To scope or not to scope, that is the question.
OK guys, here the deal. . . . I have both scoped and scopeless numbers in .45-70s, and am very familiar with reasons for both. That said, it's also the reason I have decided I will never again be without both; for romantic, AND practical reasons. But I'd really like to get some opinions going about it, all of us knowing what ever you like, for what we do with them at the time, may well be best.

well, since you brought it up; levers(traditional) and scopes just don't seem to mix for me...romantically.

Now the BLR's and Sav 99's, a scope seems perfectly natural.

But the eyes do get a bit less acute as age goes by, so I have opted for a receiver site on my 94's. Helps out to 75-80 yards or what I call "hunting distance".

To each his own tho, sometimes practical and romantic just don't seem to mix; either/or

I've got a Williams FP peep on my Marlin. I went scopeless because it's easier to carry as I can wrap my hand around the action, and I don't get along with hammer extensions, flat or round.

Bye
Jack

I agree! I like the feel of a nice clean lever action probably as much as any action ( except maybe a nice fast handling, well fitted double!) My Cowboy wears a old steel Lyman peep with the aperature removed and a nice big brass front bead. But I also really like my Stainless Guide gun that wears a Leupold 1x4 scope. Light, handy and deadly accurate out yonder. BUT, thinking I also want to put a nice barrel band sight from NEGC on the front, with a Ghost ring peep on the rear, for all the other reasons. Anyone else?

I agree! I like the feel of a nice clean lever action probably as much as any action ( except maybe a nice fast handling, well fitted double!) My Cowboy wears a old steel Lyman peep with the aperature removed and a nice big brass front bead. But I also really like my Stainless Guide gun that wears a Leupold 1x4 scope. Light, handy and deadly accurate out yonder. BUT, thinking I also want to put a nice barrel band sight from NEGC on the front, with a Ghost ring peep on the rear, for all the other reasons. Anyone else?
Well I just put a 4x simmons on my 1895 because I couldn't see well enough to group with my receiver sights any more!
I love the way the rifle feels and handles without a scope, but I couldn't see well enough to hunt with it that way.
I guess the game deserves my best effort when I'm hunting them, so I'll do what I must.
Glenn.

Great response Glenn, I was hunting about 22 years ago with a peep sighted 1895, when a nice blacktail came into an open about 200 yards away. I chose to let him go, as I was not convinced I could put the hard cast exactly where I wanted it it that light. The very next evening I decided to take my 1985 with a 2.5 power Leupold. I am convinced it was the same deer, in the same spot as the day before. I was easily able to place a 400 grain hard cast thru both shoulders, and he dropped straight down. I Because of the scope, I ate venison that evening. I applaud your decision Glenn.

I don't know about you lever gun guys, but lots of us older folks are simply forced to scopes because we can't see well enough to use open sights reliably any more. I know that all my long guns, even the turkey shotgun now has some kind of optics on them.

I sure agree that a scope on a compact Marlin 336 or a 94 sure seems to make the looks different and they just appear bulky compared to the trim fast looks without a scope, but if your passing up shots because you can't see well anymore then the optics are a must.

Fine you all win! I guess I'll leave the 1x4 on the guide gun; as long as none of you guys laugh at me for it. I like handling the unscoped levers best and take them when plinking for fun, but when I head out the door with a tag in hand the scoped one most always gets the nod.

All my levers have scopes, or will have them. Shoot too many pigs in low light to rely on iron sights 100%.

practical is your trumpcard; ain't no one laughing.

when it comes to levers, romance and handling is MINE; right now, but I do have a nice bolt gun that has a scope. When I can't see to 70-80 yards with the open or aperture, then I have scope mounts that'll prolly get used or I'll pool all me levers and get me Falling block with a scope. After all, it's a lever also.

I like the thought of using both. I bought a quick detach system from Warren and tested it thoroughly. I'll normally use a 1x4 meopta scope but when the right situation arises I'll yank the scope and use iron sights. Works great if your eyes still do. Personally I'm having difficulty seeing my iron sights but fibre optics still work.

I wear very strong bifocals due to 2 very serious eye accidents early in life. I too have had problems with open sights over the years (I am only 41). I just bought a Marlin 1895 in .45/70 that came with a Ghost ring setup. I decided to give it a try at the range this year just for giggles. I was shocked to put all of my bullets in one ragged hole in the bullseye out to 75 yards. I have not shot further yet, but I will when our hunting seasons are over with.

I have many bolt actions with scopes, and they are amazing machines. I just can't bring myself to put a scope on the levergun yet. I may get there eventually, but not yet.

Dan

i think its just your opinion and what you use the rifle for. all my bolts have scopes my ruger 44 carbine has a scope and i use them for deer and varmint at ranges 50-300 yards. now my 10/22 and my shottys dont have scopes because i use them for shooting opossum and raccoon in my barn at night.

I opt for the rear peep with a very thick(wide) front square post. All of my shots are at very close range and often at running game. The last 7 deer taken were at 20 yards. I have used scopes on other rifles with confidence and think it would be fine on a lever gun but in the real thick stuff I like knowing that all I need to do is see that front post rest somewhere on the front half of the deer. The rear peep is a williams foolproof with the peep removed. I was using the insert for a while but found that a large hole like the threaded portion has is faster. Actually I do not even notice it. It does not seem to be a hinderance in long range shooting on paper as I have been able to shoot fair groups at 100 - 300 yards if the target size is in good proportion. I will say that at 100 yards though and maybe a little closer the front sight covers up a lot of deer so this is not my chosen set up when these distances could be seen. Like previously mentioned I also like to be able to wrap my hands around the receiver area and a scope would prevent that. I have to crawl a lot and when my hand is around the receiver it covers the ejection port and loading gate to keep out dirt and leaves.

