????

[markc]

Who uses a shotgun scope on their lever gun?  How does it work for ya, and what kind is it?
markc :-)

[Ken in SENM]

Marc,

I bought a couple of cheap Tasco 2.5 X shotgun scopes a while back on a deal from Sportsman's supply. I don't usually do much business with them cause they charge so much for shipping and you have to listen to so many unadvertised deals when you order, but these were really cheap. Cheap enough to risk even for a Tasco. I really had in mind to use them on my .22 rifles, which I have done, including one Marlin Model 39A. They work just fine, in fact very well. For me, there is way plenty of magnification for the ranges of the 22LR and really even the 22WMR. They also have a very generous field of view, and the low magnification allows both eyes to be open while firing, which is helpful to me.

I am not fond of scopes on lever guns, but I have also mounted one of these on an 1894 .357 mag rifle with very good results. It is off now, cause I am also experimenting with a Leupold Gilmore Red Dot sight, the one with the 2 minute dot, which I also think I am going to like very much. The shotgun scopes, especially the ones that do not have a bell on the front end, are small and can sit pretty low over the lever action receiver, and don't overpower the rifle or look too bad at all.

Most shotguns are about as stiff as any rifle as far as recoil is concerned, so I don't think you will have any problems there. You don't say what caliber you are thinking about scoping. If it is a large caliber, you don't want the scope mounted too close to your peeper. Somebody makes a neat scout scope mount for Marlins that allows a long eye relief scope to be mounted in front of the receiver. I have never looked through one of these and can't say how they work. I still think that a low power scope, no more than 4X makes sense on a lever gun. Of course, a good reciever sight is also hard to beat. That may very well be my favorite sight of all for my levers, but a scope is pretty nice in poor light, early and late, cause it helps old eyes to see so much better.

Hope this helps. Maybe somebody else will chime in and help you and I both!!

[markc]

it would be on an 1894  .44 mag.  I had a cheap 3X9 on it for a while which worked fine,  went scopeless for a while,  and now want to try a low magnification small scope.  Thanks
markc

[OLEVERN]

In response to the gentleman who wanted info on using a shotgun scope on a rifle, i can only relate my long ago attempt to use a Bushnell 1X with a swing-up post on a dangerous game gun, a lightweight .375 H&H Mag made by Jaeger of Jenkentown.  AFter its third trip back to Bushnell, they questioned just what in the h**l I was using it on.  When I told them they told me that if it came back again they would not repair it under warranty.
I guess there is a limit on recoil these things can take.  Shame, for the 1X and post feature would have made a fabulous dangerous game scope.  I ended up going with a 1-5 Leupold, which held together better than my shoulder did (I think the gun weighed about 6.25 lbs with scope). Every time I shot the thing from the bench I had a huge ugly bruise on my right shoulder.  Finally sold it and bought a .375 that was a bit heavier, although certainly not as pretty.

[OLEVERN]

In response to the gentleman who wanted info on using a shotgun scope on a rifle, i can only relate my long ago attempt to use a Bushnell 1X with a swing-up post on a dangerous game gun, a lightweight .375 H&H Mag made by Jaeger of Jenkentown.  AFter its third trip back to Bushnell, they questioned just what in the h**l I was using it on.  When I told them they told me that if it came back again they would not repair it under warranty.
I guess there is a limit on recoil these things can take.  Shame, for the 1X and post feature would have made a fabulous dangerous game scope.  I ended up going with a 1-5 Leupold, which held together better than my shoulder did (I think the gun weighed about 6.25 lbs with scope). Every time I shot the thing from the bench I had a huge ugly bruise on my right shoulder.  Finally sold it and bought a .375 that was a bit heavier, although certainly not as pretty.