Home Forums Lever Action Central Cowboy Levers What sights are you running in your 1895 Marlin Cowboy.

Got one in 45-70 and was wondering.

I don't have the "Cowboy" but one of the best investments I've made in a gun are the XS Ghost-ring sights I put on my 1895G 45-70. It's my favorite rifle now, hands-down....

As a matter of fact I was just banging steel at 100 off-hand with it yesterday and I think I can hit better with it than any of my scoped rifles!!

I use my 1894 Cowboy rifles in .45 Colt and .357 in CAS competition. That requires open type sights. I have finally gotten the picture and replaced the rear sight with a full buckhorn rear. I also replaced the front with a Bockman serrated ramp front. I now use the full buckhorn as an extended eye relief ghost ring sight. It works very well for me.

My other Marlins, a 336, a couple of �94s in .44 and .357, a 39A and 39A Mountie, all have receiver sights; an old Redfield on the 39A and Williams Foolproof rear sights on everything else. They also have XS systems front illuminated post front sights.

There are lots of ways to get to a good sight setup. This is my preference, but there are other equally good ways to get the same thing.

Decided on a marble peep sight.

Check these out!

May have to have at least the rear peep, in brass?

Skinner sights .com

I've got the Marble Improved Tang Peep Sight...I originally bought it with the "Standard" post and shooting Hornady Leverevolutions at the posts lowest elevation I was still several feet high at 300 yds, couldn't get it down on paper. I got the "Short" post for it and now I'm nuts on at 200 yds. I like the smallest aperature disk they offer for brigth light conditions, but during the low light hours in hunting season I found myself switching back to the larger aperature disk the posts come with. Great sights...I plan to get one for my Win 94 in 30-30. Enjoy the rifle its a fun one.

Me too on the Marble Tangs for my .38-55 Marlin Cowboy and a .357 Model 92 Winchester clone. They are good sights for the money. I keep extra apertures in my gun kit for whatever reason I can imagine, but usually only use the front sight. I flip the pivot up and shoot without the screw-in aperture at ranges 20-50 yards. The SASS ranges are not very far except for the 100 yards-and-up side matches, so then the "target aperture" comes into play, especially for the .38-55.

Minor complaint: the mount covers the serial number, which is not Marble's fault.

I've been running the "stock" sights that came on the rifle. It's been used on three deer hunts and scored three times, so I can't complain.

I know I should be horsewhipped but I have a 1 1/2 x 5 scope on my 95 CB 45-70 Marlin also on my450Marlin. Problem
is 65 year eyes not focusing on sights.Peep sights are also giving focusing problems so hunting rifles get scoped.

HillBilly-Jim, now don't start whipping yourself with a cat of 9-tales ya hear! You ain't the only Missoura Boy to put a friggin scope on his lever gun you betcha. I had to do the same thing awhile back to my 1895 Marlin in .444 cal. Those eyes of mine just can't quite see things in the Ozark Timber anymore without help. Good Luck Huntin!!!

For irons I used a Weaver receiver mounted aperature sight. I don't like tang mounted peeps.

At various times (load testing, etc) I threw a Leupold 2.5-8X and a 3-9X on it. With those in place, the gun shot MOA or better with Remington factory 405 grain jacketed ammo as well as a couple handloads.

I did the same with a Cowboy 336 in .38-55 and got about the same results, MOA with WW factory ammo and a hair better with the 220 grain hornady.

I'm not that impressed with the standard 1895 and 336, but the cowboy versions will flat out SHOOT.

Tom

I second the XS ghost ring. I put one on my 1895M .450 Marlin to similar effect.

Whew........

Glad i read this, even tho its a lil old.

I just recently got a 1894 cwoboy in .44. It came iwth the XS ghost ring sight and it shoots just fine. BUT...be a rifle nut and loving to get the most out of every rifle, i think i want to scope it. I just was afraid that putting a scope on a Cowboy run with 24 in octagon bbl would be voodoo. Glad to hear some old boys do it. I am just 40, but i dont like to miss!!!!

I think the XS ghost rings will be sold and $$ put toward a nice lil fixed power 2.5 or 4x.


Sean

This past week end, I saw a fellow shooting a Marlin 38-55 Cowboy, shooting at a 16 inch steel plate at 380 yards. He hit it about half the time shooting off hand, standing. His sights? Factory irons, the bead and V notch.

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Anyone here have experience with the Leatherwood Malcolm scopes? Cowboy 38-55 and Father with eyesight challenge need to go hunting.

For cowboy action shooting, I use a full buckhorn with the sliding sight notch removed. I use a white large bead and shoot the full buckhorn like a peep sight, centering the white front bead in the center of the buckhorn. If the bead in on steel, it WILL hit.

Otherwise, I use a Marble tang and small white bead. Have been known to use scopes...

