I just received one of these as a gift from a relative who was getting out of shooting. It was purchased new by him in 1999 as a 1998 model, and has only had 12 rounds down the spout.
I gave it a good clean up (it wasn't dirty or otherwise not in new condition but just to familiarize myself with it) and took it to the range this past weekend. I have a JM 444 Marlin so I was shooting the same ammunition as in my gun.
What I found was that this thing kicks (recoils) like a mule, in less than 8 shots I got a sore shoulder and the beginnings of a flinch. My own 444S, which I bought new in '78, just gives a "push" and I can shoot that puppy as long as the ammo holds out (or the money to buy $63/box ammo!). I figure it is partially due to the Winnie being about 2 lbs lighter than the Marlin
I think I can mitigate the recoil at least to tolerable levels to save my shoulder, I'll just put on a slip on recoil pad which will also give me a longer LOP, which I need (I'm 6'4" and a touch, with long arms, and that Winnie is a short length of pull anyway).
My question is more on how to deal with the sights - the original irons are on it, and my aging eyes are not iron sight friendly, I'd prefer not to put on my reading glasses to see the irons, then switch to my distance eyewear to see the target, rather inefficient and I wouldn't be able to hit the backstop, much less the target - so I'd like to put a low magnification glass on it. But which one would be best to deal with the heavy recoil and which wouldn't be overpowering in appearance on the rifle ie. not too big/large.
I have a BLR Lt Wt in .308, with a long eye relief Leupold FXII 2.5 X 28 Scout scope, and I think I could make that work or something similar, like a Burris Scout Scope, or the equivalent from Bushnell - but anybody have any wisdom on whether those puppies would hold up to the stress from the recoil? The smaller scopes wouldn't be as much of an eyesore on the short rifle, and generally the 444 is more oriented towards 75 to 150 yard effectiveness on critters like Bear, up to perhaps 200 +/- on deer, so I don't need more than 3X or a large bell front.
Feedback/advice appreciated. Here's the Winnie with my Marlin (Marlin has 40 year old 4X40 fixed scope, Japanese glass)
O.N.G.
I gave it a good clean up (it wasn't dirty or otherwise not in new condition but just to familiarize myself with it) and took it to the range this past weekend. I have a JM 444 Marlin so I was shooting the same ammunition as in my gun.
What I found was that this thing kicks (recoils) like a mule, in less than 8 shots I got a sore shoulder and the beginnings of a flinch. My own 444S, which I bought new in '78, just gives a "push" and I can shoot that puppy as long as the ammo holds out (or the money to buy $63/box ammo!). I figure it is partially due to the Winnie being about 2 lbs lighter than the Marlin
I think I can mitigate the recoil at least to tolerable levels to save my shoulder, I'll just put on a slip on recoil pad which will also give me a longer LOP, which I need (I'm 6'4" and a touch, with long arms, and that Winnie is a short length of pull anyway).
My question is more on how to deal with the sights - the original irons are on it, and my aging eyes are not iron sight friendly, I'd prefer not to put on my reading glasses to see the irons, then switch to my distance eyewear to see the target, rather inefficient and I wouldn't be able to hit the backstop, much less the target - so I'd like to put a low magnification glass on it. But which one would be best to deal with the heavy recoil and which wouldn't be overpowering in appearance on the rifle ie. not too big/large.
I have a BLR Lt Wt in .308, with a long eye relief Leupold FXII 2.5 X 28 Scout scope, and I think I could make that work or something similar, like a Burris Scout Scope, or the equivalent from Bushnell - but anybody have any wisdom on whether those puppies would hold up to the stress from the recoil? The smaller scopes wouldn't be as much of an eyesore on the short rifle, and generally the 444 is more oriented towards 75 to 150 yard effectiveness on critters like Bear, up to perhaps 200 +/- on deer, so I don't need more than 3X or a large bell front.
Feedback/advice appreciated. Here's the Winnie with my Marlin (Marlin has 40 year old 4X40 fixed scope, Japanese glass)
O.N.G.
