New Marlin XL7 25-06
 

Just got a new marlin Xl7, 25-06 for Christmas! Been eyeing this gun for 2 years now. Anyhow, my question is this. I am planning on an antelope hunt and possibly using it for white tail occasionally. What power and brand scope do you recommend? How about your preferred break in procedure? Thanks to all. I have been trolling here for some time and thought I would finally post to share my excitement!

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I usually shoot 1 and clean for 5 shots, then shoot 2 and clean for 10 shots, then shoot 3 and clean for 15 shots. 30 shots usually is sighted in and gives some info about the loads I'm trying.

For scopes, I really like the burris ffII's. I have 3 and are really happy with them. With that being said they aren't nikon monarchs or leupold vx-3's but they are solid clear scopes that can be had for under $200

Congratulations, on the XL7. You might want to check-out the Mueller APV scope. It's a 4.5-14 x 40mm, that sells for around 115. Don't own one but, I've been hearing good things about them.

Love the round. I have a 3-9x on my 25-06, though I might up it to 4-12x if I were to buy another. Leupold or Nikon are good glass...though for the money, a cabela's pine ridge works pretty good. I think I'm gonna try rolling some 80gr Barnes ttsx's next, and I've had luck with bullets as small as the 75gr Hdy HP, and as big as 120s. Hard to mess up with the 25-06 :D

I hadn't ever considered a Mueller, but based upon your suggestion, I did some research and have seen some favorable reviews. All my other glass is Nikon, but I am willing to try something different. Anybody out there own the Mueller? Any other recommendations?

I'd check into the Vortex line. I've seen their Crossfires for cheap. Check out S.W.F.A.

Great choice on the gun. I've had my eye on one of those myself. For some reason I really want a 25-06 and the XL-7's seem to really get great reviews.

If you want a decent priced scope that's great I'd look at the Burris Fullfield II. I have one in 3x9x40mm and I love it. Great vibrant colors, great in low light, just all around super clear scope. Also seems to hold up pretty well. Has ridden around in a truck a bit and still held zero from bouncing around in the truck.


I've also had decent luck with Simmons scopes if you want something cheaper. I've also has good luck with a Tasco too but it hasn't taken near the abuse of the Simmons ones. I have a Simmons on a .22 so it doesn't have much recoil but it's been dropped, bumped around, and just had a hard life and it's always held zero. It's not as clear as the Burris or as good in low light but it's good enough for most shooting and hunting needs and was about 1/4th the price of the Burris.

The only scope I've had I really didn't like and had issues with was a Leupold VX-I.

Yeah, my hunting buddy has a VX-1 and he loves it, but I really am not that impressed. My Nikon Buckmasters are much clearer...for me anyhow. I really think alot of it is the person using it. I know the upper level leupolds are better, but I really want to stay under $300 for a scope. Less than that with all things being the same. That is why I was interested in the Mueller. Now you have me thinking about the Simmons. My problem is this. Looking through them in a store doesn't really tell me much. That is why I am asking the people that use them.

Yeah that's my problem too. Hard to tell in a store. I'm not at all familiar with the Muller as I've never had one. However, they get great reviews.

I've had good luck with Simmons as have most of my hunting buddies. Then again at the same time I've read of people online claiming they had issues. So it may be the luck of the draw. Just seems kind of odd all my friends with Leupolds have had them go bad yet none of them that I'm aware of has had their Simmons that were half the price go bad.

Like I said the Burris is my favorite I've used. I'm sure there are probably better ones out there but I can't comment on them as I haven't personally used them.

half a box of 30.06 loads and my simmons was garbage. spent the money on a nikon buckmaster and havent looked back, GREAT quality scope for the money

actually i got a really good deal on a VX1. After many people saying don't waste your money on a VX1, i couldn't pass it up. Got it new for 160. It's a fantastic scope. It's better than my nikon prostaff, pentax pioneer II. Great eye relief and bright. 3x9x40 is what i have on my marlin xl7. People who say the vx1 is junk must just be scope snobs.

