i have a 336w in 30-30 and LOVE it! i believe mine was made somewhere around 2001-2002 if im not mistaken and it has been excellent. i messed with just about every sight option and eventually came to some conclusions:
1- the factory sights suck bad. they were hard for me to use with any accuracy and the elevation screw on the rear sight was constently slipping, even when glued in place.
2- a normal powered scope in the 3-9x range, while nice for shooting from the bench, was not what i wanted in the woods. i have missed more than one shot at deer because i had too much scope and/or i just couldnt get it lined up in time.
3- a low powered scope, such as a shotgun scope, is a very handy thing. if you want a scope, i would REALLY recommend something with about a 1-4 magnification range and a good amount of eye relief. the long eye relief isn't really needed for recoil, but they seem (for me at least) to come up on target faster and keep your view more open.
4- what i finally ended up with was a reciever mounted aperture sight from skinner sights (
http://www.skinnersights.com/1895_sight_4.html). i LOVE LOVE LOVE these sights! at 100 yards i can still maintain very near scope-like accuracy without all the added weight. they are very fast to get on target, they hold their settings like a rock, and they also increase your sight radius by 7-8 inches. i also installed a new front sight (also from skinner) in the square post variety. i never was a fan of the little brass knob on the top of the factory front sight and have found the plain post to be much more accurate for me.