Once and well, or many and poorly?

[Gregoriev]

The title is an old Greek proverb that says when you do something you should only ever do it once and do it right the first time. Just in case you were wondering.

Applying this proverb to guns however, is a little more problematic. I will be picking up a marlin 60 with iron sights this thursday, and hitting the range that same friday. I would like to mount a scope on the gun, but I dont know what to pick.

I was looking through the scopes walmart had, and found a decent one for $100, but also found another very good one for $130. Yes, this DOES make a difference to me. The cheaper scope is a little over half the size of the larger one, and is pretty preportional to the gun. The larger one however is friggen huge compared to the gun, but for such a small price difference I see no reason not to buy it...but I stil just dont know which one to pick.

Does anyone have a recommendation for scope I could purchase (online or at a gun store) that would be under $150 and would give me very good accuracy on a stock marlin-60?

EDIT:
My friend recommends I purchase the cheapest scope I can, and then buy a much more expensive one along with a better rifle later on. I was hopping just to transplant the Marlin scope to the better rifle in the future, and maybe save some money. Any thoughts?

[Gregoriev]

Not a single recomendation?:shocked:

[p7k3]

My opinion on optics is you get what you pay for, if it were me I would search all the usual on line auctions & Gun List to look for either a Burris , Leupold or other QUALITY used scope. This way down the line if you upgrade your rifle you will have good optics to transfer. I have seen BSA scopes with the lense's falling out at the range.
Also if you buy a good used scope you will be able to recoup your money, try that with a cheapo.
Also take a look in Cabella's return section in one of their stores.
They usually have quite a few returns.
Good luck!

Rick

[Stud Duck]

Go to www.swfa.com & post your question on the optics talk forum. You'll get plenty of good optics advice there.

[RayB]

Assuming comparable quality, and equal magnification, the larger scope will offer a brighter image, a wider field of view, and greater eye relief (how close the eye needs to be to the scope).

Some of the formulas used in astronomical telescopes apply here...

A
Scope Focal Length
_____________________ = Magnification

Eyepiece Focal Length


B
Scope Focal Length
__________________ = Focal Ratio

Primary Aperture


C
Primary Aperture
______________________ = Exit Pupil

Eyepiece Magnification


A) 10X is at the upper end of hand-holdable magnification.

B) Lower f-ratios (say, below f/7) give wider fields of view and brighter images.

C) Bigger numbers mean greater eye relief, but anything above 7 mm is wasted on human eyes.

--Ray

[Pierre!]

Haven't heard you talk about the scope mounts...

Those can ding ya pretty hard... and be problematic on rifles where the scope really doesn't belong...

When it comes to selection of scope, you better have a plan A, and a plan B when it comes to mounts...

Had a $450 scope cost me over $300 to mount one time... and since then, unless you got the mounts figured out YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW what the Scope will cost you in the long run....

Just a thought...
Just a thought...

HTH

[Gregoriev]

Yeah, the larger scope I really wanted for 130 was rediculously large compared to the gun itself. I mean literally like 1/3 the length of the barrel. You have to remember that I am using a marlin-60, and despite my wild imagination it's a really small gun.

that thing would look RETARDED with such a large scope on it. So I decided to stick with the included iron sights. Learn some real marksmanship, save some money, and not be embarrassed at the range by looking like some idiot wanna be with an insanely large scope on a tiny little gun.

At least that's what I reasoned when I actually placed the two items side by side.