Choosing The Best Scope For Marlin 795 – Reviewed 2025

The Marlin 795 is a solid choice for a semi-automatic rifle chambered in .22 LR. Rimfire cartridges present a unique engineering challenge for a semi-automatic rifle, but there are some good options out there that offer good reliability, and the Marlin 795 is one of them. It has an 18 inch barrel and weighs 4.5 pounds. It’s very similar to the Marlin 60.

The Marlin 795 comes with a 10-round magazine, but you can get a 25-round magazine for it as well. With how difficult it is to find .22 ammo out there right now, it will take you longer to buy it than to shoot it. When you do finally get your hands on some and are ready to head out to the range, you’ll probably want an optic to go with it to get as much versatility as you can.

In this article, we’re going to go over our picks for the best scopes for the Marlin 795, and we picked these because they are a good fit for the .22 round in general, for the things you’ll most likely be using your 795 for, and be in a decent price range. Before we get into the recommendations, though, let’s talk about how you can decide on the best scope on your own.

8 Best Scopes for Marlin 795

The Simmons is a basic 3-9x that comes with a Truplex reticle, which is a duplex that has thicker lines towards the outside that taper into thinner lines at the center. It comes with dovetail rings which should work on the Marlin 795, and the 3-9x magnification covers the sweet spot for a .22 LR round.

The Hydroshield lens coating keeps your image sharp and clear even in rainy weather and it has rubber grips on the turret adjustments so that they can be used even if you’re wearing gloves.

Overall, Simmons is not a brand I’m a big fan of, but their .22 Mag riflescope is actually pretty impressive. Image quality is solid and it isn’t nearly as flimsy as some of their other scope models. It will definitely hold up well to the recoil of the Marlin 795.

2. Barska Plinker-22 3-9x32mm

Here’s another budget option for 3-9x, and on the Barska the parallax is set to 50 yards, which makes it good for close and mid range shooting compared to a scope fixed at 100 yards. It also includes dovetail rings like the Simmons and a 30/30 reticle, which is similar to the Truplex but instead of tapering from thick to small the thick lines just stop suddenly and the thin lines start.

It’s a solid design with good image quality for the price and plenty of durability for your Marlin. Eye relief is at 3.5 inches, which should be comfortable for most shooters, and it only weighs 11.5 ounces, which means it will feel nice and light and won’t add much to the overall weight of your rifle set-up. 

The turrets are a bit different from the Simmons but are finger adjustable and don’t require special tools. Barska also offers a limited lifetime warranty on their scopes, which is good to know, but they only cover defects in materials and workmanship.

3. Vortex Optics Strike Eagle 1-8x24mm SFP Riflescope

This is the scope you get if you want to go all out for your Marlin 795. Sure, getting this much scope for a .22 may be like putting a spoiler on your Honda Accord, but if you want to maximize the capabilities of your Marlin then this is a good bet.

Parallax is fixed at 100 yards, so for short-range shots it will be noticeable. The most important way to combat the parallax is simply to practice, which means you have a great excuse for going to the range more often. The BDC 3 reticle is a lot more versatile than standard crosshairs, especially with how many different ranges you’ll be shooting at.

What makes this scope great is that it opens up all the way to a true 1x magnification power, which makes it almost as effective as a red dot for CQB (close quarters battle) and other close range shots, but it also zooms in as tightly as 8x, which means you can see a target as clearly at 200 yards as you can at 25 yards with the naked eye. 

A lot of other handy features like reticle illumination and a throw lever on the mag ring are here, the image quality and durability are amazing, and it’s overall a fantastic scope. You do, however, pay a much higher price to use this scope.

4. Vortex Optics Crossfire II

If you like the image quality from Vortex but aren’t ready to drop so much money on the Strike Eagle, you can also consider the Crossfire II 2-7x32. This is a much more affordable scope and it does all the basics just as well as the Strike Eagle. It’s matte black and has the same lens coatings.

You obviously can’t zoom in or out as far, you miss out on the reticle illumination and the throw lever, but a lot of the other functionality will be the same. The windage and elevation adjustment turrets are resettable to zero, and the adjustment clicks are .25 MOA, which gives you plenty of control even at 200 yards.

