Hello everyone....I just got my new marlin 336ss..i am going to use this as my deer hunting rifle, hoping to get my first deer. I contacted Levergunleather and have my custom leather in the works..My problem now is i need optics advice..I really want a good scope to compliment an amazing rifle..any help will be greatly appreciated...I know deer season is way off but i wanna be ready..and a crack shot out of respect to the animal..
brand new marlin owner
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NEW YORK CITY!!!!!!! You poor thing.
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dixiebear, welcome to the forum! Living in NYC you have our deepest sympathies, but you are still welcome here. Choice os scopes for your Marlin are very wide, I prefer Leupold/Redfield scopes, a little high pricewise but good quality scopes. I would suggest a 1-4.5 or a 2-7 power scope. These scopes can be set up in low mount rings and work very well. Try to avoid the see-thru type rings, they mount the scope too high for using the scope properly and they jack up Halwg's blood pressure. You may want to consider a peep sight setup also, take care, John.
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Considering your in NYC, that's going to give the deer lots of places to hide as they make their way through the concrete jungle.... I think a good high power sniper scope would do for them roof top shots! 
All kidding aside, for the most part a straight up 4x will get the job done, but depending on what kind of coverage you hunt, you may need/want to be able to zoom in on your target for a cleaner shot. In order to become a "crack shot"....that my friend is going to take RANGE time and lots of it. Practice is the name of the game. I personally have a 1.6-5x33 on the .444, a few 4x32, and a few more with 3-9x40, and one 4.5-14x40 scopes, they all have their use in the woods. The exception is the 4.5-14x40 that one is on the .270 for the long shot in open areas, 250 yards or better. Go down the forum list some and you'll find the optics forum, you may find some good info there to help you decide. My rule is to buy the best you can afford, do your home work and read up on optics, what they can and cannot do such as they "can help you make the shot" they CANNOT make you the world best shooter...only you can do that. Welcome to MarlinOwners!..... THE best place in town!! ;D Mr fixit
All kidding aside, for the most part a straight up 4x will get the job done, but depending on what kind of coverage you hunt, you may need/want to be able to zoom in on your target for a cleaner shot. In order to become a "crack shot"....that my friend is going to take RANGE time and lots of it. Practice is the name of the game. I personally have a 1.6-5x33 on the .444, a few 4x32, and a few more with 3-9x40, and one 4.5-14x40 scopes, they all have their use in the woods. The exception is the 4.5-14x40 that one is on the .270 for the long shot in open areas, 250 yards or better. Go down the forum list some and you'll find the optics forum, you may find some good info there to help you decide. My rule is to buy the best you can afford, do your home work and read up on optics, what they can and cannot do such as they "can help you make the shot" they CANNOT make you the world best shooter...only you can do that. Welcome to MarlinOwners!..... THE best place in town!! ;D Mr fixit
Welcome to the forum from 150 miles due north of you.
There are so many good scopes out there that you can't go too far wrong as long as long you stay within the very wide reasonable zone. Here are two choices at the lower end of the price scale:
Bushnell Banner model 711545 1.5-4.5 x 32. These often sell for $70 or so when on sale through any number of online retailers.
Nikon Prostaff 2-7 x 32, currently on sale for $94.99 from Cabela's online store. I have one on a 336, and it is a great scope for the money. Mine cost about $40 more than that current price, so I'd be tempted to jump on it.
I didn't price a silver-colored one that would match your 336ss, so you may have to pay more if you want to be color-coordinated.
For northeast deer hunting, you don't need a 3-9 scope, nor do you need a 40 mm objective lens, both of which add bulk to an otherwise-trim 336. Most people don't realize that New York State has so many deer, many of which seem to like meandering through my suburban neighborhood on search-and-destroy missions of front-yard shrubs.
There are so many good scopes out there that you can't go too far wrong as long as long you stay within the very wide reasonable zone. Here are two choices at the lower end of the price scale:
Bushnell Banner model 711545 1.5-4.5 x 32. These often sell for $70 or so when on sale through any number of online retailers.
Nikon Prostaff 2-7 x 32, currently on sale for $94.99 from Cabela's online store. I have one on a 336, and it is a great scope for the money. Mine cost about $40 more than that current price, so I'd be tempted to jump on it.
I didn't price a silver-colored one that would match your 336ss, so you may have to pay more if you want to be color-coordinated.
For northeast deer hunting, you don't need a 3-9 scope, nor do you need a 40 mm objective lens, both of which add bulk to an otherwise-trim 336. Most people don't realize that New York State has so many deer, many of which seem to like meandering through my suburban neighborhood on search-and-destroy missions of front-yard shrubs.
Welcome to Marlin Owners from Eastern Ontario, Cda. (Ottawa)
I put a 2X7 Leupold on my 30-30 and love it. I will soon put a 2x7 Leupold on my .35; it will be my third rifle to have a scope more expensive than the rifle it is mounted on.
Buy the best scope you can afford; that is the only suggestion I will make. None of my hunting buddies have ever had a gun go screwy during a hunt but all of us had had a cheap scope go screwy.
Good hunting!
Sincerely,
JDP
Team 35 # 88
Team 30-30 # 82
I put a 2X7 Leupold on my 30-30 and love it. I will soon put a 2x7 Leupold on my .35; it will be my third rifle to have a scope more expensive than the rifle it is mounted on.
Buy the best scope you can afford; that is the only suggestion I will make. None of my hunting buddies have ever had a gun go screwy during a hunt but all of us had had a cheap scope go screwy.
Good hunting!
Sincerely,
JDP
Team 35 # 88
Team 30-30 # 82
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It's not that a 3x9 scope wouldn't be good for your application, it's just that it's really not needed for woods hunting up where you are in New York State. A nice 1x4 or similar would work great. I personally think a 1x4 even looks good on a Marlin L/A. Just the tube and an eyepiece.
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Welcome to Marlinowners from NE Florida. I hunted NYS (Sullivan and Delaware counties) and Pennsylvania for quite a few years when I lived in Brooklyn and never had a problem with a 3 - 9 power scope on the bolt guns I mostly used up there. The only lever gun I had back then was a Winchester 94 in .30 -30, and I always used it with a Williams aperture receiver sight while still hunting. But, if I were setting up today for hunting with a lever gun in either state, I think I'd go with the 2 - 7 X 32 Redfiedld scope. It gives about the best bang for the buck nowadays, for woods hunting like in NYS, with its no nonsense Leupold warranty. (I bought one of them to go on my Marlin in .44 magnum.) That's the best advice I can give.
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Put the 3-9 on your new 30-06 and get a lower power scope for the lever gun. I use a Leupold 2.5X on my Marlin 94 44 Mag and an older American made steel tube Weaver 2.5X on my 95 45-70. I live in Mass which is loaded with deer but is shotguns only. So, I do most of my rifle hunting in Maine and New Hampshire where the low power scopes are perfect. Your looking for a scope with a wide field of view for when a deer jumps up close and you need to find it in the scope quick. Also you want a smaller objective lens so you can mount the scope low so your eye naturally lines up with it. If you will be hunting from a stand where you won't need to shoot fast your 3-9X will work fine. If you like walking the big woods take a look at Leupold VXIII 1.5-5X (pricey), Leupold VXII 1-4X (a little less pricey) or one of my favorites a Weaver 1-3X (about $150 mail ordered). When you go looking for a 30-06 think Ruger 77 MKII. You can spend more money but you can't buy a better rifle. Yeah, I'm a little biased. Where are you planning on hunting? Mike
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