first optic
- Thread starter floriosean1
- Start date
- Location
- Golden Lake
Cabela's (Canada) latest clearance sale flyer has their 3-9 power "Lever-Action Scope" expressly made for the .444 Marlin on sale 1/2 price for $59.99.
What's you budget? In my opinion if you can't drop at least $200 on an optic you should stick with irons. This isn't some sort of optic snobbery, when your hunting you need an optic you can trust to take a bit of a beating and still holds it's zero. A $60 optic does not offer this.
I think a good 2-7 power scope would be excellent. The 2-8 power Nikon monarch would be what I would put on it, but your looking at $400 bucks. You should be able to find a leupold VX-1/nikon buckmaster/bushnell 3200/vortex viper in the $250ish range and all are excellent scope that will not fail you.
Stay away from cheap optics, they will cause you more frustration than anything else.
I think a good 2-7 power scope would be excellent. The 2-8 power Nikon monarch would be what I would put on it, but your looking at $400 bucks. You should be able to find a leupold VX-1/nikon buckmaster/bushnell 3200/vortex viper in the $250ish range and all are excellent scope that will not fail you.
Stay away from cheap optics, they will cause you more frustration than anything else.
- Location
- Niagara Region, Ontario. For now
On a Lever I wouldn't put anything more than a fixed 4 x 32mm.
That said I have decided to forget the idea of mounting a scope on my Marlin 336 and go with a set of Williams Fire Sights.
Reasons:
1 - The whole point of a lever is the handiness, and a scope makes it less so.
2 - A lever is great for close moving animals in thick bush, and a scope makes it less so.
3 - A lever even in a .444 is really only gonna be good out to 200m and a scope is not necessary for that kind of distance.
4 - A lever is a rugged gun that can take a beating in the bush or on a quad, but when you put a scope on it all this can change. Nothing worse than taking a shot and realizing your scope is off.
That said I have decided to forget the idea of mounting a scope on my Marlin 336 and go with a set of Williams Fire Sights.
Reasons:
1 - The whole point of a lever is the handiness, and a scope makes it less so.
2 - A lever is great for close moving animals in thick bush, and a scope makes it less so.
3 - A lever even in a .444 is really only gonna be good out to 200m and a scope is not necessary for that kind of distance.
4 - A lever is a rugged gun that can take a beating in the bush or on a quad, but when you put a scope on it all this can change. Nothing worse than taking a shot and realizing your scope is off.
- Location
- Prince Albert, Sk
I would recommend a Zeiss Conquest, there are likely the best bang for the buck going and superb clarity and optics.
The price won't break the bank either.
They have a fixed 4x , a 1.8x to 5.5x , and a 2.5x to 8x , which would be the ones I would look at getting for that rifle.If you want to put a scope on it, by all means do. It's your rifle and it never hurts to want to improve your confidence.
There are others that are cheaper but you buy good optics at the start and be done, or buy poor optics and which you had the better optics later on.
The price won't break the bank either.
They have a fixed 4x , a 1.8x to 5.5x , and a 2.5x to 8x , which would be the ones I would look at getting for that rifle.If you want to put a scope on it, by all means do. It's your rifle and it never hurts to want to improve your confidence.
There are others that are cheaper but you buy good optics at the start and be done, or buy poor optics and which you had the better optics later on.
- Location
- Niagara Region, Ontario. For now
IMHO gorky hit it with the "low power variable" suggestion. A "dual-X" or "vari-X" or whatever the hell they're calling em now, would also be my pick.
I'd favor a popular brand name too. If you check out prices on the "EE" forum, you'll see these tend to hold their value rather well.
"Seeing is believing" with these things floriosean1. Go to the store and take a gander through a few. Take particular note of how user friendly the thicker "hunting" reticles are vs the "long range" spider web variety and then pick a nice clear one that's designed for centerfire rifles. While you're there, you can check out bases and rings and see if the guy at the shop will mount it all and bore sight it for you.
I'd favor a popular brand name too. If you check out prices on the "EE" forum, you'll see these tend to hold their value rather well.
"Seeing is believing" with these things floriosean1. Go to the store and take a gander through a few. Take particular note of how user friendly the thicker "hunting" reticles are vs the "long range" spider web variety and then pick a nice clear one that's designed for centerfire rifles. While you're there, you can check out bases and rings and see if the guy at the shop will mount it all and bore sight it for you.
