Scope for marlin .444 lever
01-28-2014, 05:00 PM
#11
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location:
Posts: 2,186
Sheridan makes a good point about durability, in general. However, I suspect any higher quality variable will survive the recoil year after year.
I have a Marlin "Guide" in 444 Marlin. I have an older compact Leupold Vari-X III, 1.5-6x32 with the German #4 retica on this rifle. Has done just fine. Just don't skrimp on the quality. Buy the best that your pocketbook can manage. You will not regret doing so.
I have a Marlin "Guide" in 444 Marlin. I have an older compact Leupold Vari-X III, 1.5-6x32 with the German #4 retica on this rifle. Has done just fine. Just don't skrimp on the quality. Buy the best that your pocketbook can manage. You will not regret doing so.
01-29-2014, 06:29 PM
#13
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,888
Not offering much help here, but I'll share some direct experiences:
Marlin 1895 .45-70, ain't quite the same as the .444marlin, but I assume you'll forgive the difference.
Took this buck a few years ago at 250yrds with a Bushnell Elite 3200 3-9x40mm. Hundreds of rounds under that scope, nary a hiccup.
Year later, we swapped that Bushnell over to my wife's .22lr, then strapped her Nikon Buckmaster 4.5-14x40mm on top of the rifle. Again, have a couple hundred rounds through the rifle, zero hasn't slipped, no fuzz, reticle hasn't broken free, no issues. Wasn't anything wrong with that Bushnell other than it was "only" a 3-9x40mm, so it's nice having the extra zoom on this one, and it's sure nice having the turrets for those long pokes.
Rifle only has to shoot as far as you want it. Sometimes it's nice having extra zoom in the scope, even if you'll only ever shoot 100yrds. Whether it's scoping out game at farther distances, or zooming in closer to take the shot, I've never felt "over scoped" with a 9x max or 16x max at 100yrds, as long as they come down the 3x or 4x at the bottom end for faster close work.
Marlin 1895 .45-70, ain't quite the same as the .444marlin, but I assume you'll forgive the difference.
Took this buck a few years ago at 250yrds with a Bushnell Elite 3200 3-9x40mm. Hundreds of rounds under that scope, nary a hiccup.
Year later, we swapped that Bushnell over to my wife's .22lr, then strapped her Nikon Buckmaster 4.5-14x40mm on top of the rifle. Again, have a couple hundred rounds through the rifle, zero hasn't slipped, no fuzz, reticle hasn't broken free, no issues. Wasn't anything wrong with that Bushnell other than it was "only" a 3-9x40mm, so it's nice having the extra zoom on this one, and it's sure nice having the turrets for those long pokes.
Rifle only has to shoot as far as you want it. Sometimes it's nice having extra zoom in the scope, even if you'll only ever shoot 100yrds. Whether it's scoping out game at farther distances, or zooming in closer to take the shot, I've never felt "over scoped" with a 9x max or 16x max at 100yrds, as long as they come down the 3x or 4x at the bottom end for faster close work.
Last edited by Nomercy448; 01-29-2014 at 06:31 PM.
01-29-2014, 09:03 PM
#14
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location:
Posts: 5,130
First I must say that deer has some pretty good mass to it !
I only use 4X-16X power scopes on all my guns (except my .204 wears a 6X - 24X).
In any case, I set them all on the lowest power until I find the need to power them up.
BTW - Nice rig too !
One more thing; I ain't as good looking as NoMercy, thus the reason for my head cover ! LOL
I only use 4X-16X power scopes on all my guns (except my .204 wears a 6X - 24X).
In any case, I set them all on the lowest power until I find the need to power them up.
BTW - Nice rig too !
One more thing; I ain't as good looking as NoMercy, thus the reason for my head cover ! LOL
Last edited by Sheridan; 01-30-2014 at 08:32 AM.
01-31-2014, 09:41 AM
#15
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,888
Pretty hard to make a beard look bad if you can grow one. At least that's what "the ladies" always used to tell me! 
Pretty sad about that rig. Bought it, spent a couple years slowly rebuilding it before I ever even shot it. Got it right where I wanted it, strapped a "reasonable" glass on top (that Bushnell Elite), gathered up some ammo. Happy that it turned out to be one of the finer running leverguns I've ever built (rebuilt)...
Then my wife decided it was hers...
She was the first to shoot it, luckily for us, it shoots under an inch at 100yrds with the first load we tried out of it. I've loaded the same bullet a bit hotter for this rifle, but it's hard to find anything wrong with the Hornady factory rounds out of it.
Luckily for me, I still get to borrow it from time to time...
Pretty sad about that rig. Bought it, spent a couple years slowly rebuilding it before I ever even shot it. Got it right where I wanted it, strapped a "reasonable" glass on top (that Bushnell Elite), gathered up some ammo. Happy that it turned out to be one of the finer running leverguns I've ever built (rebuilt)...
Then my wife decided it was hers...
She was the first to shoot it, luckily for us, it shoots under an inch at 100yrds with the first load we tried out of it. I've loaded the same bullet a bit hotter for this rifle, but it's hard to find anything wrong with the Hornady factory rounds out of it.
Luckily for me, I still get to borrow it from time to time...
02-03-2014, 03:00 AM
#16
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: VA
Posts: 1,921
All good suggestions from what I've heard. I've been looking for a scope for my Marlin 336 .35 Rem. and still haven't decided between two Leupolds: the VX2 1-4x20 or the VX2 2-7x33. Just can't seem to make up my mind...
