Lever Actions and scopes

[Hickok]

Like many of you, I enjoy shooting and hunting with lever-actions.

Wouldn't it be great if some manufacturer realized there was a large market for compact scopes geared specifically for lever action rifles. Short, compact scopes of low power featuring duplex or post reticles like the older Weaver's and Redfields and Leupolds.

No tacticool ninja rangefinding reticles, turret knobs, buttons and do-dads that the cool camo para-prepper boys use at the range shooting steel plates while running and rolling on the ground!

Just a good 3 to 4 power compact scope with a simple reticle like a Duplex or post that you can see in low light when trying to shoot a deer in timber!!!....and not costing more a house payment!... in the $200-$300 range.

A scope you zero for 50 to 100 yards on your lever rifle and then leave it. No twisting rings, pressing buttons, reading the reticle lines and dots.

The purpose is to be short, unobtrusive on the rifle, get off one well placed shot with a good simple reticle that is visible in dark woods and timber, and not be excessively costly.

This is probably asking to much.

[Noah Zark]

While I'm of a mind that a scope doesn't belong on a levergun (even at halfway to 142 I can still see open sights), I completely agree that a 2-1/2x or 4x scope is "proper" for a levergun, if one is disposed to having leverguns so fitted. The few bolt guns that I own that have scopes all wear either vintage Weaver or Lyman All American 2-1/2X or 4X scopes with picket post reticles. I think that the scope manufacturers are held back by low demand, and the fact that modern leverguns are trending to being tactikool, so the "optic" must be also.

JMO,

Noah

[yankee_81]

The thing you seek exists, I've got one mounted on my 444 and its very similar dimensions/ weight as the old ones.

https://www.leupold.com/vx-freedom-1...ing-riflescope

[pietro]

.

In my limited experience (only 60 years), for hunting/shooting at ranges under 150yds, it's hard to beat a red dot sight.

[imashooter2]

I went through this exact dilemma 2 years ago when I finally had to admit defeat and scoped my 1894C. I finally settled on a Leupold VX-3 1.5-5X20. It is about 3/4 inch longer than the discontinued Ultralight FX-II 2.5X20 that I really wanted. Several folks suggested the VX Freedom with the Pig Plex reticle, but I had to have a classic duplex for my classic rifle.

[imashooter2]

The thing you seek exists, I've got one mounted on my 444 and its very similar dimensions/ weight as the old ones.

https://www.leupold.com/vx-freedom-1...ing-riflescope

I have several of these tacticool scopes mounted on ARs. They are decent glass for the money, but hardly a classic reticle for an old lever gun.

[Mk42gunner]

A few other things are needed in addition to the smallish scope for a lever action to make the combination work well.

1. Lower base and ring set to get the centerline of the scope low enough to properly see through the scope when the rifle is mounted to your shoulder.

2. A smaller ocular bell than is common these days on variable scopes, for hammer clearance. I know from experience that it causes rude words when you remove a K3 Weaver that fit perfectly and the new variable doesn't fit because the ocular bell blocks the hammer. It happened on my little Rossi LWC, a single shot, but still an external hammer fired gun.

3. I do agree that a simple reticle is all that is needed for a hunting rifle that will never be fired at game at more than 300 yards. Which takes in all the .30-30 class cartridges and probably 85% of the rest of the real hunting rifles.

Robert

[kungfustyle]

Big debate here, but I felt reassured when I got a copy of Jack O'Connor's book the Hunting Rifle. On one of the pages he has a scout scope mounted on a lever action rifle. When you need glasses to shoot well, slap it on. You may want to consider a prism scope, https://www.midwayusa.com/s?searchTerm=prism%20optics kind get the best of both worlds. The reticle is etched into the glass so you have sights with or without power and they are extremely fast at picking up your target.
This if nifty too: https://store.stevesgunz.com/index.p...products_id=82

[Jhon]

I have 2 of these on Rossi Puma 92s, a similar Burris on another..fantastic.

https://vortexoptics.com/vortex-cros...sharp%20images.

