I'll be buying a new rifle for hogs in 2 weeks, a Marlin 308MX lever action. I could just wing it, but I thought I'd ask what scope you guys are using and which power. I'm sure a 3 - 9X is probably overkill, but I just wanted to get some input. I've heard that 2X is plenty for Hogs. So, any advice on the scope and range you normally sight it in at... I wonder if 100yds. is overkill as well?
I would still get the 3x9 you never know what the future holds. If not a 3x9 try a 2x7. You can always keep the power low and have the assurance that you have greater if you ever need it.
I own a lot of scopes. Leups, swar, nik, etc. For my go to hog gun I have a Trijicon TR22. The scope has a huge bell (56mm) and a little triangle for the sight. It also has a 30mm tube for ease of light transmission. That little glowing Triangle is coated with Tritium that glows in pitch black night. We have hog problems and they tear the crap out of the millet fields and rye grass we plant. Hogs are usually nocturnal or seem to come out just as it is getting real dark. I can even shoot with a half moon or good starlight. It is not battery operated so it is legal to whack them with it. My buddy uses my gun because his BLACK crosshairs are hard to use in a BLACK night and center on aBLACK hog. They are not cheap but not expensive either at around 750 to 800 dollars. It has accounted for 90% of the hogs I have taken with a gun and most of them I could not have taken a shot with a regular scope.
I think this is possibly the best set up for a lever gun. It comes with the ghost ring sights in case your optics fail and has the versatility of mounting virtually any type of scope you can imagine. The only downfall I can see is that the rear ghost ring aperture has to be removed if you plan to use a standard eye relief scope. A few scope makers have Intermediate Eye Relief (IER) "scout" type scopes that allow forward mounting above the barrel and with this type or a red dot type you can leave the rear aperture attached. The only question I would have is if they offer it for the 308xlr. I think that is virtually a 336 but chambered for the 308 marlin round. If this is the case, the model for the 336 may fit.
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Ruger 10-22 stainless with laminate mannlicher stock
Marlin 336W 30-30
USAK 50 cal muzzleloader
Savage 110 300 Win Mag
Tikka T3 synthetic hunter 338 Federal
Mossberg 500 12 ga
Hog gun scope and set up
