Scope for Marlin 45-70

[sneared]

What scope are you using and recommend on your 45-70 1895?

I've been thinking about getting a long eye-relief scout rifle scope. Magnification is fixed at a low power (typicaly 1.5x).

The lack of eye relief on my Weaver 3x9 mounted on an 1895 LTDIII at 9x was verified by the crescent scar I now carry over my right eye.

[corvette8n]

I couldn't bring myself to scope mine but I did put on a Williams peep.

[sneared]

My eyes are getting old enough that peep sights don't help much. I have used a Merit iris attached to my glasses that helps a bunch with open sights. Most of my shooting is with pistol and my good eye is my left. Unfortunately I'm right handed. I just can't train the left hand to pull the trigger!

A friend of mine had the Ashley Xpress sigts installed. But the aperature in a ghost ring is too big to help me out much.

[stillhunter]

I started out with a Bushnell variable. I moved to the old standby Leupold M8 4X. The eye releaf is about an inch longer, better on my brow..!! The Leupold has a wider field of view at 4X. I'am going to stick with it.

[kingstrider]

I had a Simmons 1.5x5 shotgun scope and a Leupold base & ring set laying around so put those on my 1895GS. Not really what I wanted but it didn't cost anything and works to see what my loads are capable of.

[Doc Highwall]

I have a Nikon Monarch Gold 1.5-6x42mm,30mm tube on my T/C Encore 12 gauge shot gun, and my Savage muzzle loader. On my 1895 Marlin I have a Leupold LPS 1.5-6x42mm,30mm tube. These scopes have a 64.7 foot field of view at 100yds on 1.5x and a constant 4" of eye relief at all powers. I would recommend these scopes any day.

[HCL]

I went with the XS scout mount and Leupold (EIR) 2.75 scout scope, Leupold Low quick release rings. This makes the scope a "off and on" deal in just a few seconds without loosing zero. Also added the XS ghost rings for when the scope is not on. They give you a much longer sight radius than stock sights.
Have been really please with this setup.
Mike

[chickenstripe]

+1 for the XS scout scope mount and Leupold scout scope. Fast target acquisistion, and I can shoot with both eyes open. Also, it doesn't effect the handling of the rifle or its "carryability"......

Also, the low mount of the scout scope allows a similar cheek weld similar to that when using open sights.

Although, I haven't installed the ghost rings as back-up....... yet.

[Slogg76]

Another Marlin 45-70 Guide Gun is going to be my next purchase. I was thinking about putting some kind of open reflex sight on it, but I'm not sure if any will hold up to the recoil. Does anyone have any recomendations? Was thinking about a Burris.

[Lead melter]

I have the Leoplod IER scope with scout mounts on a Marlin 1895...works great. I also have a Weaver 2X handgun scope on an M44 M/N with a custom mount, a Weaver 2X on a Marlin 1894-P and same on a 45 cal. muzzleloader (the last 2 for use by my youngest son) and have not had a problem with any. The 2X is a lot less expensive than the Leopold and seems to work as well. Full field of view, nice clear optics, no scarring of the forehead.

Something to consider.

[6pt-sika]

My 1895G and 1895XLR have both had Leupold Vari XII 3-9's on top !

My 1895CB has a Lyman tang sight and my circa 1978 "New Model 1895" has a Weaver K2.5 of about 1965 vintage .

[chickenstripe]

One Weaver scope that I have been very impressed with is the V3. I have it mounted on a Rem 673 in 350Mag, I've had it for over 6yrs and many sharp recoiling 250gr rounds moving @ 2400fps. So it should be able to withstand the recoil of your 45-70.

And its at a price point that it won't break the bank to "try it"..... I think I got mine for just above $100 new.

[Ranch Dog]

I have the Bushnell Banner 1.5-4.5X32 (#71-1545) on 17 different Marlins from my 39A (22RF) to my 1895MR (450 Marlin) and was adding one of these little scopes to my latest Marlin, a 1894P, last night. I simply wanted the same sight picture no matter which rifle I picked off the rack. I've been actually using the Banner series for 40 years this year and the performance is outstanding.

None are safe queens, I have a Marlin in my hands just about every day of the year and the Bushnells perform.