[HWooldridge]

I put a fixed 6x Leupold on my 1895 Marlin in 45-70 and haven’t regretted it. I used to hunt with open sights then was sitting in a blind close to dark and couldn’t see well enough to shoot a large buck that came late in the day. He was about 100 yards away and there’s no question in my mind I would have gotten him with some quality glass.

[Bird]

.

In my limited experience (only 60 years), for hunting/shooting at ranges under 150yds, it's hard to beat a red dot sight.

What is that sight?

[Sgt H]

Check out Vintagegunscopes.com and you can find what you are looking for. Your wallet may not like it though but my wife keeps reminding me that I can't take it with me.

[Texas by God]

A combo that I had long ago and foolishly traded off comes to mind;
A Marlin 336 Texan with a Leupold M8 2.5x scope.
A perfect pairing for a 30-30 woods rifle!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tatume]

VX-Freedom 1.5-4x20mm

VX-3 1.5-5X20

Both are excellent scopes, and have given me good service. My favorite though, is the FX-II Ultralight 2.5x20, of which I have several. Unfortunately, this is a discontinued model, but they can still be found and are well worth the search.

[FergusonTO35]

The current Bushnell Banner 1.5-4.5x32 is a darn good low cost lever action scope, I have one on my Marlin Glenfield 30. It is made in Korea, not China. In functional terms I would liken it to a Burris Fullfield II which is excellent but no longer made as a compact. My other two Marlins wear Leupold VX-1 1-4x20 scopes with the standard duplex. I have to admit that the larger 32mm objective of the Bushnell Banner works better in the fading light than the straight tube of the Leupolds, although I much prefer the look of the latter. The Leupold M8 4x32 is another scope that works great on lever actions, you can get a nice one on Fleabay for $120.00 or so.

[Winger Ed.]

I'm not much on scoping a lever action. However;
something about the old school Weaver K 4s just looks right.

[Larry Gibson]

I selected a Weaver 2.5X w/Duplex reticle for use on my M94AE. I also have use it and similar Weaver 2.5s on Bolt and SSs. It is a very good fit for the parameters you mention.

[beemer]

Have a nice old K3 Weaver waiting in the safe.

[Gtek]

I have the hunters with the 2-7x33 used to be the VX Leupold. 2 power walking and roll it up a little per location and yardage. 30-30's, 444, 45M, 45-70's and the airboat ride in and out. Have not had the need to send one back yet, I would call them medium size but smaller diameter ends and clears hammer and front sight folded (barely) mounted on the lowest I could find. Unfortunately a decade or so ago I joined the progressive lens club, pick one, the back one, the middle one, or out there with the irons!

[M-Tecs]

Without knowing what lever guns you are intending to scope it's hard to make a one size fits all recommendation.

Scoping a pre-64 model 94 is much different than scoping Browning BLR in 7mm Remington Mag. or 300 Winchester Mag.

I've only scoped one non-angle eject 94. I used a scout scope on it. I didn't like that setup so I switched to rear aperture sights and that has worked well for the past 30 plus years. However, I am starting to have issues seeing the front sight so I might not have a choice much longer. For my 94’s I will go to a green dot using a mount below since it uses the same holes as the aperture sight do.

On the newer 94's they are not drilled and tapped so the ones that mount in the rear sight dovetail are an option. Other make this style cheaper but Turnbull has the best pics.

Turnbull Restoration Introduces Red Dot Sight Mounts for Winchester Lever Guns – thegunbulletin

Preview: Turnbull Restoration Red Dot Mounts | An Official Journal Of The NRA

Both of my Marlin hunting rifles are scope with Leupold 2.5 x 8. I love that setup. Some might question the wisdom of 8 power on a 45/7 and 30/30 lever gun. When I first started hunting it was in very heavy woods. The wisdom at the time was open sights or very low power scopes with 220 grain bullets if you were using a 30/06 like I was. After several failed attempts at shooting through brush I switched to a 3.5 x 10 Leupold. It had enough magnification to allow me to see every twig, branch or piece of brush between the barrel and target. Most of my shots were a standing or slowly moving deer. I would crank the scope up to 10. No more poking and hoping due to bullet deflections or blowups.

My Savage 99 has a 3K on it to vintage correct. That being said of serious hunting I would switch to something with much better light gathering.