Short Range Brush Gun

[HoosierHunter07]

Looking for recommendations for a short range brush gun scope. I have a Marlin 1894 in 357 mag. I use it for whitetails. Shots don't get much farther than 50-75 yards. I've thought about a red dot, but my eyes are starting to get fuzzy. Looking for something in the 1-4x range.

 

[Cappy1099]

Looking for recommendations for a short range brush gun scope. I have a Marlin 1894 in 357 mag. I use it for whitetails. Shots don't get much farther than 50-75 yards. I've thought about a red dot, but my eyes are starting to get fuzzy. Looking for something in the 1-4x range.

All about the budget man! Those vx1 or 2 from Leupold are hard to beat.

 

[Choupique]

Accupoint 1-4 seems like the right choice for this.

 

[Cappy1099]

Accupoint 1-4 seems like the right choice for this.

Also solid!

 

[FLS]

Leupold used to make a fixed 2.5 with a heavy duplex. Had one on a Marlin 44 mag and 45/70 lever gun. It was about perfect and the heavy duplex was fast even in low light and thick cover. Never had an issue with any of the fixed powered Leupolds.

 

[HoosierHunter07]

I appreciate all the input. I probably should have included a budget. I probably need to stay around $500 or less. I know the rule is to spend more on optics than the rifle, but I'm having a hard time justifying that for 75 yards. I've got a 336 in .35 Rem that I might put something nicer on. I think the range and recoil justifies it.

 

[Scoutfan]

I run an old Leupold vx2 2-7 on my scoped brush gun. It has been solid and I never felt like I needed less than 2x

 

[wyosteve]

I have a Leupold 1.25-4 Firedot on my Marlin .45-70. Pleased with it.

 

[Choupique]

I had a couple 2-7 scopes that I liked a lot. 2x is low enough that you can study your own toenails if you want to. Leupold 2.5-8 is a good one too. Good heavy duplex reticle is good in low light at close range.

I just have a burning want for an illuminated LPVO for my .30-30 and .375

 

[juju]

Do you sit until the last minute of legal time or do you go home when you can't see with the naked eye? If the latter, a red dot with lighter lens coatings and NV levels will get it.

Otherwise, I have not seen any LPVO that was bright enough in the woods. The objectives just aren't big enough. The classic answer was a 1.5-6x40, but times are changing. Your budget may mean you need to shop scopes that do what the 1.5-6x does within a greater magnification range.

50' @ 100 yards field of view is enough for close shots. That usually equates to 2x. You can work around this if you practice with a brightly lit reticle, shooting both eyes open. You'll hit a little off horizontally. I find I lose the knack if I don't practice it.

6x on the high end with a 40mm+ objective is enough for the edges of legal shooting time. The worse your eyes, the more you spend and the more likely you are to need an illuminated reticle. If you're over the hill, plan on your eyes getting worse and spend more to save in the long run. Europtic has S&B and Zeiss 1.5-6x that would relieve you of having to wonder if got something good enough.

 

[Macintosh]

As I age, Im a fan of having at least a little magnification in the back pocket to help pick a hole through the sea of twigs, which is what’s likely limiting your range in the first place. Loving my accupoint 1-6 for this, in part because it has great eye relief and a very forgiving eyebox, and I have not felt really limited by it at last light…its not a s&b with a 56mm objective, but for the style of hunting I do it really hasnt been a limitation. A 2-whatever would be good too. I dont know if the new trijicon huron and ascent 1-6’s have the same eye-relief—looks like maybe not—but those would be worth a hard look imo.

 

[RockAndSage]

If the shots are averaging 50-75yds, and the optimal red-dot isn't an option, then you might strongly consider the Primary Arms microprisms, in 1x or 3x. They're compact, much lighter than an LPVO, and far more rugged. I have a bit of an astigmatism, and absolutely love the ones I've used on a turkey gun and a PCC I put together.

In the application you're talking about, the only reason I wouldn't run a red dot would be because I wanted the something that worked with my eyes better.

 

[Jpsmith1]

Short range like that?

Slap a good dot on it and roll.

Ultradot are nice

 

[mi650]

I went thru a similar dilemma with my 336 a few years ago, after shooting a maple tree instead of a deer with 20 minutes of legal light left. (Nikon Pro Staff 3-9x40.)

Went to my LGS the next day, bound and determined to buy a Z3. Ended up with a VX5 HD 2-10, due in no small part to the 2 Leupold reps that were there and the price they gave me on it. It got the job done, but I can't help but think I'd have been better served with the Z3.

 

[rayporter]

most of my life i hunted with a 4x or a 1-4x then gradually topped things off with a 2-7x. it works well in the woods.

last month some friends took me out banging steel with a semi auto and a red dot.. my first time with a dot and i was hitting with ease out to 80yd, surprised me a lot.