Red Dot on a Lever Rifle

Dorian Gray

Dorian Gray

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Heresy, I know, but hear me out please. I'm thinking of putting a rail and red dot sight on a Marlin 336 in 35 Remington. EGW rails are relatively inexpensive and I already have a few Sig Romeo 5's kicking around. So I've been toying with the idea of trying out this combination. Does anyone here have any experience in using a red dot on a lever rifle? And if so, what brand have you chosen and how do you like it?
 
I put a Vortex Strikefire II on my 1894 44Mag, love it...red dots are starburst to me, the Strikefire is changeable to green or red and the green works excellent with my stigmatism :)
 
hawk-i said:
I put a Vortex Strikefire II on my 1894 44Mag, love it...red dots are starburst to me, the Strikefire is changeable to green or red and the green works excellent with my stigmatism :)
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What mount did you use for the Strikefire. Did you mount it over/beside the receiver or forward at the rear sight dovetail.
 
Dot on a lever you say? I hear you, I hear you!

Pedersoli Shadow Boarbuster in 45/70 with a Sig Sauer Romeo5 2moa dot
PedersoliBearbusterShadowRedDotShellHolder.jpg

Taylor's & Company 1892 Alaskan in 44Mag with a Sig Sauer Romeo5 2moa dot
Taylors&CoTakedown1982in44Mag.jpg
 

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270 totheend said:
What mount did you use for the Strikefire. Did you mount it over/beside the receiver or forward at the rear sight dovetail.
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Used a 1894 weaver rail on the receiver and a single Vortex Tactical 30mm Low ring on the Strikefire.
 
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Jay said:
Dot on a lever you say? I hear you, I hear you!

Pedersoli Shadow Boarbuster in 45/70 with a Sig Sauer Romeo5 2moa dot
View attachment 653235

Taylor's & Company 1892 Alaskan in 44Mag with a Sig Sauer Romeo5 2moa dot
View attachment 653236
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That T&C has a very utilitarian look about it. I'm not normally a fan of anything but walnut and bluing on my lever guns but that looks like a neat little camp gun.
 
I've ran a holosun micro red dot on a cpl.Marlins as well as the BLR. They work great for fast target aquasition. I'm debating on putting one on a 1952 Marlin 336 sport carbine in 35 rem. Only thing stopping me is the old vintage look, may just use a Williams peep to keep the old school look
 
Dorian Gray said:
Heresy, I know, but hear me out please. I'm thinking of putting a rail and red dot sight on a Marlin 336 in 35 Remington. EGW rails are relatively inexpensive and I already have a few Sig Romeo 5's kicking around. So I've been toying with the idea of trying out this combination. Does anyone here have any experience in using a red dot on a lever rifle? And if so, what brand have you chosen and how do you like it?
Click to expand...

I have just installed an EGW picatinny rail on my BLR 358 and have tried 2 red dots thus far on it. Put a Vortex Sparc II on it first. Nice little optic but my astigmatism made the dot a starburst when it was turned up. Now have a Bushnell Lil R reflex sight on it. Cool little optic, etched reticle and crisp when illuminated. It's light at 4.2 oz. Not sure if I am gonna keep it on the rifle, need to shoot it a bit more. Good set up for thick bush and ranges up to 200 m or so easy.
 
Henry H001 with Henry dovetail to pic rail adapter, topped with a Bushnell RXS-100 red dot. So much fun.

Only thing I will say is I am getting a chin hold, much prefer a cheek hold.

Ranger Point Precision has a tactical stock in the works for Henry rimfire levers.
 
O9M3jfD.jpg

Mine on the left with an Aimpoint H1 Micro and my buddies on the right with a Leopold 1-4
 
rmsg0040 said:
Henry H001 with Henry dovetail to pic rail adapter, topped with a Bushnell RXS-100 red dot. So much fun.

Only thing I will say is I am getting a chin hold, much prefer a cheek hold.

Ranger Point Precision has a tactical stock in the works for Henry rimfire levers.
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I have red doted every lever rifle I have, havent counted lately but upwards of 10 or a dozen from circa. 1889 and up to modern Marlin Cowboys. Very early discovered the same as rmsg, that I needed to raise my cheek rests up considerably to come close to using a red dot proficiently because of the "parallax" that is easily seen in any red dot that I've used. You need a solid, instantly repeatable cheek weld to have any success with a red dot and I could never get that with a chin perch.

I use red dot's on my lever guns because they are a snap to mount on the collectable rifles without drill or taping anywhere that isnt ordinarily drilled...almost every one of them is tang drill from the factory to accept Marbles or Vernier style sights and this is where I mount my red dots...mounting a red dot requires about 6 inches of alum angle (1 1/4" ) and a few screws, a 2 " piece of pikatinni and a hacksaw , hand drill (band saw & drill press is better but not essential) and a couple free hours.

I do have a bandsaw and belt sander and build my stock risers from common pine 2x6. The mount is flat alum 1/8 thick x1' wide (bends easily but strong enough for intended usage). The risers are mounted on existing points already factory drilled so , again, no marring a collectible rifle.

They aint fancy but completely usable for a dude who's eyes accommodate irons very poorly.
 
12” Chiappa 1892 .44 mag is my camping rifle, have a red dot and light mounted onto the factory scout style rail on the barrel. Mounted this way it’s pretty low, can’t cowitness with the irons but still can get a good fheek weld. Works great!

vUFsixA.jpg


With a light in an offset mount, no obstruction when looking through the sight and easy to hit the thumb switch.
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TfgQmxu.jpg
 
This is awesome. I didn't think this was going to be a relatively popular topic and was bracing myself to be laughed out of here. But it seems as though I'm not alone in thinking a red dot on a short range lever gun is probably a good idea. I like the variety of mounting options you guys have posted here. Gives a guy something to think about. I will likely end up going with a receiver mounted option but the scout setup rigs you guys have posted are quite nice as well. It's nice to see people bringing the lever rifle into the 21st century.
 
rifleman338 said:
O9M3jfD.jpg

Mine on the left with an Aimpoint H1 Micro and my buddies on the right with a Leopold 1-4
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I really like these. I can't bring myself to permanently modify the rifle I'm talking about in this post since I inherited it from my father. But if things get better financially and I have more disposable income in the coming years, I'd like to put together something like either of these. I really like the way they look.
 
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