Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Lever gun scope recommendations

Hi All! I'm looking for some suggestions on a scope for a couple of my lever actions. As much as I like them "clean", I just can't see the irons as well as I need to in a hunting situation, especially early morning/late evening. I'm looking for something compact, lightweight with decent optics. An illuminated reticle would be a plus.

SWFA 1-4

https://www.swfa.com/swfa-ss-1-4x24-tactical-30mm-riflescope-109309.html

For compact and light, you'll have to focus on traditional scopes and not tactical ones.

You may have to shop around or even buy used, but these are old favorites for your application:

Weaver 1 x 3 and the Nikon African 1 x 4 are hard to beat, especially the Nikon for this purpose.

The Leupold fixed 2.5 is also a great choice.

Leupy 2.5-8 on mine. I’m no leupold fan, it’s the only one I own. I zeroed my 30-30 at 125 yds and it’s never moved in 5 years.

Burris Fastfire works well too and you don't even know it's there.

I don't know schitt about illuminated reticles, but on pistol-caliber rifles, I like a 2-7x32, and on other flatter-shooting levers, I like a 3-9x32. If your shots can be 20 yds or 200yds, either of these will work fine.

I went Leupold Freedom 1-4

I have two of these on other rifles - its too big and heavy for what I'm looking for, plus I would like to stay with a 1" tube if possible

Thanks - anyone got one for sale?? No joy on any new Weavers or Nikons :-(

Just found this one on the SWFA site, don't really need the 10 power on the top end, but it looks lightweight (9.5 oz):

https://www.swfa.com/swfa-ss-2-5-10x32-ultralight-rifle-scope.html?___SID=U

I just ordered a 2-7x33 VX Freedom from Neil at Cameraland. I think he still had some in 1-4

I have 2-7x Leupolds on Savage 99s and a variety of 1.5-4.5 and 1.5-5 scopes on exposed hammer lever guns.

I picked up a very clean Marlin 336 in 35 Remington a couple of months back and was looking for a scope I'd be happy with on it.

I also like lower power variables on lever and pump guns for eastern deer hunting.

I found one of the old school steel El Paso Weaver variables, a Weaver V4.5 on Fleabay with the ocular tv lens, a 1.5 to 4.5 with duplex reticle.

The scope is a little heavy but the gun balances extremely well. Set in old school Weaver pivot mounts so the scope can be swung over for the irons, the scope sits very close to the barrel with the low pivot rings and I have a good cheek weld to the stock.

The gun is 1980 vintage, no crossbolt safety and the scope is probably about the same age. Nice woods gun and I may even be able to sight it in one day if our communist governor opens the ranges.

Other good ones are the older Nikon Monarch UCC 1.5-4.5×20 and the Brunton Eterna 1.25-5×20. The older Nikon is a bit more compact than the African mentioned above due to a smaller ocular housing.

Wink_man, nice! Old school swing-away scope with iron sight backups with the scope mounted low. That must be one sweet-handling lever gun.

ER sucks, keep going

Jeeper yes it does seem to balance and handle very well, I just haven't shot it yet because our communist governor closed the ranges with this covid 19 bullchit.

Actually I have 3 of these in .35 Remington, this straight grained one and 2 with nice fiddleback in the stock. Vintage 1960 and 1972 for the other 2, both with the same Weaver pivot mounts, one has a 4X Denver Redfield with post & crosshair, the other a Bushnell Banner 2X7.

Going to give one of them to Qtip from here(God rest is soul) cousins son.

Weaver 1-3x20

Japan mfg......less than $200.......

clear glass......heluva deal

NICE !!!!!
Nice gun and nice country you live in Tikkanut !!!!

Depends on the lever action and the hunting conditions. While they are stereotypically short range guns, some like the Browning BLR "mysteriously" shoot just as flat as bolt actions in the same chambering ... like 7mm mag so short range scopes are not always the correct choice for every lever action.

Looking back across some years, thinking about what I liked and what worked, one of the best balances was a Weaver K2.5 on a Win 94 trapper .44 magnum. The scope was suited to the range of the rifle and trajectory of the cartridge. Another "best" was a Leupold 1.75-6X on a stainless Marlin "guide" .45-70. While it wasn't my gun, I got to shoot a BLR in 7mm mag that had a 4-12X on it, forget the brand, but it was a 3/4 MOA gun, with factory ammo, despite an 8-10 pound gritty trigger. I've spent quite a bit of range time behind lever actions with full size 3-9X40s doing load work-up but I'm not sure I'd pick one for hunting. The larger objective raises the eye, thus the cheek, from the stock making obtaining a good sight picture slower than I really like.

I'd look at the compact Leupold 2.5x, their 1.5-5X and 2.5-8X. If you can find a Weaver K2.5 or K4, they're good .. appropriate to purpose.

I would also think about scout scope setups. They are not for everyone. I have no first-hand experience with them, know some people who like them and others who cuss them. Definitely something you should check into. Leupold and Burris would be the right brands if you go that route.