Due to eye problems and the type of hunting usually done, I have used a low power variable scope the past few years deer hunting as my dominant eye has trouble focusing on the front sight like it used to, when using iron sights.

Anyway, Iowa now allows straight walled pistol caliber rifles for deer, so naturally the Beretta 391 rifled barrel is getting benched, and the Marlin 1894 has come out of retirement

Question #1: You folks that have placed a scope on your similar rifle, how much of a cheek rest do you find you need to retain a good feeling cheek weld, and align your eye to the optic? I am finding about 1.25'' to 1.5'' higher comb on the stock would be best for me, using a cheap Bearcreek neoprene sleeve to temporarily determine necessary added height. This seems like an awful lot. I am using the lowest scope rings that will allow the scope not to touch the XS Rail I have on the rifle. Leaning to asking Levergunleather.com to make a higher cheek rest, not real confident with the "jaw weld" trying to use a scope on a standard comb height gun.

Question #2: Out of curiosity, would you remove your rear iron peep sight (Mine is the XS Rail and peep sight system, ghost ring in rear that just threads out.) so you could place a normal eye relief scope as far back and low as you need it? Or would you go to the expense of buying a Scout type scope, with more eye relief, because the rear iron sight gets in the way of the old scope? If I could sell the 1.25-4x20mm VX-R Leupold I have for reasonable money, I would probably buy the 1.5-5x33mm VX-R Leupold Scout as the next solution.

Some honest questions I'm hoping you'll weigh in on, and some curiosity as to what the masses would do.

Thanks for reading.

How much do you want for the VXR?

I'd ditch the XS rail and mount the scope on the reciver with a Weaver base and low Weaver rings.

Get Talley low one piece and use a scope with 36mm or less objective.

What Blackheart said.

Ideally I would do that, but I'm one of those poor souls trying to change as little as possible, while using the same gun for different purposes. I often will have a red dot forward mounted for some things, and this scope will be on the gun for a month and come back off for the red dot again.

Been wanting to try the Scout scope thing for some time anyway.

I agree, lose the rail and I could save maybe 1/4" of cheek height.

I have the XS Ghost Ring Sights and Scout Scope Rail on my Marlin 1894C 357mag. I have a Leupold M8-2X IER scout scope with Warne quick detach rings. Here is a couple of scout scopes to look at.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1...rmediate-eye-relief-duplex-reticle362411
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/4...e-2-7x-32mm-ballistic-plex-reticle-matte
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1592163776/warne-1-maxima-quick-detachable-weaver-style-rings

Thank you, your first link won't open, but the QD rings are something I hadn't necessarily considered. May as well if the scope gets hurt, can go to iron sights during the hunt I guess on that 1% chance.

A Leupold 1-4, 1.5-5 or 2.5x in Weaver low rings and Warne one piece base is the lowest setup you can get. You wont need a raised cheek rest for this setup. It is barely higher than the iron sights and does not ruin the handling qualities of the 1894 carbine.

esmith,

When you refer to iron sights, does that include ghost ring styles?

I've found people that have eye troubles struggle with standard open sights, but can still focus on a front sight like the SX when used with a ghost ring.



Clark

Yes, ghost ring rear. The factory buckhorn rear sight was much more difficult to use for my eyes. The ghost ring is better but not perfect. Makes a nice backup sight though I hope not to use them much.

I used a generic Weaver rail and low Weaver rings to mount a Nikon African 1-4X scope on my 1894S. That was back in 2011, and it has not needed any adjustment or change since. I have killed a truck load of hogs, and a number of deer with this rifle and Scope. I am taking it to Wyoming in the fall to hunt there.