Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics scope for a Marlin 336

recommend a scope for my Marlin 336 in 35Rem. it currently has a cheap Bushnell Sportview 4X

I have a 444 and mostly timber hunt with mine. I either have a 2x7 or a 2.5x8 on it right now and would have to look and see to make sure.
3x9 is not a bad way to go (it is way more than you need for a 35) but you can keep it at lower power for hunting and turn it up to 9 when you want to see detail (just a thought because 3x9's are usually cheaper than a 2x7 or 2.5x8) just a thought

Bushnell Prime 1-4x32mm is a good way to go if buying a new scope.

A new Leupold Freedom 1.5-4x20 with the pig plex would be great on a 35 Rem. You can never go wrong with a VX-3 1.5-5x20. Large FOV on the bottom end for fast target acquisition and 4-5x on the top for as you want to stretch the rem. Plus you can mount them low so you aren't waving your head around in the wind trying to find the reticle. I use them on combo guns for fast acquisition with the shotgun barrel/s and 4x to stretch out the rifle barrels to 300+ yards.

My 336 wears a Weaver V3. Nice little scope, good true 1X on the low end and 3X on the high end is plenty for a lever rifle. Unfortunately this scope is no longer made, but maybe on the used market.

Mine had a burris 3-9 on it. Gloss finish Fullfield. Looked and worked great.

Posted this before, but it's a good one. 3X Leupold with a heavy duplex. Great scope for a .30-30 levergun. I like my scopes mounted low as possible.
Bob

Up until these last few years, I would have said a 1-4x20 or 1.5-5x20 Leupold, but I'm changing my mind after changing where I hunt. Hunting big mature woods with an older age class of deer, seeing antlers was never a problem. Now hunting smaller bucks closer to home in second growth woods with older eyes, I've found that magnification counts. This year's deer was a prime example. 110 yards in brush and high grass with my scope set on 4x. Deer by itself and I thought that I saw spike antlers, but in 5 seconds he'll be gone. Increase to 6x, yep, a spike, bang. No time for binoculars. Using RGK's photo above, I'd knock out that dovetail back iron sight and try a 2-7 or 2.5-8x36 on a low set of rings. Using my 1.5-5x20 scope on my M99 two years ago, the same thing happened and I thought I saw antlers, but no time to confirm and I didn't shoot.

I like RGK's scope for a lever for scopes on most lever rifles, I'd pick a low power and not a variable. None of my Marlins wear scopes, but I have a low power scope on my 99 300 Savage. A variable scope on a handy light rifle is just wrong in my opinion.
On a BLR or a Henry Long Range a higher power scope would be more logical IMO. To my way of thinking a lever gun is normally an easy to carry quick pointing handy rifle. Having a higher power scope on one screws things up. Having a variable set on the wrong power screws things up. Messing with the power on a variable while a deer or whatever while the deer is in range begs the question," WTF".

Gloss Leupold in 1.5-5 or 1-4 in low Weaver R&B.

Small rifle = small scope.

2-7 for me. Best of both worlds in my eyes.

What we should know is the OP’s preferred method of hunting. We are assuming that because the rifle is a 35 Remington lever action, that the hunter is a still hunting, deer drive, jump shooter type hunter. That is how it used to be, but now guys are sitting in blinds or tree stands and few of us walk any farther than our deer stand. Ones primary hunting method will influence their scope choices.

Fixed 4x.

I have a Redfield 2.5x fixed scope on my 1976 era Marlin 336a 30-30. I will swap it out and put in a pre-Monarch Nikon fixed 4x. I wanted a bit more magnification, and I had it sitting on the shelf.

Nothing really wrong with your fixed 4x Sportview , if made in Japan.

3x9 Leupold Compact, vari X II would be my first choice on a 336, second choice would be a 3.5x10 leupold vari X III No need to break the bank.

1-4x20 Leupold. Been killin' deer with my .30-30 so scoped for years. Works great.

I have a gloss Nikon Monarch 2-7x32 on mine and I think it fits the bill nicely. If I were buying one today I would look for one similar in size by Leupold or maybe the Burris 2-7, maybe even look at the older Redfield revolution 2-7 or Vortex diamondback.

My 336 has a VX-3 1.75-6x32 on it. The reticle is a German #4. I really like this rifle/scope combination. If the scope went tits up today I think I’d probably replace it with a Meopta Optika6 1-6x24 RD 4C SFC.

Hard to argue with RGK’s choice, a straight 3x. On my .45-70 I mounted a Leopold 1.5x5, which has worked very well for me,as these groups can attest.
When in a tree stand it is set at 3x. 😁😎

If you ever run across a Sightron SI 2.5x32 they are a great scope for 336. I'd like to find a couple more but they seem to be rare as hen's teeth.

Agreed, and they are very difficult to find. Thankfully there are 473 makers of 5-25x scopes that weigh 2 pounds