlon]

I wondered where Bubba was........he seems to move around.

I've seen a lot of goofy stuff done to guns but this scope mounting job takes the prize.

[richhodg66]

My 340 isn't what I'd call a tack driver with anything, but is pretty good with everything. All I've ever shot in it is cast.

They have been sneered at for being cheapies for years, but they were quite an innovative design when they came out. That barrel nuut system for getting the head space right, which is still used on the 110 series and others have copied it, was so Savage could use up .30 caliber machine gun barrels they made during WWII. More ion them here;
http://www.leeroysramblings.com/Gun%..._bolt_act.html

[15meter]

I've seen a lot of goofy stuff done to guns but this scope mounting job takes the prize.

Right up there with the guy who showed up to our public deer rifle sight-in at the club with a cheap 12 gauge slug gun. He complained he had had the gun for 3 years and could not get it sighted in. Missed deer three years in a row because he shot where he thought the gun was shooting.

He pulled the gun out and put it on the bench, we took one look at it and loosened the scope rings and rotated the scope 90 degees so the up/down and the left right markings on the scope actually moved the crosshairs it the direction they were supposed to.

3 shots later it was shooting with 3" of zero. Probably as good as that gun would ever shoot.

The guy was literally jumping up and down yelling "I'M GONNA GET A DEER!!! I'M GONNA GET A DEER!!!

Glad I don't hunt anymore, I don't want to be in the woods with those kind of people.

[arlon]

Think I'll try the 311467 Lyman bullet in this rifle. I think it might be perfect for it and I already have a bunch cast up. Have lots of Unique, Blue Dot and IMR 4198 just need to get some brass.

[northmn]

Looks to me like an easy fix for the scope mount. Think they are 6X48 screws which I can now get at the local ACE Hardware store. an be ordered from Midway or Brownells. Only need two of them. Either that or tap the thing for a metric. Nothing expensive.

DEP

[richhodg66]

Think I'll try the 311467 Lyman bullet in this rifle. I think it might be perfect for it and I already have a bunch cast up. Have lots of Unique, Blue Dot and IMR 4198 just need to get some brass.

That's a good bullet, haven't shot it in my 340, but mine does like the 311466, slightly lighter weight version of this same bullet. I bet you can get some good groups with it using Unique or 4198.

[arlon]

Looks to me like an easy fix for the scope mount. Think they are 6X48 screws which I can now get at the local ACE Hardware store. an be ordered from Midway or Brownells. Only need two of them. Either that or tap the thing for a metric. Nothing expensive.

DEP

Scope mount wasn't broken or missing anything. The previous owner just didn't get how this style of Weaver scope mount works. Fixed in two minutes.

[arlon]

That's a good bullet, haven't shot it in my 340, but mine does like the 311466, slightly lighter weight version of this same bullet. I bet you can get some good groups with it using Unique or 4198.

The lighter bullet would work better I think. There is a really short throat on this rifle and not much room in the magazine either. I tried one last night and had to seat it really deep to get it to chamber. I tried a 311291 (my most universal 30 cal) and it fits like it was made for the 30-30. Oh, wait. It was.... (-:}