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

If you want a 2x7 Vari-x II Leupold I got on a rifle I bought. I don’t have a use for it. Send a PM and we might work out a deal.

I have that Leupold Freedom 1.5-4x20 with the Pig Plex on my Marlin 336 30-30. Love that reticle in brush and low light.

Mine wears a Weaver K2.5. It’s a shame the Weaver Classics are gone.

The classic 2.5 is a great scope. I have one on my 336, I'd like another

Leupold FX-3, 6x42mm, 4a reticle...set-up so you can mount a receiver sight on the rear base when you remove the scope.

Phil

I like the shotgun scopes in this category. Bright glass, heavy duplex. Braille method shooting.

I used to use only straight tube 3x, 1-4x20, 1.5.5x20 on my Marlins. My poor eyes tell me that a 2-7x32 Leupold or Redfield or 2-7x36 Khales works just a little better for me. Still makes for a handy trim setup.

I like the 2 1/2 Weavers also. Perfect for a lever if you need a scope.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/16576393/1/perfect-scope-for-a-30-30

Shotgun scopes? Tell me more.

those are the ring i have on it now. but i'm thinking of looking at Talleys.

Talleys may look better but they won't work better. IIRC, the low Weavers are lower than the low Talleys.

Low Talleys on a 760. I wish they were about 1/8" lower. If they were steel they could do that but being aluminum they can't go too thin on the actual base part.

Switching to a Leupold base and extra low rings.

This is what I have had on my Marlin Guide Gun for over 20 years. It's held up to lots of hot-rod .45-70 loads (400 grain bullets, not that sissy, 300 grain stuff), and, like Blackheart's, has been killing deer all those years. Mine is the Shotgun/ML version with coarse duplex crosswires and parallax set for (I think) 75 yards.

I like to keep a levergun slim and trim, well-balanced and easy carrying/handling. I always cringe when I see a 94, a 336 or similar with a 3-9 or similar, huge objective bell and, if we're going all in: see-through rings.

My Marlin 30-30 has a BUSHNELL ELITE 4200 1.5-6x36 with Firefly reticle. It’s a tad big but love that super bold reticle in the brush. I’m thinking of switching to a Leupold VX-1 2-7x33 Shotgun scope with Heavy plex just because it’s so dang light and think would fit better but the optics aren’t near as good as the Elite.

1tnhunter;
Good afternoon to you sir, I hope that the week behaved well enough for you and that you and those in your world are healthy.

I'll add another vote for the folks who've suggested smaller straight tube scopes.

This was the last 336 I'd modified and it was way more accurate than it had any right to be and very quick to use as well. That's a 2.5X Leupold on it.



For a long time I picked up every straight tube El Paso Weaver at local gun shows that I could find as they gave me good service, though admittedly they're not super bright glass.

I've also had an older Bushnell 1-5 I believe it was - a straight tube, long eye relief scope that again worked fine for that sort of application.

Anyways the 336 went down the road when an acquaintance offered a fair price for it and I was building something else as I recall.

I did keep the scope for the next Marlin build however as they seem to happen without notice.

Good luck with your project whichever way you decide and all the best to you this Christmas Season.

Dwayne

Amen !

My 336 35 Remington is currently wearing a 6x42 FX-III. I actually have switched back and forth between that and the 4x33 FX-II. I only have experience with the fixed power Leupolds on my levers but the offer of the 2-7 above I would definitely consider. I’ve ran that 2-7 from 22 Hornets to 375 H&H and it’s a great scope.

In heavy woods I prefer the 4x but with these two scopes the glass on the 6x outperforms it. Especially in low light.

Well I was going to post pictures but apparently you still have to have a secret encoder ring for this site.

Leupold Vari - X II 1-4x20mm, duplex has served me well.

Got a Stainless 336, and then a Model 94 Legend with a 26 inch barrel...

both of those wear a discontinued Weaver 2 x 7 Rimfire scope..., low, good glass and tough scopes...

I always had a fixed 4 on my 35 Remington. Never felt the need to have more power. These days I’d probably go with 1-4 variable. I have a couple of old Leupold 2-7’s on 22 lever guns, and I think they’d do fine also.

Ideal would be a low power range variable with an illuminated dot, if such a thing exists. I have come to love the fire dot in my Leupold VX5. I don’t need it most of the time, but on occasion it comes in real handy.

With the exception of a SS/Walnut BLR, all of my levers are gloss blued/walnut. Accordingly, I like to put gloss scopes on them, and I can't say any have served me any better than the Leupold 1.5-5's. Much better fov than the 2.5X Leupold and it's nice to have 5x to see horns and pick through brush at times. For the Marlins, I think a straight tubed scope is more aesthetically pleasing, and when so equiped, I prefer to have the open sights in place and sighted in for heavy snow days and or as a back up in case of a fall or dropped rifle while tracking far from a vehicle and spare rifle rig. I did have 2 - 2x7 gloss compacts, but they both went wonkey on a 358 BLR, so I'm not in a hurry to try anymore of them.

I have a few USA built Burris compacts/Short mags that have been very rugged and seem a good fit on a lever, but they're difficult to come by these days.

For current production scopes, I recently picked up 2 Bushnell 1-4 with lit German #4 reticles. Time will tell how rugged they prove to be, but so far I like the overall small dimensions and I really like the reticle for close up shots in thick cover. I have one on a Henry 45-70 and it makes a nice combination. Hereabouts, the Bushnell 1.5-4? - with a bell on the objective and circle plex - was very, very popular on lever guns and other "woods" rifles for a long time. Never really heard any complaints about them.

Very interesting. I took the scope off of my dad’s Marlin and put a Skinner rear sight and a Truglo front sight on it. Love the way it handles without a scope and think I’m good to the normal ranges I would use it for. Of course I don’t plan to use it at last light from a stand.

When I had a Guide Gun, the Leupold 2.5x20mm fit perfectly in a set of low or extra low Top Mount Weaver rings, so it looked like the scope was right on top of the receiver.

Consider the 200 yard range of the gun. 2.5x is fine in a world of peep sights and irons. So is a red dot.

These days I would lean to an Aimpoint H2 in a rear mount and leave the rest of the receiver open for one hand carry. Or I would mount a peep at the rear and put the H2 on a front mount. If it was a rail I would consider an Aimpoint H30S.

Any of these options would have to be mounted as low as possible because of the drop at the comb. The plain weaver extra low mounts are perfect. for the Leupold. The Aimpoint H2 gets plenty low. A Burris Fastfire might get even lower.

I ordered a Swift 4x32 scope today, I'll see how it does.

Same here. Where i hunt i need a little more mafnification and my eyes arent improving thats for sure. Im 3-9 guy minimum these days