DF

I have 3 Marlin cowboys a 32-20, 38-55, and 45-70. A fit of nostalga caused me to mount the Leatherwood 3x short scopes on the 32-20 & 38-55. As can be expected field of view and light gathering capability are not up to modern scopes. But the optics are generally very good. Was also considering one for the 45-70 but changed my mind when problems popped up with the 38-55. The scope kept sliding in the mounts no matter how tight I tightened the screw in the ring that is supposed to hold the scope. Finally broke the screw, drilled out the original and installed a socket head screw tightened hell out of it, no help. Tried all the tricks normally used to prevent scope movement finally ended up with some green locktite between the scope and ring, holding so far. This occured with loads shooting 250 cast bullets at 1650 fps and the mounts sold especially for the Marlin. Makes me have serious doubts that you could do any thing to make it hold up mounted on a 45-70 even with the mild factory loads. Like the scopes a lot just wish the mounts were better. No problems with the mild recoiling 32-20.

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Thanks Dave, That good to know, I had considered one for a 45-70 Cowboy. Now, I'll stay with aperture sights for now. You saved me some money.

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Me too. I'm not a huge fan of semi buckhorns, but the stock Marlin rear sights were pretty much dead-on and I stuck with them on the rifles not tapped on the side.

On the stock buckhorns, I flip the insert over to hide the white diamond, and I put a dab of almond appliance touch-up paint on the gold bead front sight to effect a "poor man's ivory bead." With eyes halfway to 114, I can't see gold beads in sunny conditions. Ivory beads, or white/almond painted beads are just the ticket.

Noah

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How about a 1903 Springfield rear sight? This is on a 38-55 Marlin Cowboy.

I like the look of that. Where do you get something like that, and where is the mount from? Cost?

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Hi there, shootist.

The sight was found in a take off box at a gun shop. I paid $25 for it, as is, then had to make extensive modifications to make it fir the Marlin. The mount is hand made and is drilled for mounting screws that fits the Marlin scope screw holes. The rifle has a Lyman Globe front sight. Believe it or not, when sighted in for 50 yards it is on again at 100 yards. I have not checked it at 75 yards but would bet that it's about 3" high. It is made for long range shooting, not hunting.

Thanks, friend.

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I have an 1895 Cowboy and would like to see some pictures of what you guys have so I can get an idea of styles, names and model numbers of the various sites available.

So let's see some pictures!!!

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Just plain old Williams....



.41 Magnum, 255 CPBC WFN-GC, 50 yards sitting...



Bob

Nice- Thanks!

Did you have to drill and tap for this sight?

That's purdy.....ESPECIALLY when purdy is as purdy does!!

I have the Williams Receiver Sights on my 1895 CB . I also got rid of the useless cross bolt safety on my Marlin. This photo is before i changed out the sights to the Williams

Skinner "Alaskan" on the rear with insert removed and XS flat post with white line on the front. Fast and "moose and bear"" accurate!

^^^ This.

Those Marbles sights are very well made, easily adjusted, present a clear sight picture, and are very appropriate for an octagon barrelled "cowboy" rifle. And, that 26" tapered octagon barrel gives plenty of sight radius and steadiness for accuracy. The 24" - 26" barrelled lever action rifle seems to have been the most popular big game rifle of it's day before WW1.

I learned to shoot one-handed duelist stance using a target pistol to shoot bullseye targets at 25 yards before I ever shot a rifle. So transitioning to open sights on a rifle was easy.

Millions of shooters and hunters never used anything else back in the day, and always got their deer, elk, or moose. Some had tang peep sights way back when, and receiver sights were introduced in the 20th century as well, but many did not ever use them.

All it takes is a little practice and young eyes and these sights work fine out to 100 yards or so for just about anyone.

I can't fathom how anyone could have been horse-whipped back in the day.

I mean these are 1000 pound animals on average, and offer very little to get a firm grasp on them.

And, I can't conceive of anyone but Hercules or Superman who could actually lift a horse and then swing it to whip someone.

Also, the results would likely be fatal to both human and equine alike.

Not to mention the blood everywhere. Messy.

Finally, the practice seems barbaric and would even have been deemed an animal cruelty criminal offense in the 18th or 19th centuries, I'm sure.

Perhaps a sternly worded letter to the London Times would have been enough.

I am new to the sight good to be here . I have a question for any 99 savage people i have a 99 with this serial number 254377-2 have many 99 s buz non with a dash 2 any idea what this is?

Hawkbeek, you need to post this on the Savage Collectors page. Lots of knowledge there, they can probably fill you in.

I have set of Skinner sights on my Marlin 41 cowboy rifle.

Factory sights on my 45-70 16 in octagon LTD III,

I haven't shot my 45 in a while, guess I need to go to the range again.