Scope For Lever Gun

darkman

darkman

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I just bought a Marlin XLR in 45-70. Need advice on a scope for it. Will be shooting cast bullets. Interested in something in 3x-9x range. I don't want to spend a fortune.

Thanks in advance
 
My 1895 wears a leupold VXII 1-4x20mm nice and light and it doesn't alter the feel of the gun much. I would recommend something quit reliable eg: Leupold or weaver as the 45/70 can recoil fairly well if you start tinkering with heavier loads. Heres a pic of mine.
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Putting a 3-9x on a 45-70 is your idea of a joke , right? A straight 2.5x Weaver or Leupold would be appropriate, or the above mentioned 1-4x. Max effective range for most 45-70 loads and most shooters is under 200 yards. The Marlin is not a rifle normally used to shoot tiny groups off a bench rest. It IS used in close cover, offhand shooting, at large game. Your 3-9 power scope would balance poorly, handle poorly, provide no aiming advantage, and cost more. In fact, I only have a scope on one lever rifle, the rest of mine, including my 45-70 wear good aperture sights.
 
I put a heavy old 3-9 x 32mm bushnell on my 1895 because that's what I had as a spare. It did make the gun a lot heavier but it will do for now... Hunting season is now over and I have most of a year to find another.

Ryan
 
By adding a 3x9x scope is not of excessive weight to alter any handling, each scope in the lower magnification brackets do not weigh but a few ounces different, if any... it is merely a tool with better magnification for those that want to see better views of the target or prey. Shoot what you want but do not come down on someone that perhaps does not see as well as you and open sights or low magnification are not the best remedy. I shoot my Marlin 45-70 Cowboy with a 3x9x scope and shoot quite well for someone with extremely poor vision. I for one will not let my impediment stop me from enjoying the shooting sport when there are aids there to help in my quest.
 
leveractionjunkie said:
My 1895 wears a leupold VXII 1-4x20mm nice and light and it doesn't alter the feel of the gun much. I would recommend something quit reliable eg: Leupold or weaver as the 45/70 can recoil fairly well if you start tinkering with heavier loads. Heres a pic of mine.
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X2. I put much the same on my 1895GS, and used Weaver pivot mounts. On my 444S I went with the same mounts but used a 1.5 - 4.5 Bushnell Scope Chief VI. Happy with both.:D
 
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darkman said:
I just bought a Marlin XLR in 45-70. Need advice on a scope for it. Will be shooting cast bullets. Interested in something in 3x-9x range. I don't want to spend a fortune.

Thanks in advance
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for a .45-70 3-9x is too much scope, get something in a lower range like 2x, or 1-4x as many members have suggested. Pick a scope with a wide field of view, and clear, easy to pick up crosshairs for bush shooting.
 
You might want to consider a Burris Scout scope 2.75X mounted forward on a XS rail. I used quick detach rings for the best of both worlds. The whole setup was less than 200 (bought the scope used here)
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I had a 1.5-5 from Leupold on a regular 1895 and a Ruger #1, and a Weaver V (1-3) on a 1895G and both were excellent scope for there purpose, and I can tell you that they keep there settings and are strong enough , even for max load in 45-70GVT. For the price, I was really impressed by the Weaver V3 quality.

Yves
 
I'd have to say a 1-4 or 2-7 makes a hell of a lot more sense to me than a 3-9. A good rule of thumb for hunting medium sized game or bigger is it's better to use a little less magnification than a little more. A lot of newbs blow their first shot by jacking up the magnification unnecessarily high - better to see the whole deer and have a bit of 'situational awareness' than it is to see nothing but fur :)
 
I'm running a Leupold Vari-X III 1.75-6 on my 1895 Marlin 45/70 and a VX-III 1.5-5 on my 336 Marlin 30/30. Both are on Weaver Grand Slam steel bases in Warne QD rings. Am still working on backup irons since the factory Marlins are classic, but a bit hard to see. Currently leaning towards an XS front with the white line, and a NECG aperture rear that mounts on the Weaver bases.
 
I have a bushnell 3200 3x9 on my 99 in 308.The deer I shot this year was about 40 yrds away,didn't have any problems finding him in the scope.I normally leave mine on the lowest setting but it's nice to have the extra magnification when you need it.
 
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