My Guide Gun wears a XO Systems scout scope rail with a Leupold 1.5X pistol scope. The eye relief is too long, but it's still usable by mounting the scope as far forward as it will go. For backup I used the Wild West Guns ghost ring sight but the XO sight is just as good.

Groups are well under 2" at 100yds using the 350gr Hornady flat point. Off the bench it's not really much fun but your dentist will love putting the fillings back in. From field positions it's a dream, you bring it to your shoulder and the crosshairs are just floating out there on target, feels like pointing like a good shotgun. It's a realy nice system, plus you can still carry it by the action and scoped eyebrow isn't a problem .

Mine has a leupold vari-x II 1x4 20mm scope.Its the perfect size scope for a levergun!

Well just to make my point about the attitude to the 45/70 by some/few on the bigbore forum check out this thread, I would ask please don't add fuel to the fire just let the thread die.

"45-70 oldie but goodie!" thread in big bore forum

416. I'm sure youve been around theese forums long enough to know that when some one starts a thread like that with such wild statements that it is going to cause a stir. That has very little to do with the 45-70. I don't know about the other strand your refering to because I don't believe I ever saw it. The strand you posted a link to would be a problem here or any place else. In point of fact you could just about bank on a good amount of bickering on any forum that you show up on and make such pointed statements. I expect you'd get the very same responses if you started by saying the 375 H&H is best caliber ever for anything.
I used a Burris 4x on my 1895 guide gun and it was great. I wish I never would have let that scope go with the gun. I have a few Leupolds and I've had great luck with them. I don't care for the small objective on the 4x Leupold. I now use a Nikon 4x on my Marlin 1894 44 mag ( 40 mm ). It is nice but IMO not as clear or focused as the Leupolds.

Hello and welcome. Let me apologize for your treatment on the Big Bore site. Sometimes the people forget that the prerequisite for that site is .375 on up. Well the last time I checked .457 fit right in there. You have made a good choice in both scope and the 300gn. I have owned and loaded 45-70's for 30+ years and you have a fine weapon there. Consider reloading, the 45-70 is a dream to load and 1850+fps and 3000+ ME is easy to obtain in your rifle. Good luck on your hunt and try back on Big Bore they are truly a great bunch of guys with very few exceptions. Take care and God bless.


cordell

The scope I have on my marlin 45/70 is a leupold 2.5x compact which I feel is a great choice for a 45/70 lever gun..it's small profile also suits the riufle asthetically. It is also a very tough scope I have one on a custom .585 Nyati and it handles the recoil on that no worries, also have them on a .458 lott and .416 Rigby. 2.5x magnification is all you need IMHO for a 45/70.

Great calibre to buy the way !!

Oh,

buy the way....if you shoot some bigger stuff with your 45/70 I reccomend the woodleigh 405 gr 45/70 bullet....they list it especially for the 45/70 lever guns, it expands great and retains heaps of weight, it's the perfect heavy game bullet for the 45/70 I reckon.

I find the 400 speers to be very soft, the rem 405 gr a little harder and the 300 gr sierra HPFN's are explosive and lose there cores quite easily. For me now it's 405 gr rem's for grassy's and 405 gr woodleigh's for bigger tougher stuff.