Marlin 60 sight options for squirrel

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Prada
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Marlin 60 sight options for squirrel

Post by Prada »

I'm using the stock sights on my 60 but they are not ideal for sure. I was thinking of getting a red dot sight. Now I plunk with the rifle but like to squirrel hunt with it also. Just wondering if anyone used a red dot for squirrel? Can you get accuracy with them at squirrel ranges? In other words are the dots to big to enable good shot placement i.e. head shots? I am considering a Bushnell trs25.
I may go with a scope but would rather keep the rifle as light as possible.
Last edited by Prada on Sun Sep 02, 2018 10:00 am, edited 2 times in total.
a_canadian
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Re: Marlin 60 sight options for squirrel

Post by a_canadian »

I've used red dot, open sights, and various scopes for squirrels. All on air rifles, but the squirrel doesn't much care whether it's killed by a pellet or a bullet... With a Burris Fastfire III the red dot is 3MOA. Longest range I've dropped a grey squirrel with that was about 37 metres (around 40 yards), and at that distance the dot entirely covered the squirrel's head, at least to my eyes. That was an exceptional, and probably lucky shot, one I don't care to repeat. I use either a 4x compact scope (RWS), as most of my squirrels are inside 20 metres, or a 2-7x scope (Burris Rimfire) set to around 3.5x zoom. A decent scope in that range is going to weigh between 8oz and 12oz, so not a lot of extra baggage to carry.

The difference for my old eyes between open sights/red dot, and using a decently clear scope, is the difference between just hitting the middle of the squirrel... or choosing the exact spot at the base of the brain where I want the pellet to enter for the most efficient hit.
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John A.
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Re: Marlin 60 sight options for squirrel

Post by John A. »

I use a small power scope.

A Bushnell Banner shotgun scope actually.

1.5-5x scope.

Gives me near normal magnification for spotting and fast movers, and allows me to zoom in plenty good enough for those at longer distance that are just hanging out or eating on a limb.

And I also like the proshot or diamond reticle or whatever they call it.
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doubloon
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Re: Marlin 60 sight options for squirrel

Post by doubloon »

I have a red dot on my P1 which works well enough for short range, 30 yards give or take. I prefer it to a scope for close range. Although 30 yards is more or less the extreme end of what I consider "close", out to 20 yards it's GTG.

For longer range with the R9 I'm still using the 3-9x32 scope that came with it. It's a cheap piece of crap, I think one of the lenses is loose. I'll replace it with something similar some day, the longest successful shot I've taken with that scope was more like 50 yards give or take.
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Hatanenei
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Re: Marlin 60 sight options for squirrel

Post by Hatanenei »

I don't have any personal experience with a decent red dot scope. Sometime back my son got a GAMO semi-auto pistol and we have toyed with a couple of different things on it just to see how they work out. He got a cheapo red dot Sightmark https://thetacticalscopes.com/best-refl ... under-200/ thing that actually works pretty well. I'm guessing that if you mount it somewhat forward and learn to use it with both eyes open the target acquisition would be very fast in a multiple target scenario. Can see no reason it would be no worse than iron sights but since there is no magnification it won't be as good at range as a scope. I have a scope on both 22 rifles at the present time but may well swap to a red dot on one of them just for fun and the learning experience.
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