Typically, any rifle can be used for target practice, and that might seem like common sense or not worth mentioning. Since there are competitions for target shooting, however, it was deemed worth bringing up briefly, if only to say that yes, the Marlin 795 rifle can be a winner on the range. If you are less a competitor and more a hunter, however, this rifle will do the job on any small game animal that comes to mind when you think of the word “varmint”. Rabbits, raccoons, porcupine, and so forth will be all yours with this gun if you can aim straight and true.

While there are other versions of the Marlin 795 – some of which are discontinued by the manufacturer for one reason or another – they all share the same barrel length and statistics. The barrel, much like other Marlins, has a grooved receiver for a scope mount, an adjustable open rear-sight and ramp front-sight. It has the same microgroove rifling, which means there are 16 more shallow grooves than the deeper 8 grooves of other brands. This is to reduce bullet distortion and increase accuracy. The length of the barrel is eighteen inches and comes in either a blued-black finish or stainless steel on the 70 PSS “Takedown” version of the gun. Both barrel versions come with the same base sight system: an adjustable open rear-sight and a ramp front sight. Of course, you can attach something else if you would prefer, to increase the accuracy of your aim, but plenty of users were just fine with the manufacturer basic sight system. The best advice would be to pick up some ammo, take it to a range, and test out how user friendly you find the sight as is. If you think you may want an alternative – a laser scope or something else – there are plenty of options out there.

While there have been several versions of the Marlin 795 released, some are discontinued, and others are much less commonly available, so the focus is going to remain on the two that are still available for acquisition: The Marlin 795 and the Marlin 70PSS “Takedown”. Both of these versions come in the Monte Carlo black fiberglass reinforced stock with molded-in checkering and swivel studs. Other Marlin 795 models might have more options in terms of barrel, but with them being in questionable supply it might be more pertinent to mention the single option available with the models available today. Discontinued models are out there, some being retired as recently as twenty or thirty years ago, but without knowing much in the way of quantities or options, it seems something like teasing to mention features or cosmetic appearances that might differ from the 795 and 70PSS.

A good hunting rifle is the kind that you can carry on your trip all day and not feel burdened by. After all, you are going to have dinner on your belt as you trek back out, so you don’t want an overly cumbersome gun making a nuisance of itself by slowing you down. The Marlin 795 at only 37 inches long, weighs in less than 5 pounds – four and a half, to be exact – and as such is classified as lightweight in the rifle field. Even the stainless steel 70 PSS sits at these comfortably light numbers, giving you peace of mind that your hike back to the car after a long day of target practice or rabbit hunting will be easy on your body. There is really no such thing as an overly weighty gun when you have fun shooting it, at least as far as the theory of relativity reaches, but it is always good to know how heavy your gun is before you set out into the woods, especially if you happen to be a backpacking hunter who stays out camping for extended periods as opposed to driving back to a lodge or hotel between bouts of hunting.

There are at least half a dozen aftermarket tack-on items that can be added to your Marlin 795. Depending on where you purchase, if you opt for the “Takedown” the rifle comes with a carry case, breaking down in seconds to fit snugly inside. There are also various non-breakdown carry cases if you opt for the 795 or prefer not to take your gun apart other than cleanings. There are rifle slings that could be attached to your gun to aid you during the day, as well. The receiver of any Marlin 795 option is grooved for a scope-mount, so those are an obvious choice, such as the Tech-Sight Peep Sight or the Leupold VX-I Rimfire Optic. Consider how much money you want to spend on extras before you buy, and do your research, because certain scopes won’t work with the 795’s grooves. You might be forced into purchasing an adapter if you buy a scope mount without clarifying that it will fit, such as a Leapers Accushot – you would need an adapter to make that particular model work with your Marlin. There are more scopes that would require an adapter but listing them all would be overkill. If you are physically walking into a store to purchase something aftermarket for your rifle, be very clear on what gun you are mounting it on and what gun it says it is compatible with, or you might wind up needing that receipt for an exchange. Of course, someone who is fine with the standard off-the-line built in sight system might want to accessorize their Marlin 795 or Marlin 70PSS differently. If you find yourself more concerned with the amount of times you can fire, then you may want to look into an accessory such as the 25-round longer magazine. While it is unclear how much weight it adds, or how cumbersome it is while hunting, there is also a 70-round drum magazine option, if you find yourself with a need to fire 70 times before reloading.

The standard magazines on the Marlin 795 come in either 7 or 10 and it fires .22LR rounds. Like some others in the Marlin family, the 795 can be finicky. You may hear from a friend that theirs takes Winchester 555 hollow point cartridges, but then when you buy one for yourself you find that yours prefers Remington or Federal brand. There are also other selections compatible with your rifle, including CCI Minimag, Stinger, and so on. There can also be choices such as Standard or High Velocity, or even Hyper Velocity. Not every kind of ammunition is appropriate for your needs, but there is some wiggle room with others. For example, Hyper Velocity ammunition in the Marlin 795 has been reported as doing unnecessary wear and tear on the buffer. With so many choices out there, be sure to get input from plenty of sources but always refer back to your owner’s manual (they are usually available online, if one does not come included in your purchase of a firearm) to get the official recommendations and shop with those in mind. Expect to spend some time on the range getting to know what your Marlin 795 likes; you might want to try out several kinds before settling on the type of ammunition you are going to buy for this rifle. If well taken care of, it will last for many years, so knowing out of the gate what you should be purchasing will save you time, hassle, and money down the road. When you know what your gun needs, you can provide it; if you think you have something ‘good enough’ and it jams, you will kick yourself, and you might be cursing and watching your dinner run away through the underbrush to boot.

