Range Report: Marlin 60 and Scope

[dracphelan]

I took an Academy gift card on Friday and bought a Marlin 60 and a BSA 4x32 scope. The man at the gun counter even mounted and bore sighted the scope for free.
Today, I took it out, sighted it in and shot about 500 rounds. It was a pleasure and learning experience. The man at the gun counter made sure I had the proper eye relief for the scope. What a difference this made. I have a Savage 110 30.06 package rifle. It has always been somewhat uncomfortable to shoot due. Now, I know why. The scope is to far forward. Unfortunately, the scope can not be moved back. So, now I'm hunting for a scope I can afford that will provide the proper eye relief.

 

[Lonestar.45]

If your Marlin 60 is anything like mine, it will be a tackdriver. I bought one new in '82 and put a 4x Bushnell on it. At 25 yds it'll do groups you can place a quarter over.

About eye relief, man, that does make a big difference. I didn't realize it either until I took the Tasco off of my Remington BDL and put a Burris Fullfield II on it.

 

[rangerruck]

you may have to get a varmint type scope on that thing, they tend to have long frontal tubes. get a 4x12 power. this should be cool.

 

[hoghunting]

drac,
Glad the Marlin worked out for you. They are good guns. I bought one back in '69 when I was still in grade school- my father had to buy it. It still shoots just as well as it did back then and have not had any problems with it.

I also agree with the Burris Fullfield ll scope for the Savage. I have a 3-9x40 with the Ballistic Plex reticle and it is a great scope. You can find them on ebay for about $150 new.

 

[DMK]

Marlin 60 + Brick of 22LR + day off of work = loads of cheap fun.

I picked up my Marlin used at a gunshow. The guy said something was wrong with it as it jammed all the time (honest guy at a gunshow, go figure!) but the price was right so I figured I'd try it. After new recoil spring and a really good cleaning and it works great. I threw a $30 BSA 4x rimfire scope on it and it's dead accurate.

I love banging out a tube of rimfires and watching through the scope as those little holes just pop in the x ring, one right after another.

 

[JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone]

Tim, that's not a range report!

We want photos of shot out X and ten rings! Little groups smaller than a nickle up close, and smaller than a quarter at 100 paces. So, how'd the little rifle do?

-Steve

 

[KaceCoyote]

Told ya so!

 

[dracphelan]

We want photos of shot out X and ten rings! Little groups smaller than a nickle up close, and smaller than a quarter at 100 paces. So, how'd the little rifle do?

No pictures. I was having to much fun shooting. It shot better than I do. The rifle did great. I also helped teach a friends 14 year-old daughter how to shoot with the rifle. I have a feeling she is going to pestering daddy for one now.
My problem when I go to the range is that I want to bring (and shoot) all of my weapons. That's 4 rifles and 3.5 pistols (my wife and I have a disagreement over ownership of one of them). I saw someone with one of the heavy-duty garden wagons at the range. I think I need one of those. With ammo, weapons and range gear for my wife and I, we end up making a couple of trips to the truck.

 

[dm1333]

I've been shooting my Model 60 because my TC is back at the factory. With open sights at 35 yards, prone and kneeling, I was getting 3 and 4 round cloverleafs when shooting 5 shot groups. This was with AE hollow points. I'm putting a Williams aperature sight on it. I'm so impressed with the accuracy compared to the Classic that this winter I am going to glass bed the action, float and recrown the barrel, and refinish the stock. If I can ever get stationed in an area where there is some small bore competition I am going to use that gun for open sight shoots.

 

[dfaugh]

If your 60 is anything like mine, you'll never part with it. I was given mine by a friend before he died. Had a cheapo 4x scope on it, which I eventually replaced with a Tasco 3-9x Pronghorn, I got on sale for $40. I've experimented with a wide variety of ammo and this thing likes Winchester T-22s and Wolf Match Target. Last time out, I shot a 10 shot group, at 50 yards, that you can cover with a DIME (with the Wolf ammo)... A $100-125 semiauto has NO RIGHT to be this accurate!

(Now someone will come along and call BS, but I have the target, and several witnesses! )

 

[JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone]

The only thing missing for these wonder 60's is a good aftermarket trigger. When I compare to all my other rifles, even though my 60 also seems to be very accurate, I really have to adjust my squeeze. I'd rather adjust the trigger to be more like my other somewhat tuned firearms. You'd think that with the popularity of the 60, there'd be more parts for them like what is offered for the 10/22.

-Steve

 

[ArmedBear]

You won't regret hunting for a new scope.

If you've shot a brick, the BSA will start losing zero soon, anyway... At least that's been true in my experience.

Simmons makes some good .22 scopes in a similar price range, but they have sharper images and transmit plenty of light, and they hold their zero, in my experience.

But the Marlin should shoot well enough to justify a really good scope, if you have the money and are willing to spend it. No one ever hated having a Leupold. My Burris Fullfield II has been great, too, though it's on a centerfire.

A concern with a rifle like that, IMHO, is balance. The 13 oz. scope added to my 24" barrel, 7 3/4 lb. walnut-stocked .30-'06 doesn't make it feel at all top-heavy. But put it on a 5 1/2 lb. Marlin 60 and it sure would. Leupold's 7.5 oz. rimfire scope would be a much better match for the rifle, or Simmons' 8.8 oz. model. I like the Simmons Compact 22 Mag scope, but that could give you some problems with eye relief, since it's much shorter than standard, giving you less room to adjust the scope's position.

 

[marlin 512]

marlin 60 trigger

i was not happy with the trigger on my marlin 60, so i dismantle and studied the action (to make sure i got it back together right) i shortened the hammer spring one coil, compressed the sear sping and tigger return spring a little by squeezing with a pliers, but most importantly used a small file and stone on the sear and hammer to polish it and slightly change the degree angle. (caution do not over do it, try little at a time) i now have a wonderful trigger at no cost just 2hour of my time