What scope for .45/70 Marlin?

[Erich]

Hi folks,

Well, as my 33rd birthday approaches, I have to acknowledge that my eyes do not adjust as well as they did when I was 19. The strain of looking at a front sight and at a 100 yd target over a bright afternoon makes my eyes most reluctant to quickly re-focus at closer distances.

I just got a new Marlin 1895ss, and, while I've always used aperture sights in the past (focusing on two planes - the front sight and the target - has always seemed preferable than three - the rear sight, front sight and target), I think it might be time to get a scope and just put easy-to-see cross-hairs over Mr. Elk's chest.

Okay, what I'm wondering is whether you folks have any advice for me with regard to magnification of the telescopic sight. I think with the .45/70 I'm practically limited to 150 yds for elk and 200 for mulies, so I obviously don't need a whole lot of magnification. I've been looking at a 1.5-4.5X scope. Does this make sense, or would a fixed 2.5X be more practical?

Also, a lot of the scopes I've been considering are shotgun/muzzle loader scopes, but I'm concerned that the parallax might be set too close (at 50 yds) on most of those. Will this hurt?

Lastly, why do the fields of view vary from scope to scope of the same power? One 2.5X will have a 30' FOV at 100 yds, and another 2.5X by the same manufacturer will jave a 55' FOV. I assume that, for the type of hunting I'll be doing (close in, probably requiring quicker shots), the larger FOV would be pretty important.

Any opinions will be appreciated. Thanks for your time.

cheers,
erich

 

[dundee]

for what it is worth, I put a Burris 4x on my Marlin. I don't remember the model designation but when checking various scopes out at the local gun shop I found the Burris had the widest FOV. The fixed power is simpler and more rugged that any variable.

 

[Paul B.]

Erich. I believe I addressed most of your questions on another forum. The only thing I can add is get something in the 2.5 to 3 power range, try for the widest field of view possible, and DON"T buy a cheapie scope.
I have a Leupold 2.5 (very old one) on a 7x57 Mauser and it is more than adequate out to 250 yards for deer or elk. The newer ones should not only be stronger, but much brighter and have better optics. Get the Leupold if you can. You won't regret it.
Paul B.