[Doc Highwall]

Ranch Dog, I like the low power scopes like you. I consider most of the lever action cartridges like 30-30, 35Rem, 375Win, and 450Marlin-45-70 as 150yd cartridges not because of energy but because of trajectory. Based on this I go for a wide field of view as some of my hunting distances are as short as 10-15 feet. My feelings are that my eyes are not as sharp as they use to be when I only used iron sights for the thick stuff. I think that the only thing that comes close to the field of view of a rear aperture sight is the lowest power scope you can get with a long enough eye relief that when you shoot something like a 45-70 with a 405gr bullet at 1800fps. that it will not hit you in the eye brow. The Nikon Monarch Gold scopes that I like have a 64.7 foot field of view at 100yds on 1.5 power, and a constant 4" of eye relief on all powers.

[Just Duke]

Here are the 2 XS Sight System Rail, front and rear sights. I have used Red Dot Scopes and Warne QD rings so I can take the scopes off and scabbard the rifles for ease of toting. The rear peep is fully adjustable and the front sight is nice and bold for dense forest shooting. Installing was very easy. I will post some targets as soon as my Gas Checks get here.
Both rifles will need leather cheek rests from Cabelas so we won't have to do a chin weld whilest shootin. ;)


XS SIGHT LINK (http://www.xssights.com/store/rifle.html)

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd255/EBRSOPMODS/lever-rail.jpg




Here is another RAPID RETICLE TACTICAL SCOPE (http://www.rapidreticle.com/sopsauto.htm) seeing double duty on the Buffalo Barbie's hunting rifle.

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd255/EBRSOPMODS/LEVER%20ACTION%20SHOOTERS%20SOCIETY/L17.jpg


http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd255/EBRSOPMODS/LEVER%20ACTION%20SHOOTERS%20SOCIETY/L18.jpg


http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd255/EBRSOPMODS/LEVER%20ACTION%20SHOOTERS%20SOCIETY/L19.jpg

[Scrounger]

You have a lot of nice stuff.

[Newtire]

You guys are gonna hate me...I am using an old 4X Japanese Tasco over 40 yrs old. Mine is a .444 and not a .45-70.

[Scrounger]

You guys are gonna hate me...I am using an old 4X Japanese Tasco over 40 yrs old. Mine is a .444 and not a .45-70.

Shame on you, Calvin! Don't you know it's the American way to pay $400 for a Leupold scope just for the prestige as you sip your Latte from Starbucks? Thirty years of using Bushnells, Tascos, and Simmons have certainly proven they do an adequate job for 20% of the cost. Sure you find a bad one every now and then, but they cheerfully repair or replace it. I'm certainly no scope snob!

[Just Duke]

You have a lot of nice stuff.

Thank you but I have seen lots of thing here as nice if not nicer though.
Thanks again Scrounger. :drinks:


.

[charger 1]

What scope are you using and recommend on your 45-70 1895?

I've been thinking about getting a long eye-relief scout rifle scope. Magnification is fixed at a low power (typicaly 1.5x).

The lack of eye relief on my Weaver 3x9 mounted on an 1895 LTDIII at 9x was verified by the crescent scar I now carry over my right eye.

We hunt dense brush up here so I went loop 2x IER W/heavy reticle. Buddy has a scout LER type. When things happen fast its like trying to line things up in a sewer pipe at 100 paces, just cant be done.

[Heavy lead]

You can buy these for 200 bucks delivered, I have three, one on a 416 rigby, one on 11-87 12 slug gun, another on a 338-06 carbine, they're as fast as a scout type scope IMO, and 4 power is plenty enough to shoot 200 yards, they're only about 9 ounces (maybe less) and I love the thick reticle. I do have one V3 Weaver I picked up on sale for 100 bucks, I have it on an encore 209x50. It has some real nice clear glass in it and seems to be accurate, but the reticle is thin and the eye relief is too short IMO for a hard kicker. I'm always real carefull with that encore.

[Kragman71]

My first consideration for a scope on a lever action gun is the overall size/bulk of it.
Smaller is better.When I bought my Winnie'94,in 30/30 caliber,it had a nice,big Bushnell 2X-7X scope on it.I replaced it with a Loophole vari X 1X 4X,that I like a lot better.
Frank

[WyrTwister]

My new 1895 has a Burris 3 x 9 Fullfield II with low mount .

