[luisyamaha]

Most of mine have a 1X4 20mm or 1.5X5 20mm. The one that has a 2X7 33mm I wish had a smaller one. And my 1897 Texan still has peep receiver sights.

Luisyamaha

 

[Tom Archer]

Beauty is, as they say, in the eye of the beholder; so they'll never be universal agreement on what brand or type of scope looks best on a Marlin lever, but in my opinion the Leupold 2.5-8 x 33 MM comes about as close as any and also offers a bit more flexibility to the shooter under certain conditions than the aforementioned 1-4 and 1.5-5 x 20MM Leupold scopes; which scopes at one time I used exclusively. But when it comes to hunting, the last thing the shooter should consider for his choice is "looks"; a scope is a tool, as is his rifle; and he should use the best tool he can afford to insure an accurate clean kill. I sold off all my low power Leupold scopes after acquiring a Leupold 3.5-10 x 50MM scope. I learned with the first shot that there is a world of difference between these models and I'll never go back to a small power scope. The buck below would have never been taken with one of these low-power scopes under the conditioned in which it was taken; and if people wish to condemn me for my choice because such a scope it too big and looks out of place on a Marlin lever, then so be it. I don't mind the laughter and criticism because I know what works for me in the areas I hunt. So to each his own I say, and to the gentleman above who claimed that he would never use a scope on a Marlin lever; then I also concur with the other posters who suggested that he allow his eyes and body to age sufficiently, then tell us where he stands.

 

[MS9x56]

When I had to start wearing tri-focal glasses a few years ago, I knew my peep sight Marlin days were over.

I had work glasses since I was 5 and bifocals since I was 8. Last year at the ripe old age of 64 I went to my eye doctor as I found myself looking over my glasses more than through them. He did the exam and a bunch of other tests to the point I was starting to get worried. He then sat me down and told me I didn’t need glasses anymore. Just get yourself a few pair of 2.5 readers for reading he said. Damn Dr’s. Now I got a bunch of guns with no damn sights on them when I finally need them. He told me he had had a few patients whose sight got better but never to the point they didn’t need their glasses any longer. Could have knocked me over with a feather. No I gotta go peep sight shopping before next deer season.

 

[MS9x56]

Tom I would say that buck pictured is a pretty good reason to stick with what works for you.

 

[Ausbushwacker]

Tom if it works for you thats all that matters.

Where I use my 444 (dads place) the longest shot I can physically take without hitting a tree is about 140yd and when doing pest control at my mates place with my 223 I was only using 4/6 power out to 250yd, and when I took it to my dads it was permanately at 3.
So in this instance I can happily afford to be picky with an aethestically appealing optic.

 

[TnHunter356]

I've killed most of my nice bucks with lever guns for the last decade or so. Looking at the pics, it looks like the majority were 1-4, with one 1-3 in pics I remembered to take with the rifles used. Looks like 2011 buck was a 9.3x62, 2016 buck was a .35 Whelen and 2nd 2015 buck was a .300SM

2012 with a 336ER wearing a Leupold 1-4, 2013 with a .444S wearing a Leupold 1-4, 2014 a .444P wearing a 1-4 Leupold, 2015 a Marlin .375 wearing a Weaver 1-3, 2017 a 2nd .444P wearing a Leupold 1-4, 2018 was another buck with that .444P(but no pic) and 2019 was a Henry 45-70 wearing a Hawke 1-4.

The .35 Whelen was wearing a Leupold 1-4 and my 9.3x62 also was wearing a Bushnell 1-4. Maybe I'm in a rut?

2012

2013

2014

2015

2017

2019

 

[MS9x56]

I've killed most of my nice bucks with lever guns for the last decade or so. Looking at the pics, it looks like the majority were 1-4, with one 1-3 in pics I remembered to take with the rifles used. Looks like 2011 buck was a 9.3x62, 2016 buck was a .35 Whelen and 2nd 2015 buck was a .300SM

2012 with a 336ER wearing a Leupold 1-4, 2013 with a .444S wearing a Leupold 1-4, 2014 a .444P wearing a 1-4 Leupold, 2015 a Marlin .375 wearing a Weaver 1-3, 2017 a 2nd .444P wearing a Leupold 1-4, 2018 was another buck with that .444P(but no pic) and 2019 was a Henry 45-70 wearing a Hawke 1-4.

The .35 Whelen was wearing a Leupold 1-4 and my 9.3x62 also was wearing a Bushnell 1-4. Maybe I'm in a rut?

2012 View attachment 872526 2013 View attachment 872527 2014 View attachment 872528 2015 View attachment 872529 2017 View attachment 872532 2019 View attachment 872531

From the looks of your pics it is a good rut to be in.

 

[256WinMag]

Your eyes will tell you what scope you need.
My pre '83 Marlins they wear vintage Weavers and Redfield's and mostly Weaver bases and rings. They seem to be more than adequate for 100 yards or less. Some of the rimfires wear rimfire El Paso Weavers or "Tasco" Marlins. They worked then and still do. Tang Marbles look good on '93's.
I never found a Leopold that looked correct on a classic Marlin.. Just an old fart with opinions.
Disclaimer: got a few rifles that will dial a touch tone phone at 1000 meters that have optics that will do it if I can. I get my targets at thrift shops.

