My new Marlin

[Flyin6]

I was just given a new Marlin model 1895 in 45-70 for my birthday which is coming up in a couple weeks.

[Flyin6]

It has a pretty cool story associated with it.

My oldest son purchased it for me. He wanted to mark a significant birthday and to say thanks for all the years of military service and sacrifice. I am deeply touched and honored by his gesture.

He told me on the phone that he vividly remembers me talking about that rifle 40 years ago and how I wanted one. I have looked for one over the years, always seeming to come up short.

I had my eye on a stainless trapper with a shorter barrel but I like this one more. THe extra round (6) is nice to have.

I just love how Marlin builds that laminated black stained walnut stock and how good the tooling and stainless steel looks. It is a lifetime gun for sure and after my passing it will return to him for the remainder of his lifetime, a keepsake from dad.

I just love it!

[Flyin6]

Do I look happy or what??

[Flyin6]

So right out of the gate, I ordered a black leather sling for it that has loops for additional cartridges and 100 rounds of ammo. Those 100 rounds cost me $250!!!!!!!!!!!

Next is possibly a reflex sight or optic of some sort.

For the fast-action bear attack scenario, I was thinking of an EOTec or an ACOG. For deer hunting, I was thinking of one of those low-power SIG 1X6 X24 X30mm tube on a QD mount.

This thing is not a long-range weapon and I'll keep shots to 100 meters or less, so a low magnification would work for whitetails pretty well.

I picked up some 325 gr, 350 gr, and 405 gr cartridges. The 405 are hard-cast bear rounds that marry up well with the .44 magnum I have yet to purchase.

Suggestions for optics/ sights??

[stlaser]

I wish mine had the mitten lever handle….


I had a nice 3x9 stainless scope on mine. When we started camping in bear country I took it off. Figured I’m faster with irons. My 2 cents.

[Flyin6]

I wish mine had the mitten lever handle….


I had a nice 3x9 stainless scope on mine. When we started camping in bear country I took it off. Figured I’m faster with irons. My 2 cents.

Concur, faster with Irons

Now my experience with unexpected close in threats is the two legged variety.

I rolled with an ACOG, and still use it today, but the fastest target pickup I ever used is an EOTECH.

Matt Atkins suggested I get both. Swap them out.

But just this morning I got an email notification from Bud's gun shop. They just got a shipment of the new Smith and Wesson .44 magnum lever guns. Now that would make a good (better) deer gun because it is less cannon-like. There may be some parts of the animal still useable if hit by a .44 magnum rather than a 45-70. A gun like that would be more deserving of a scope-like optic.

https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/162329/smith+%26+wesson+model+1854+.44+rem+mag+19.25+stainless+threaded+9+1

Undecided at this point, but a reflex sight seems to fit the intended purpose (Fast response to an unexpected bear encounter)

[stlaser]

Meh……..

Back in Indiana growing up all we could use for whitetail was shotgun slugs. Then in my early 20’s they opened it for rifles with pistol cartridges such as the .44 mag. So I bought a lever in .44 mag and some of the top of the line deer rounds of the time. As a landowner I had quite a few doe tags and would shoot several just to donate to the local hunters for the hungry program.

Opening morning, 45 yards broadside and shot her where with a 12ga she wouldn’t have made it 10 ft. Well, she ran 200 yards and laid down. I caught up with her in this picked bean field. She got up and tried started to run again. Took second shot to bring her down so I could cut her neck and finish her off. I sold that gun shortly after. Took too many deer with 12ga and didn’t have to track them anywhere.

My 2 cents, use the 45-70 or a real rifle cartridge.

[Bob Smith]

I have a Ruger no. 1 stainless 45/70. Has a fixed front blade with an adjustable ghost ring rear. That setup works very well, bring it up to my shoulder and the front blade is centered in the ghost ring.

[oklawall]

Those bear loads kick just a little bit

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

[Flyin6]

I have a Ruger no. 1 stainless 45/70. Has a fixed front blade with an adjustable ghost ring rear. That setup works very well, bring it up to my shoulder and the front blade is centered in the ghost ring.

Mine too! I like that setup. I have been practicing bringing the gun to bear after carrying it and almost every single time my eye falls right on that ghost ring with the front sight centered.
Once I get back from the Utah and put some rounds through it, I'll know better how that all works.
I was out today looking at that SIG low power variable 1X-6x illuminated reticle scope. It's nice but I haven't made up my mind if I'll buy it, or the EOTEC or use nothing at all...

[Flyin6]

Those bear loads kick just a little bit

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

Funny, but the guy over at Field and Stream just said the same thing ;-)

[Flyin6]

I went with the Sig optic, 1X6x second focal plane.

I was playing around with it yesterday and I found it easy to pick up the reticle. With a second focal plane setup, the reticle stays nice and large more like a reflex sight.

They were on sale for $345 out the door so I ordered it. If I don't like it, I have a lonesome AR somewhere that could use it ;-)

[Flyin6]

So, first, I have that new Sig scope sitting on my desk.

Secondly, I do not think I'm going to use it!

I got to fire the weapon over in West Virginia this past weekend.

I took some 325-grain TUI ammo which is 1,800 FPS stuff designed to tumble upon impact (TUI). That really kicked, but not bad. Next up I banged out some 405 gr bear loads. That kicked more than the 325's. I was shooting at a steel boiler plate cover about 1.5" thick and I noticed the first three rounds hit the ground at the base of the plate. I moved my point of aim to the top rim and the rest of the rounds were smacking that steel hard.

So, why am I saying possibly no scope? Well, those rounds kicked so hard that without a good shoulder/cheek weld, you're going to eat a scope. If anything convinced me, Norm, my Army buddy I was visiting there handed me some 350 gr and then some 405 gr bear loads he had loaded up over 2,000fps. Those kicked so hard I was amazed. My shoulder still hurts.

I did one four-round simulated bear attack where I pumped them out as fast as I could, maybe 3 seconds for all four and I have to say that you are not going to be able to get any more off and you are going to have a hard time keeping on target because of the violent muzzle rise from each round. For now, I may just adjust the ghost ring sights and go with that.

Norm gave me a half dozen of his hot loads for the Wyoming trip. I'll use those on a slick top gun for now.

BTW, I LOVE that gun!

https://www.facebook.com/1408825386/videos/a.10232875608458351/832834182055845

[BobbyB]

So, first, I have that new Sig scope sitting on my desk.

Secondly, I do not think I'm going to use it!

Then look into an RMR or a similar red dot sight. If you're using it for brush gun/bear gun get a red dot on it and call it done.

[Flyin6]

So, first, I have that new Sig scope sitting on my desk.

Secondly, I do not think I'm going to use it!

Then look into an RMR or a similar red dot sight. If you're using it for brush gun/bear gun get a red dot on it and call it done.

That or just the sights it came with now makes the most sense

[stlaser]

And now you know why I pulled the deer scope on mine when it went to bear duty when tent camping Yellowstone

[Flyin6]

And now you know why I pulled the deer scope on mine when it went to bear duty when tent camping Yellowstone

Yes, I completely understand that now.

[Flyin6]

Norm, my friend showed me his 45/70 government model Marlin. Almost the same gun as mine, but blued. He has killed a bunch of whitetail with it, but said he preferred his .44 magnum lever Winchester for deer. Both were scoped.

I'm going to drive down and take a look at that new Smith and Wesson .44 Mag lever gun. If I decide to get that, it will be for deer and I'll scope it, but not this bear gun, I'm thinking.