You'll do fine with the VX-1.
Enjoy your new rig!

Leupold VXII 3x9. Pretty much the scope that's on just about every hunting rifle out there.

I'm not a scope snob I just had a VX-I and it sucked. I had to send it in to Leupold twice for repair. The first time when I shot it looked like the crosshairs were shaking in it. The second time it was self adjusting itself every couple shots. Even when it works it seems like if you bump it hard or anything it looses zero. Like I had the scope hit me in the fore head and next shot it's several inches off from where it had been shooting. I had it fall over in the house on carpet and in a gun sock and it once again was several inches off. I've had others have much harder hits and falls and they have never lost zero.

I also think the friction adjustments are about the crappiest scope invention I've ever seen.


That's what made me not like this scope. However, I will admit I thought you know maybe I got a lemon.

I had 2 other friends that also had them. Turns out one of them said he loved his and the other one started also having problems with his adjusting itself with shots. They said it would shoot one spot then adjust to somewhere else and shoot there then keep adjusting itself and wouldn't stay zeroed. They put a Bushnell on it and shot a group you could cover up with a dime. He sent his into Leupold for repair and traded it off as soon as it came back.

The other friend who loved his just got it last year on a muzzle loader. He only shot it a few times and thought it was great. Then this year he shot his muzzle loader a day or two before black powder season. Shot great still. So he cleaned it and went on his way. On the first day of black powder season we were helping a friend sight his gun in at lunch. He decided to take his out and show us how great it shot. To his surprise and mine as well since I'd seen it shoot great a day or two earlier it didn't even hit the target at 100 yards this time. We got to doing testing and shooting at closer differences. He hadn't dropped it or bumped it or anything he says. So we finally got it back on the target then it was apparent that it was adjusting itself after each shot and wouldn't stay zeroed. So no longer does he love this scope either. He is trying to sell the gun and the scope together. He uses a Simmons on his other rifle and never has had a problem with it.

To me this is just unacceptable for a $200+ scope. After seeing my other two friends had the same exact issue I had with mine I don't think it's that I just got a lemon. I really think it's that this scope sucks.


As for as being bright and clear I thought it was fine but I couldn't tell a difference clarity wise between it and a $30 Tasco I had form Walmart. A few friends checked it out and they thought the Tasco looked clearer. I just couldn't tell a difference though. I never had a problem with the clarity of either though. Then I got a Burris Fullfield II and it was amazing how much brighter and clearer it was. In low light it's soo much better. I now realize why people like clear and bright scopes. It's a huge difference to me and the friend that compared them while I was sighting it in agreed. The Burris looked amazing compared to the Leupold. Like I said thought I'd never had a problem with the clarity of the Leupold and thought it was fine and didn't realize how much better a scope could be until I tried the Burris. That isn't why I think these scopes suck though. That's just kind of icing on the cake. The reason I really didn't like them is all the problems we had with them where they wont hold zero. Then the fact that you can get a cheaper scope that will hold zero and is way clearer just makes me like it even less.

The Burris and Simmons and even the Tasco I've used have also held up more to being bumped around and still staying zeroed than the Leupold. I've also not had any of them fail *knock on wood* however, the Leupold which cost quite a bit more than all but the Burris and it was slightly more than that has had to be sent in for repair twice.

I don't know many friends that have had issues with Simmons scopes. Maybe one or two but not many and I'm not even sure that many have and I know a lot and I mean a lot of guys with them. Yet I only knew 3 people myself included that had Leupold VX-I's and all of us had problems.

The VX-1 is a solid scope. I have one on my T/C Omega and it has worked great. You got a pretty decent deal on yours but I picked up mine for $85....could not pass it up. :D The thing about the VX-1 that a lot of people do not like(IMO) is the fact that if you pay the MSRP, then there are other scopes out there which offer more bang for your buck.

I knocked my Omega off the tool box of my truck the last week of the hunting season. It fell atleast 5 feet and the scope landed first on my concrete driveway. I was worried about the zero but after shooting it to check the POI, I found it had not changed. Only put a few scuffs on the scope itself.