If you’re adjusting at 25 yards, though, .25 MOA may be annoyingly precise, since each click will be about 1/16 of an inch. There are tradeoffs with everything, and precise clicks at long ranges turn into too many clicks at short ranges. The strength of this scope makes it a good choice for an airgun if you’re looking for something you can swap over.

Want to know more about best vortex scopes? Check out our guide.

5. CVLife 4x32 Scope

This scope is almost ridiculously affordable. It’s a great option for a fixed 4x magnification scope on a Marlin 795. The image quality is fine, especially considering the price, and it is durable enough to hold up to the little recoil that you will get. 

No, it’s not an ACOG, or even a Primary Arms SLx, but those would be much more than you need for a .22 LR. You still get the tactical flexibility of a fixed 4x magnification and a decent mil-dot reticle that can make those 200 yard shots do-able, though they won’t be as easy to see as they would with more magnification.

CVLife isn’t known for being high quality, but this 4x32mm scope in matte black does the job well, and deserves it’s spot on the list of the best Marlin 795 scopes.

6. Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9x40mm Riflescope

This is another premium option that would be up there with the Strike Eagle. The difference is that this Leupold has the standard 3-9x magnification range and a 40mm objective. The large objective combined with Leupold’s advanced optical system means the light transmission, glare reduction, and image clarity is going to beat out any other scope on this list, even the Strike Eagle.

The real question you need to ask yourself is whether you need that perfect image for your Marlin 795. As much as I love Leupold, it’s certainly possible that it’s a bit overkill for pest control or target shooting out to 200 yards with a .22 LR. It’s a great scope, but it might not make sense.

If you do buy the Leupold, though, you’ll never have to buy another scope for your Marlin 795, because the Leupold warranty is forever, so if it ever malfunctions or breaks (unless you bash it against a rock) they will repair or replace it free of charge. It may be worth investing a bit more now to save money in the long run. Plus it is a scope that will work just as well for a larger caliber.

Nikon Prostaff Rimfire II vs. Leupold VX-Freedom

A lot of shooters compare the image quality from Nikon with Leupold. Nikon no longer makes riflescopes, but if image quality is one of your highest priorities then finding a Nikon Prostaff Rimfire II may be worthwhile. It’s much more affordable, so if price is the issue then the Nikon could be a good way to go.

Parallax is set to 50 yards and the adjustments are .5 MOA, which comes from the Prostaff Rimfire II being specifically designed for rimfire cartridges, while the Leupold VX-Freedom is designed to work with any caliber. 

7. Sig Sauer Romeo5 1x20mm Compact Red Dot Sight

If you’re looking for a red dot sight, then I would highly recommend the Romeo5, and there are a few reasons why. #1 is that it’s compatible with night vision, so if you are using it for pest control around the ranch or cabin, then you can combine it with a night vision device (NVD) and take the fight to those nocturnal creatures wreaking havoc in the dark.

The second reason is that it has a 2 MOA dot, which keeps it small enough not to cover too much of your target when you’re shooting farther out. Sig’s MOTAC technology will shut the dot off when it doesn’t detect motion for awhile and helps preserve your battery life if you’re like me and constantly forget to turn off the dot. 

It’s waterproof, fog-proof, shockproof, and has 10 different daylight illumination settings to make sure you can see it no matter when you’re shooting.

8. BSA Sweet .22 3-9x40mm Rifle Scope

You may be wondering why, with all the great 3-9x scopes already on this list, I am adding yet another one. The answer is simple: parallax adjustment. This is the only scope on this list that offers parallax adjustment, so if that is something that is important to you, here you go. It’s not an adjustable objective, it’s a side-focus knob.

As much as I love parallax adjustment, it’s really a feature that makes a bigger difference at long ranges. That said, if your scope is zeroed at 100 yards, then (I think) shooting at 25x the parallax will be as bad as it would be shooting at 400x. I could be wrong but that is my impression of how the math works.

A .22 LR like the Marlin 795 poses an interesting challenge then, where it’s intended to shoot anywhere between 25 and 200 yards, so fixed parallax can cause problems. Everything else about the BSA is fairly standard; 30/30 reticle, 3-9x magnification, 40mm objective lens, etc.

