Red Dots on Lever Guns

Chuckbuster

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As the eyes get less sharp with each passing year, I found myself looking at the gun rack at my lever guns. All have iron sights of one type or another, factory or otherwise. However, I was wondering about putting a red dot of some kind on one or more of my Marlins. Anybody have red dots on their lever guns? What have you got, and how do you like the setup?
 
That concept is an abomination from the pit of Hades... try a peep sight... they often take care of the vision problems.
 
My eyes suck and I'm barely into my 30s... I have a 1.5-4.5 Scopechief with post reticule on my 30-30 AE WinTuff and love it. It makes me warm and fuzzy every time I look through it.

I wish I could find more scopes like it at a reasonable cost, it would be equally at home on my Sears 6a or SKS.
 
Okay then! I have a feeling it's not a popular concept! And I have no intention of getting a zombie lever gun, so no Mossberg for me. I do have a couple of peeps already installed, but was intrigued by an optic other than a conventional scope.

There is no doubt that they do work, for your situation... they just look sooooo wrong... my eye sight has gone down hill badly over the past few years, but I find that I can still manage a peep sight when coupled with a Williams Fire sight blade.
 
As the eyes get less sharp with each passing year, I found myself looking at the gun rack at my lever guns. All have iron sights of one type or another, factory or otherwise. However, I was wondering about putting a red dot of some kind on one or more of my Marlins. Anybody have red dots on their lever guns? What have you got, and how do you like the setup?

Don't listen to the haters. Red-dots work great if you have trouble using irons. There are a couple of companies that offer mounting solutions that do not require any drilling to be done, and can be had fairly cheaply.
 
I put a red dot on a 760 once.

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I have red dot sight on my Rossi 45/70 works good for me.

What make and model do you have mounted? I saw a fellow at the range a few years back with a Bushnell of some type on his 1895. I saw no need for it then, but as I remember it, it didn't look bad at all; but then, our first girlfriends didn't always look as good as we remember , either! Nevertheless, the idea continues to interest me.
 
I have an aimpoint micro on my blr. Looks funny, but works awesome. I love it, great for a bush gun and fast target acquisition. As well, I can shoot moa at 100 yards off a bench. The kids at camp do point and laugh, but to me the functionality is worth it. I'd say get one.
 
I'm sure the concept would work well for you, but that poor lever-action the red dot is going on might not feel the same way...

Maybe something like a low power Leupold VX-R (1.25-4x20mm or 2-7x33mm) might work nicely and not make the gun look like such an abomination.
 
I shoot a lever gun with a reflex sight on it because it works, I can't see the sights well enough. If you want to shoot a lever gun and using a red dot allows you to do that go for it. Just had mine weather proofed it looked better before but it was well used and needed something.


pounder
 
Have a look on Youtube, search 45/70. I seen a vid on there of a fellow with an Eotech mounted on a 1895 GBL, and it seemed functional in the video. Plus it looked sweet!!
 
Theres a company in the states that will make arpertures that can be fitted with a corrective lense. I'd use red dots if they made them smaller, but if a mans going to bolt that much sight onto a gun then might as well use a bolt action.

http://www.meritcorporation.com/products.html

The product you're looking for is called the merit lense disc. No batteries, no gigantic mail box screwed to your receiver.
 
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The Burris Fastfire III is nice and small enough that it wouldn't look too bad. Even Turnbull makes a mount for his levers.
 
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