For years my Trapper had a Williams FP rear with a Fire Sight front and I though it blasphemy to put a scope on a lever gun. This past summer I acquired a small Leapold 1-4 in a trade and tried it on the Trapper. It did not look out of place on the little lever gun and did not effect the handling in the least. The best test came when an 8 pt. was standing broad side in the brush at about 80 yds. and took one through the ticker. I think the scope will stay on my deer rifle.

On my 45-70's I've tried halosights, crossbow and shotgun scopes and a 6X scope. I really like a shotgun scope because I really don't need much magnification . The NEF Handirifle is great with the 6X but the leverguns don;t feel right with one. Be that what it may....My Guidegun is getting a shotgun scope!

Fine you all win! I guess I'll leave the 1x4 on the guide gun; as long as none of you guys laugh at me for it. I like handling the unscoped levers best and take them when plinking for fun, but when I head out the door with a tag in hand the scoped one most always gets the nod.



I have a little Win'94,and I put a Leupold 1-4 scope on it.It doesn't look bad,at all.AND,I can hit someyhing with it,too.
Frank

I'll ask, how good is your eyesight????

that would determine for me if I scope or not, as well as the type or shooting.

Why not have it both ways?

XS Ghost Ring Sights and the XS Rail with an EER scope mounted on QD Rings.

I use a 3-9X40 EER or a 1.75-4X32 EER (both Bushnell Banner, 6" eye relief), both mounted on Warne QD rings. I have not noticed a shift of zero when remounting either scope. Of course, I'm talking 250 yards max.

As for the Banners...the 1.75-4X32 will probably find a permanent home on my CAR when I build it early this coming year, and I'm looking for a way to mount a second 3-8X40 on my Encore. Great scope, IMO, for the buck!

Eye relief is a significant issue. The scope needs to sit far enough forward to clear the rear sight at max power with the final focus adjustment. It also needs enough room to allow the scope cover to slip between the scope and sight. This eye relief is a benefit for a crawler like me, especially when shooting full-house loads.

Did I mention that this semi-scout setup is very quick?

I agree that a scope disturbs the looks and balance of a good levergun, but sometimes a scope can sure come in handy. And frankly, I'm beginning to really like the way my Guide Gun looks with that 3-9X40.

I have a 3-9x Burris Compact on my 1895G. I would never go without a scope anymore.

My eyes just can't handle it.:D

Chalk up another vote for the scope.

Better in low light conditions and dark timber, and long "woods" shots.

Think of a bull standing 80 yrds away in heavy timber. You have spotted him before he knows your there or is spooked for any reason. Their is undercover between you, but you have a good window to the vitals. The scope will reconfirm, what you already should know using your binocs and you can delivery the bullet exactly where it needs to be. Whereas with open sights, the underbrush would really be distracting, even with the same open window to the bull's vitals.

Having just contracted Big-Boritis,Levergunata I have not yet come down with Nastalgis Historium, which as we all know is one of the many symptoms of the first. It is probably on it's way, but for now, my vote is for the scoped version!

Autumn Pulse

I have the XS Ghost Ring sight on my 1895, and the Williams sights have a lot of satisfied users. Also, consider the Skinner sights:

http://www.skinnersights.com/

i have scopes on my bolt and semi auto actions and will never put one on a lever gun period! until my eyesight goes that is il give up on not using a scopede lever long before i give up my lever gun

I don't have a .45-70 or a lever now, but I do shoot an 8x57. I load down to .32 specs, and have turned on the biggest deer slayer in our parts to Marshalls 170gr GC. Open sights in woods, 3x9 scope for fields and clear cuts.

All my Marlins are scoped or waiting on scopes. I won't hunt without a scope. There are lots of nice compact scopes and I use them.

I just got home from The Gun Dealer...and I am now the proud owner of a new 45/70 Marlin. My first question I ask was wow do I scope it or not? I think I am going to put afew rounds through her this weekend at the range just as the sun comes up so I can see how well I can shoot in low light with irons. I was looking at a nice williams "peep" sight. If all else fails and nice low power Leupold will work well...I too love the lookof no scope, but STRONGLY feel the we all owe it to the game we hunt to be as humane as we can.

I won't scope my Guide Gun because:

It ruins the "packability" and screws up the "handiness"
It is slower to target, unless you use a scout setup
My old eyes work great with a peep
I'm not going to shoot at anything past 150-200yds, and I don't need a scope to do that.
The recoil is tough on scopes, mounts, etc. and in general, it is just one more thing to break in the field.
A scout scope setup is 6x more than a WRGS + Firesight.Besides, scopes are for bolt guns.

Hello to all, new forum user here. Just wanted to throw in my input. I have two 444P Marlins and they are my favorite rifles. With a little load experimentation and being consistant with the JB bore paste when cleaning, these guns are really true shooting. One has the XS peep sight with threaded aperture and a Williams brass aperture screwed into that. The other has that same setup but with a Leapold quick detachable scout scope set up over the barrel. I can utilize the peeps in a few seconds. Esthiticaly questionable on a short barrel but very fast target acquisition, great for thick woods in Maine

Why chose one or the other? Mount both and chose the best for a given situation.

I also like the Leupold Scout scope setup on a pic rail with Tally QD rings. No interference with the hammer.

Add a ghost-ring sight setup and have the best of both worlds in very short order.