Mounting Ring Options For Marlin 795

A lot of the scopes on this list come with dovetail scope rings that should work on the Marlin 795 (no promises), but if you’re wanting to play it safe or you end up buying one that doesn’t come with dovetail rings, you may be wondering what the best option for a scope mount is. These are all available on Amazon.

1. Leapers Accushot 1-PC Mount

Simple and straightforward, this is a great way to get the scope on there fairly quickly and take a lot of the guesswork out of the process. Because of the one-piece design, you don’t have to work on aligning the angle of the rings before putting in the scope, which can help preserve the life of your scope by making sure that it’s mounted perfectly before shooting.

2. Sniper Rail Mount Adapter

This is a great option if the scope comes with Picatinny or Weaver rings or you bought them separately. This adapter gives you a picatinny rail to mount on.You just put this on first, then put the rings on. This is a perfect solution for the Sig Romeo5 if that’s what you’re going for. It’s also perfect if you already have Picatinny or Weaver rings that you want to use with your new scope.

Once you have a picatinny rail or weaver rail, your rifle will be near-universal in compatibility.

3. Redfield See- Thru Dovetail Rings

This is the way to go if you want rings that allow you to still use your iron sights as a backup or for close-range shots. These would pair particularly well with the CVLife or any other fixed magnification optic, but also would work with pretty much all of the scopes on this list. The only advantage to these is the ability to see, and I wouldn’t recommend them on a rifle with more recoil than a Marlin 795.

Buying Guide

Shopping for a .22 LR scope is nice compared to shopping for something bigger, because everything is so comparably affordable and easy to understand. We’re not really talking about handgun scopes, but we will have several high end rimfire riflescope options as well as some budget, quality scope options. 

3-9, 2-7, or Fixed at 4?

You’ve got a lot of options when it comes to magnification, but it’s worth keeping in mind that the .22 LR really isn’t great for shooting past 150 yards. At 200 yards, a 40gr .22 LR round will drop 32 inches if it’s zeroed at 100 yards. If you plan to try shooting past 200 yards, then you may want to look at higher magnification, but for most us, 9x is about as high as we need to go.

There are more options than just 3-9x, 2-7x, and a fixed 4x magnification, and in fact my own personal favorite on this list (assuming money is no object) is a 1-8x, and I also added a red dot with 1x magnification, but for most shooters, a standard 3-9x or 2-7x if going to be the right range, and since those scopes are available for less money, it makes sense for a .22 rifle.

Your Marlin 795 is probably not your primary rifle. .22 LR isn’t a great round for hunting, defense, or LRP shooting. It really shines doing pest control around the ranch, farm, or cabin, plinking at the range, varmint hunting, or for target practice.

The tasks that .22 LR is good for do not really require high magnification. Even a 4x will work for up to 200 yards depending on what you’re shooting at, and if you’re doing close to mid-range pest control then even a red dot with no magnification at all can work great. 

Beyond the Basics: What Features Matter Most?

So all the scopes we’re recommending have all the basics covered: they’re rainproof, fog proof, and can handle the recoil from a .22 just fine and should be durable enough to last in most weather conditions. They’re going to have passable image quality and light transmission and be reasonably well constructed.

Beyond that, there are some features that set apart the best options from a cheap scope. The biggest thing will be the quality of the multi-coating on the lenses. More affordable lenses may not be multi-coated at all, and will just be “fully coated”.

Very few scopes in this range have parallax adjustment, and instead have it fixed at either 50 or 100 yards. This can be detrimental for a rifle shooting .22 LR because so often you want to go from as close as 25 yards to as far as 200 yards, and the parallax becomes very noticeable.

It’s also important to compare warranties, because even though we all wish we never needed a warranty, a company offering a warranty can be a strong indicator that the company puts enough effort into their scopes that they don’t lose money repairing or replacing faulty scopes that they sell.

You’ll want a reticle that suits your preference, and if you don’t have a preference then you’ll probably want to start with a basic duplex and gain your own experience with what you wish could be added to the reticle. 

Final Thoughts

All of our recommendations should be available on Amazon or OpticsPlanet, and if you’re looking for something with more magnification than the options we’ve listed here, the Bushnell 4-12x40 may be worth a look. A lot of the options here will also work great on a Ruger 10/22 or other .22 rifles from Ruger, Remington, or other manufacturers.

References

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