best scope for Marlin 336

[Coyote Hunter]

I've got a Marlin 336 .35 Remington that I hunt with. I killed my deer this year, but notice my eyes ain't what they used to be. (hit the old 50 this year) Instead of hunting in woods this year, I chose a corn field that had been combined. I chose wisely as there were deer right at sundown aplenty, just very few within a range where my eyes and the iron sights would get me a clean kill. Finally a doe came in about 70 yards or so in the fading light and I dropped her.

Any suggestions for a scope for an area that had both woods and open fields. Also, I really don't want to pay more for the scope than the rifle is worth. Even good old wally world has them upwards of $300-$500.00. I just can't pay that much.

 

[jmr40]

I would get one of the Nikon 2-7X Prostaffs at Walmart for around $130. Mount as low as possible. You do not need anything bigger and this scope will let enough light through until long after legal shooting time. I cannot reccomend anything any less expensive. Some of the cheaper scopes work, some don"t but this is a quality scope for under $150.

 

[ThomasT]

I have 4 Nikon Pro-Staff scopes and really like them. You might check out the 2x7 scope. They run around $130 and are a good fit on that gun.

Two of us have the plain old 4x Nikons on our 44 mag rifles and they work fine also. Plus they only run around $100.

 

[ThomasT]

JMR you beat me. But at least we agree one the scope. LOL

 

[jmr40]

Double post, sorry

 

[woof]

I think they are discontinued but if you can find a Burris 4x Short Mag it would be great. Only 8 oz. and compact. Or maybe a red dot, maybe one with 2x magnification.

 

[Shawnee]

+1 for the Nikon Pro-Staff 2x7. Great scope at a sweet price.

Try online at OpticsPlanet or Cabela's if you can;t find one at the local Wallymart.

 

[ronto]

Try a search on www.marlinowners.com
Helpful and knowledgeable people there also.

 

[Brian Dale]

I've got a Marlin 336 .35 Remington that I hunt with.

Me, too.

I killed my deer this year,

Me, too.

but notice my eyes ain't what they used to be. (hit the old 50 this year)

Man, that's been true for me for a few years now, and I'm only 49.

Seriously, I put a Weaver K4 on top of the Marlin this year. The magnification's fine, probably more than I need. The problem that I have in the field under varying light conditions is with the reticle. The fine wires are harder for me to see than I'd prefer. This costs me time when I bring the rifle up for a shot. I'd also like more light and a more forgiving eye relief range.

I've been thinking about mounting a good quality (=painfully expensive) red dot on it. I don't care about the Scope:Rifle price ratio. It doesn't matter to me that the purchase price of the rifle was low, because it does everything that I want it to do. If I spend more on the right optics for the task than I spent on the rifle, that's not wrong. My eyeglasses cost more than my shoes, my shirt and my trousers did.

I'm leaning toward an Aimpoint Micro: it's expensive, but on this Marlin (which, remember, does everything I want), I'd still have less money tied up in the whole package than with a lot of other rifle-and-scope combinations.

I suppose that I'm already a heretic with a scope on my 336, and they can't burn me at the stake twice just because it would be a red dot.

 

[FMJMIKE]

What kind of scope base are you using to mount the rings to the rifle ??? I am looking for a Weaver base that when the scope is removed the open sights are still visible. TIA

 

[Brian Dale]

I got the rifle used, and it had see-through scope rings on it then. I couldn't stand them and took the scope off. I didn't like having to hold my head so far above the stock; no cheek weld to speak of, IIRC.

I used the iron sights until this season. Right now, it has {gets the rifle and checks} ummm, rings that just read,


0 {centered above the name}

WEAVER
1" USA


Whoops! It's a K3, not a K4. Sorry for the error, folks.

I just removed the scope to doublecheck: the iron sights are visible with the scope removed--now that I've blown the accumulated bits of chaff out of the channel in the rail.

 

[Guyon]

Another option is to look for a used Leupold. I have a Leupold VX-II in 1-4x20 on my 336 partly because I think that the 20mm scopes just look better on these lever actions. They don't throw off the balance as badly as bigger 30mm+ scopes, and they provide plenty of magnification given the usual range of these guns. While you can extend that range with the new Hornaday Leverevolution ammo, you still have plenty of scope with a 4x20mm IMO.

 

[Mannlicher]

I like the Pentax GameSeeker 1.75-5X. Great optics, and exellent performance. Here is one mounted on a 1971 vintage Marlin 336 SRC.

 

[Brian Dale]

Guyon, at first glance, it looked like that large knife in the Kydex sheath was mounted on the rifle sling. I thought, "Man, that is a brush gun!"

Nice rifles, guys.