Silver Scope for a Marlin 1894 SS 45-70

[Grouper Trooper]

I'm looking for some advise regarding a scope for my 1894 SS. I presently have a scout mounted scope, (Nikon-pistol 2 x 7 with Wild West mount), which I don't feel confortable using.

My criteria is:

1). Silver color
2). Variable 2 x 7 or similar
3). Conventional mount on receiver
4). Good quality
5) Used for big timber hunting

Any experienced suggestions will be appreciated.

[AJMD429]

I really like my Bushnell 'Sportview' scopes, but I'm not sure if they still make them in 'silver' or not. I know the fashion is to put $1,500 scopes on $500 rifles, but if you have very many guns that gets pricey. I think the current equivalent of the 'Sportview' is the 'Trophy' but they also make a 'Sportsman' so maybe that is it. Here's a link to each:

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.e ... mid=494204

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.e ... mid=515253

If I had $2,000 to spend, instead of one $1,500 scope on one $500 gun - I'd rather get two $500 guns, and put a $250 scope on each, and then buy $500 worth of ammunition! Or three $500 guns and only put scopes on two, etc...

In fact, some of the most 'fun' and practical scopes I've had have been ones like the little 'Barska' 3-9x illuminated reticle. It is light and compact, and although 'everyone' says they fall apart or don't work, the ones several of my friends have, and mine, all have worked very well. I think I paid $39 for mine - maybe $59. At that price, I could have nine 'spares' vs. buying a Leupold.

Don't get me wrong, if I ever win the lottery and get the hunt-of-a-lifetime where I'll be in the middle of nowhere, in the rain, with zero tolerance for scope failure, I'll probably spend some of my 'hunt money' on the Leupold, but I've never missed a deer, groundhog, coyote, or chipmunk due to a scope problem, and the closest thing I get to 'combat' is when a stray cat or raccoon is in the chicken house.

You also should try (if you haven't already) a Williams FP in 'ghost' mode (with the aperture taken out); if your shooting is in good light and your target easy to see, the accuracy you can get is amazing without a scope. For twilight and for placing shots precisely 'between' branches on a thicket deer, the scope is way better for my eyes though.

If you want backup sights but don't want to have to remove the scope, the direct-mount see through rings work well for me. I don't put my cheek against the stock the way some shooters do, so I don't care if my scope is higher, and I do like the option of having peeps if it is rainy and I've got scope caps still on en route to the deer stand, etc. Here's my old battle-axe 1894 and it's setup. My stainless one I still don't have optics on - just the Williams FP.

[buckeyeshooter]

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm16 ... 673024.jpg

I put the leupold 2x8 on my 308 express. I wanted the silver color and a scope that was small enough it did not ruin the balance of the gun.

[Pete44ru]

http://www.swfa.com/pc-2327-256-weaver- ... scope.aspx

http://www.swfa.com/pc-8582-101-leupold ... scope.aspx

[Iron_Marshal]

AJ, the peep sight under the scout mount seems WAY too far forward to use. Can you see through the peep sight enough to engage the front sight?

Also, IMHO, one has to establish the same cheek weld in order to shoot the same grouping consistently. Have you experienced otherwise?

[AJMD429]

AJ, the peep sight under the scout mount seems WAY too far forward to use. Can you see through the peep sight enough to engage the front sight?

Also, IMHO, one has to establish the same cheek weld in order to shoot the same grouping consistently. Have you experienced otherwise?

It is hard to take a picture of, but if you visualize the regular 'open' sight and the little 'U' notch the bead just fits in, this aperture is maybe four times the diameter of the 'U' on most open sights, so you can easily center the gold bead in it, with plenty of view, even if you're a left-eye-closer when you shoot (I leave both eyes open unless using a scope). It works well enough to consistently hit a 6" gong nearly every shot at 100 yards.

You could always use a tang sight, but the cheapest ones I could find for Marlins were around $120, if you wanted any windage adjustment, and the little fold-down peep I use only cost something like $12! That was more in my price range especially since it is mostly intended as a backup anyway.

As far as 'cheek weld' - I was looking at that the other day, because I had never really paid attention to HOW I shoot, I just 'do it'. What I found was that with a really heavy gun (a Garand, or a heavy bolt action rifle) I do put my (upper) cheek on the comb of the rifle, but with a lightweight 'carbine' like these lever actions, I contact the stock with the side of my jaw instead, if they have 'high' sights. It seems to work just fine for me, but I never really 'learned' to shoot - I was a kid when I started shooting, and had no relatives around to 'show me' anything, so I just did what seemed to work.

One other thing I found when using an AR-15 with a 'carry handle' scope mount, which most people don't realize, is that for 'long range' shooting (when the bullet will be falling significantly, regardless of range) - if you want a greater amount of your range to be +/- say 2" (or any set amount) from line of sight, you will be able to sight in and have a greater span of ranges within that closeness to point of aim if your scope if HIGHER relative to the bore.

To visualize what I mean, consider the extreme - a scope somehow mounted zero inches above line of sight - all you could do is adjust it so that when the bullet dropped 4" it was 2" below your crosshairs, and your span of useful ranges would be from zero yards to that distance. On the other hand, if your scope is higher, the 'tangent' to your bullet's arc becomes farther from the muzzle, which is more practical. This doesn't turn out to be more than a 50 yard increase for any cartridge I shoot, but having your 'no need to hold over/under' range be say 100 to 300 yards might be more useful than if it is 50 to 250 yards.

Of course it depends on how high you want to tolerate your sight axis. If you wanted, I suppose you could get one of those leather lace-on cheek pieces; some even hold extra cartridges.

[Grouper Trooper]

Thanks to all of you that answered my question.