Scope Recommendations ... Marlin 1894S .44 Mag

J

Jeff Thomas

New member
I always get a bit frustrated by scope decisions. Not enough experience to draw from. But, my eyes are lousy, and I really need the help that good optics provide.

I'll be using a Marlin 1894S .44 Mag for a bear hunt. I'm leaning towards a Leupold 2-7x33 Vari-XII, but I've been heavily influenced by tales of Leupold quality.

1. Should I purchase a larger objective? I want a lot of light-gathering capability, but also want a good cheek weld. Is a 40mm objective too big ... is the 33 a better compromise?

2. I want to find a good balance between having a low enough power for work in the woods, while being able to move up to a higher power when time is available for a more precise shot. Because my eyes aren't great, I shoot very well when I have a good scope, and I really appreciate the improved vision. For this kind of hunting and rifle, is the 2-7 a good choice, or would a 3-9 do just as well? Interestingly, the 3-9 can be a bit cheaper.

3. The Vari-XII seems to be a good compromise. But, are there other scopes of comparable quality, but of lower cost simply because they don't have the Leupold name? In other words, am I being a sap for buying a Leupold scope, when other manufacturers might offer more for less money?

4. Has anyone found a good place on the 'net for scope evaluations? I recognize there are many personal opinions on scopes, but I'm wondering if there are any objective evaluation sources out there.

5. I've mounted a couple of scopes in the past, but that was on a Ruger 10/22 and an air rifle. I've got a gunsmith's screwdriver set. Should I attempt this myself, or use a gunsmith?


Thanks a lot. Optics are so darn expensive ... I don't want to waste a lot of money experimenting, and most guys in the gun stores can't begin to match the quality of opinions I can find on TFL.

Regards from AZ
 
Jeff,

For the 1894S I wouldn't bother with a variable scope. Variables come into their own when you need to go back and forth between fairly short and longer ranges. The .44 Mag out of an 1894 for bear is probably a 75-100 yard combo at best. For that range, I'd suggest a good fixed 4X. You should be able to pick up a second hand Leupold M8 4X in the $150 range. I have both the Leupold VX-II 2-7X compact and the M8 4X (on different guns). You are correct, the 2-7X is a fine scope. But in my opinion, given the max range of the .44 Mag, a variable is overkill; you can be very precise with a 4X at 100 yards.

Don't worry too much about huge objective. In my experience, better to get a good scope with top notch coatings. Good optical coating on excellent glass is more important than big objective lense to good light transmission.

Install it yourself. Isn't too difficult, especially on the 1894S. But I recommend against the inexpensive one-piece-screw-directly-to-the-receiver rings I often see on lever guns. Get good weaver-style bases (from Brownell's) and a good set of rings. Also, avoid the see-through rings that are designed to let you use your iron sights underneath the scope. They'll put the scope too high for a good cheek weld, and given the rainbow ballistics of the .44 Mag, you want to mount that scope as low as possible to the bore.
 
I, too, was thinking about a fixed 4x over a variable.

You're not going to be shooting more than 100-125 yards with that thing at the MOST, and any animal you'd be hunting using that rifle will fill up a 4x pretty well at that distance.

As to the objective, I think either a 40mm or 33mm would do nicely.
 
You may have already made up your mind by now, but I put a Leupold 1-4X shotgun scope on my marlin and love it. Just a suggestion to consider.
 
Here's what I use on my Marlin Guide Gun

A Leupold scout scope on the Ashley Outdoors scout rail. This is a drop-in/screw-in install on a 1895. I would imagine that the mount could be installed on an 1894 with minor gunsmithing.

This would give you an IER 2.5x scope - which would be about right for <100 yard shooting.

I like the scout scope setup, its very fast, moderate magnification and with the scope out front, don't have to worry about rapping the eyebrow.
 
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