I have the exact set up on my 336. The long eye relief with the circle/crosshair reticle is perfect. I am usually up a tree in our thick woods, and bacon wrapped back straps are as easy as putting that circle right behind the deer's shoulder and touching the trigger. I have considered open sights on the Marlin, but I find myself in the tree in our dark woods waiting for the sun to come up, and I need the scope for those early morning shots in the shadows. Most of the time, my style of hunting, and ranges of my shots would be considered bow hunting with a 30/30. I haven't missed a deer hunting this way since I was a teenager, but it probably has more to do with the fact that just about every shot I have taken I could have hit the deer throwing a rock at it.
If our woods were not so thick, and it allowed for slow still hunting on foot, I would probably just hunt with the factory open sights, or maybe use a peep sight.

C. Davis