Scope vs iron sights

I’ve been pondering the dynamics of both setups. With the scope attached to the receiver it cant accommodate the things a rifle barrel does as it heats up. But with iron sights does the sighting accommodate the barrel moving with heating???. This particular application is on a rifle that has a very slender barrel and a forearm stock attached to it. After 3 rounds fired the barrel is almost too hot to touch, its a leaver gun chambered in 308 win. And yes it is my new to me 1965 Savage model 99c.

what load do you have going thru it??

I have always been one to consider the cartridge and whether or not to scope a weapon. A lever gun in 30-30 is one I’d just use the iron on. The 308 you have has a lot more variables with it than a 30-30 so I’d likely scope it to take full advantage of the cartridge’s capabilities even though it is in a lever gun.

I’m loading 168 gr Berger classic hunter bullets over 45 gr hodgson BLc 2, Federal match log rifle primer at Max COAL 2.810″.

My groups were terrible with a 3×9 scope, not grouping, but patterning 6″ at 100 yards. I only brass brushed the bore before shooting for first time and upon getting home did do a thorough cleaning and removed a lot of powder and copper fowling over a several hour period. It was bad. I also removed the forearm and found hot spots that I filed to produce a free floating barrel ahead of the mounting point. I bedded the mounting point and filed the wood where it contacts the received. I then added a couple dabs of marine goop to give a mounted but flex able connection, hey its kind of experimental. I will see what the next trip out to the range yields.