I have owned the marlin 917v topped with a bushy banner 4-16x40 for 2 years and love it. I've probably pumped through a least a 1500 rounds in the past 2 summers of gopher hunting(my best guess is about 75% kills, the wind can be a b#@ch). Doesn't seem like much, but I also carry my .22 lever with me for the shots 75 yards and below.