God bless
Wyr

[Antietamgw]

+1 on the Leupold 1X4 shotgun scope. I have one on a BLR in .358, another on an AR-15. The heavy duplex reticle shows up on a black bear in the thick stuff at dark-thirty.

[bishopgrandpa]

Nikon Pro Staff for shotgun. great eye relief and clear. And not wallet busting.

[JDL]

A couple of weeks ago I bought a Leupold Rifleman 2-7X on closeout at Wally World for $139, even though I didn't need it and it's still in the box.
JDL

[6pt-sika]

You guys are gonna hate me...I am using an old 4X Japanese Tasco over 40 yrs old. Mine is a .444 and not a .45-70.

I have and old Weaver K2.5 of about 1970 vintage on top of my Marlin 1895 that was also made in 1978 !

[TGM]

I hada Simmons 44 Mag 2x7 scope mounted on my Marlin 1895SS 45-70 and it held up just fine shooting 300gr Rem HP with 58 gr 3031. I took it off as I am trying to trade it for the Cowboy Model.

TGM

[stillhunter]

Newtire...My Tasco went to pieces one afternoon. You could hear the internals ratteling around. Give me a Leupold. I have five' three purchased used, and they dont fog, change zero, or rattle..!! Wear your safety glasses as you don't want to be hit by flying parts....!!

[catboat]

I have a Weaver 2.5x on mine. No troubles . It's the newer version. I think they recently discontinued them. It is VERY bright and crisp.

If you can find a 3x Leupold (discontinued), that would be sweet. Long eye relief.
A Leupold 4x is nice (again, 4" eye relief), and I'd lean to the 4x compact ( not a scout model), just to make it look less noticeable on the small Marlin receiver.

I'm interested in the 4x Burris short mag scope. That could be very interesing.

Then again, you could go for an Ultradot red dot sight. Very durable, lifetime warranty. High quality, and highly thought of by serious pistol shooters. There was a post at marlinowners.com (I posted on it about the ultradot). Others have used it too on 45-70's without a hiccup. It's used on big bore revolvers, with sharper recoil than a rifled 45-70.

[6pt-sika]

If you can find a 3x Leupold (discontinued), that would be sweet. Long eye relief.


I've been trying for a couple years now to get a couple of the old Leupold M8 3x scopes for use on my old Marlin's . By the time they were sold on the net auctions they had all gotten to about the cost of a new Leupold VX2 1-4x :roll:

[Newtire]

Newtire...My Tasco went to pieces one afternoon. You could hear the internals ratteling around. Give me a Leupold. I have five' three purchased used, and they dont fog, change zero, or rattle..!! Wear your safety glasses as you don't want to be hit by flying parts....!!

I got the rifle it was on in 1982 and the guy put it on there in the 60's. I took it off that Springfield and onto my .444. Still ticking. The newer Tasco's are all Chinese I think? Only thing wrong is the reticle is just an old fashioned crosswire. If it was gonna blow up, I think it would have done it by now.

Maybe if I was to go after something really snarly, I would think about a swap but I'm good for now.

[PatMarlin]

This is my favorite scope. I've got 3, and bought every one used.

Leupold 1.5x5- use one on my Marlin Guide Gun with Leupold quick disconect rings and weaver grandslam 2 piece bases. That way I can take it off in an instant and use the stock iron sights.

[6pt-sika]

This is my favorite scope. I've got 3, and bought every one used.

Leupold 1.5x5- use one on my Marlin Guide Gun with Leupold quick disconect rings and weaver grandslam 2 piece bases. That way I can take it off in an instant and use the stock iron sights.

At variouse times I have had three of the Leupold 1.5-5's and at the moment the only one I have is one of the older ones that still has friction adjustments ! And I happen to have that one on my 416 REM MAG !

The first one I had was on my first Ruger 44R carbine , sold the rifle and scope to a friend and he still has them ! The second one I had was on a Remington 700 Classic in 35 Whelan ! And that one is also gone !

[PatMarlin]

That one in the picture is my 358 Winchester. That's probably my favorite bolt action I own, regardless of price.

I finally came to the conclusion not to sell scopes like not selling guns. Every time I have done so, I get my boot flipping backwards up into my **** Sika.. :mrgreen: