Picked up a Marlin 45-70 and am pushing 405 grainers as a dark timber elk rifle. It does well off the bench with nice bright targets, but given old eyes, I'm toying with rigging it up with a Leupold FX-II 2.5x28. Supposed to have plenty of eye relief, like 9 or 10 inches. I don't want a scope interfering at all with hammer manipulations.

Anyone here configured one thusly? If so, do you find handling and performance adequate? 1Minute

I put a 2.75 Burris Scout scope on 450 Marlin guide gun. I did find that with the Burris I was just barely able to get the scope close enough, but I did get it done. Mounted on the Ashly scope mount left the rear reciever holes free to mount a Wild West Guns ghost ring/peep sight. As a whole it came out pretty good, and comes up quick.

On another rifle a 450 Marlin MR (22" barel), I put a standard Leupold M8 4x scope mounted in Talley's quick release rings and bases. Putting the scope all the way back on the reciever doesn't hinder the hammer action at all.

Phil

Greyghost: Thanks for the response. The FX-II 2.5x28 Leupold is advertised as having 9 or 10 inches of eye relief, so should work with ease. I love the lines of the lever actions and can't bear the thought of putting a side-wing on a hammer to accmodate function beneath a conventional scope. Think I will start ordering up stuff this evening. Thanks again. 1Minute

I highly recommend a red dot Aimpoint. I use a vintage Aimpoint 5000 on my 1895 45-70 and it is a perfect match.

OrangOkie: There's been some time pass since this initially went up. This is what it looks like, and it's a great shooter too. I could work the hammer with boxing gloves on.

Nice set up you have there 1minute! Yours looks even nicer than most scout set-ups that I have seen. I think its cause the scope sits a little further back than most