 

[Ret_Eng]

I had work glasses since I was 5 and bifocals since I was 8. Last year at the ripe old age of 64 I went to my eye doctor as I found myself looking over my glasses more than through them. He did the exam and a bunch of other tests to the point I was starting to get worried. He then sat me down and told me I didn’t need glasses anymore. Just get yourself a few pair of 2.5 readers for reading he said. Damn Dr’s. Now I got a bunch of guns with no damn sights on them when I finally need them. He told me he had had a few patients whose sight got better but never to the point they didn’t need their glasses any longer. Could have knocked me over with a feather. No I gotta go peep sight shopping before next deer season.

My eyesight got better in my 30s so I got to ditch my glasses or about three years but that was it. I don't see that happening now--been working with digital maps/imagery for the last 40 years and that has taken a toll on my eyes.

 

[Ret_Eng]

I got to experience what I call the "Marlin Jinx" between 2014-2019. Every time I carried a Marlin, no deer volunteered to come by for a visit during that time. I downed deer back then with my smoke pole, AR-10, Savage 99s---etc. I did get a medium sized spike for the land owner at my hunting locale a couple years ago with my 375 Win Marlin (he prefers naturally tenderized deer). I got a doe with my 308MX during our early anterless season this past year--so hopefully my "Marlin Jinx" has ended.

 

[Tom Archer]

"Ausbushwacker
Where I use my 444 (dads place) the longest shot I can physically take without hitting a tree is about 140yd and when doing pest control at my mates place with my 223 I was only using 4/6 power out to 250yd, and when I took it to my dads it was permanately at 3.
So in this instance I can happily afford to be picky with an aethestically appealing optic."

Never inferred that you shouldn't be picky Friend, and firmly believe you have the clear right to choose whatever scope you prefer on your Marlin. I like good looking scope/rifle set ups just as much as anyone, and getting that "right" look is a challenge with a rifle designed with a short receiver; a design compounded even further by the fact that the engineers of the Marlin lever action never took into consideration scoping their design anyway. I'm not a paper puncher, and as a hunter my sole point was, and remains that one should make his scope choice based on what is required to see his quarry well enough to make a clean kill. As I've gotten older, I prefer afternoon/evening hunting and the area I hunted at the time was a thickly wooded creek bottom with lots of wild privet hedge and honey suckle. The buck above was shot at less than 40 yards with a 338MX wearing a Leupold 3,5-10 x 50mm scope set on the lowest 3.5 setting. It was dark for all practical purposes, I could barely see the ground beneath my stand; but I could hear the buck slowly slipping up the hollow, so I waited and was eventually able to make out his outline on the creek bank but only because I was using this large objective scope. From his body outline I determined the sweet spot and the buck was DRT at the shot. From previous/actual experience I can tell you that I'd have never been able to find that buck if my Marlin had been equipped with one of the 1.5-5X x 20mm Leupold or other small objective scope; and there's no way in hello that any shot would have been possible with open or peep sites under the same conditions. Bottom line, over years and years of hunting I've tried all manner of rifle/scope combinations and have determined that the combination I use now is ideal for MY purposes IF I'm serious about actually bagging a deer; but my choices represent nothing more than my personal opinion, so good hunting and shooting to all my friends here on MO who see otherwise. After all, our differences are what make discussion fun and interesting. And to prove that I've actually owned and used low-power scopes, I found the old picture below of me on a three-deer morning with my 7mm Mauser and a Leupold 1.5-5x20mm; wish I could see those days again!

.

 

[ironhead7544]

I like the Leupold Ultra Lite 2.5X in an Ashley Performance mount.

 

[That_Aussie]

I went from a Busnell red-dot on my 1894 to a 1.25 -
5 x 25 scope for a while. Have recently swapped back to the red-dot. Lighter, smaller and fast onto target for those snap shots on boars jumped in scrub.

 

[4T57T]

I've got a 1-3x on the 1895GS, and a 2-7x on the 1895. Can't say that is what I want so much as it is what my eyes need. Life.

 

[luisyamaha]

Sometimes it is just not about hunting.

Luisyamaha

 

[shootrj2003]

Steel Weavers or steel apertures are the only real “elegant “ sights that improve the look of a Marlin,other Than that, get something made out of aluminum and pretend ,I do have some Williams fps but I would trade in a heartbeat for blued steel.mine are all walnut and steel .Generally scopes in the lower powers look and function best.

 

[Kingston73]

Just put a weaver k3 60B on my 1894. Warne base, Redfield rings, as low as it can possibly go.

 

[Maineiac]

336sc 35Rem - K2.5 on an Echo see under mount. I have a k4 on it now and need to get some pics of that setup.

 

[GasGuzzler]

Elegant on a lever gun? Two options: vintage steel peep or OEM. There is no other choice for me.

 

[RACWIN375]

Leupold 3x9 on Marlin 375