As stated, the Marlin 795 comes in a seven or ten shot magazine. The rifle is autoloading with side ejection and the automatic “last-shot” bolt hold-open that Marlin is known for. You can also operate it manually, and as with most Marlin models it is singularly a right-hander mechanism. There is no lefty-flip option for this rifle, sorry left-handers. Just be sure that you are doing your ammunition research, because it seems that certain 795s will take certain ammo with a grain of salt, so to speak: the ammunition may not auto-load as advertised due to subtle (or not so subtle) differences between the cartridge and the magazine or barrel. Several aftermarket magazines are available that can hold more than the manufacturer standard 7 or 10 shot. Some hold 25 rounds, but the drum magazine can hold seventy. While this may sound a bit obvious, it bears stating that your magazine may not play nicely with all brands of ammunition either, so you might have to find a happy medium between not having to reload as frequently and having to manually enact what should be an auto-load rifle, because the ammo you’re using works with the gun smoothly, but not the aftermarket magazine. There may be slight nuances that are there to frustrate you. Doing some simple digging on the internet might find you a dozen or more personal experiences, and that information is good to have, but until you have your Marlin in your hands, you will not have an answer for what will work for that particular Marlin.

Depending on whether you opt for the Marlin 795 or the Marlin 70PSS “Takedown” will change the final appearance of your rifle, if only slightly. The standard model has the same blued-finish along the barrel and received, and a black-fiberglass reinforced stock. If you decide to go with the “Takedown” model, the barrel will be stainless steel instead. Neither has any technical or mechanical differences despite the difference in appearance, so your decision is really just based on the aesthetic you prefer. It might help to consider where you intend to use the rifle. If you’re going to be spending most of your time on the range, firing in competitions or even recreational, it will not matter about being stealthy. If you find yourself planning on going hunting, you may want to consider the more subtle blue-black sort of finish of the standard 795.

As with any firearm, use due caution at all times: every firearm is loaded and ready to fire. Never point a gun at anyone, even if you are certain that you have the safety on. These are basic safety measures that every gun owner should uphold at all times. In addition to the practical safety measures of every gun, there is a state notice in California attached to this and many other firearms and tools. The notice in questions is available for full study at www.p65warnings.ca.gov and pertains to certain chemicals being a part of the composition of the materials used to make the Marlin 795, and what effects that may or may not occur. Anyone shopping for any firearm with this warning is encouraged to educate themselves on these and any other warnings they come across and make informed decisions on what they might purchase. Specifically, to the Marlin 795 rifle’s safety features, it comes standard with a cross-bolt safety. This is a fairly common safety on many rifles across the board, but it is also a favorite specifically of Marlin rifles. It is also the one part of a gun that, if in disrepair, should always be taken to a professional for any mending required. There is no downside to having your firearm’s most important safety feature looked at by a pro; there is most definitely a potential downside to trying to fix it yourself, possibly not doing so correctly, and having something go wrong when you next attempt to use the gun. In responsible hands, a gun is a helpful hunting tool or a sportsman’s equipment. In foolish hands it is potentially deadly, even by accident.

It will likely be unsurprising that the separate versions of the Marlin 795 have differing costs. You might be surprised to hear just how different but consider the difference in materials and extra features involved first. On the low end, you will be looking at approximately one hundred sixty dollars, but on the higher end of things you will see price tags around three-hundred fifty. The more expensive model will be the 70PSS and the stainless-steel barrel thereon, but even that higher number will fluxuate based on where you buy, any extras or warranties you might find, and so on and so forth. Having options means having more wiggle room when shopping around for the best deal, but always remember to bear in mind what you might be giving up in value in order to avoid a cost. Are you buying from a small gun shop and not getting a warranty, manual, or the carry case (if you opt for the stainless-steel version)? Are you paying a padded price tag just because a retailer is the only one in the area? Could you get the same deal online? Is someone running a sale with extras tacked on that you were looking at purchasing anyway? These are all things to consider for their value when you check the cost of your Marlin 795 or 70PSS.

Automatic “last-shot” bolt hold-open with cross-bolt safety
Microgroove rifling for accuracy
Receiver grooves for scope mounts

There are plenty of rifles for small game and target shooting. The Marlin 795 collection, made up of the standard 795 or the 70 PSS “Takedown”, are among the more reliable weapons in the category of a rimfire rifle. True to Marlin fashion, you need to learn what yours prefers in terms of ammunition, but once you have found the rifle’s favorite brand of ammo to eat, you will be all set to go. This rifle is good quality for the price, and if you opt for the stainless-steel “Takedown” version you also get a convenient carrying case with purchase from most retailers. The sleek appearance of the grooved receiver and fiberglass-reinforced composition of the Monte Carlo black stock are a dashing yet functional visual, and at less than five pounds, it weighs less than the rabbits you will be able to bring home for dinner. The Marlin 795 rifle serves its purposes well and looks good doing it, whether you seek out extra aftermarket accessories or keep it as plain as when it comes out of the box.