I just traded an old Polaris 700 ATV that needs a ton of work for the Trapper in 44 mag. It's in great shape but it came with a crappy BSA 22 Special 4x32 scope on it.



What would be a good scope for this rifle? Info on quality bases and mounts? It will mostly be a plinker with some deer hunting occasionally. Iron/peep sights aren't an option due to my aging eyes.

I have that in .357  

Your rifle is a hard kicking short range weapon, only because of issues caused by the looping trajectory and guessing range exactly.  My 2.5x scope works fine in Williams(?) see-thru mounts.  The thing is, I keep taking it off and tossing it in a dresser drawer because I can still see irons, plus it tends to spoil the lines/feel of the rifle.

A 4x wide angle scope will answer for any hunting purposes you may have for the .44Mag

Scope Brands?  Heh heh, don't ask cheapskates like me.  I would not put a physically huge scope on it, tho.

Congratulations on your new Trapper!
Scoping leverguns makes them less "handy", because it affects their balance. Light weight close to the center of gravity has the least effect on balance: you want a straight-tube, short, light, and low-powered scope that you can mount very low. You do not want a big, heavy, high-magnification "moon scope" in see-thru rings.

As far as mounting goes, the lower the better. There's nothing wrong with the time-tested and proven Weaver bases and rings, except they aren't "pretty". They are lighter than many other choices, and that's important (see above).  
 
Something like the Leupold VX-1 1-4x20 Hog scope or Shotgun/Muzzleloader scope would be ideal. They are basically the same scope with different reticles. Both run about $225.
If you need to go cheaper, the Weaver 1-3x20 is about $175.
I have both the Leupold and Weaver on one or another levergun, and they work well.

I have a FX2 2.5X Ultralight on my 44 - very pleased with it.

I have a Weaver 1-3X on my Marlin 336.  I found the scope on sale for $125 new, which was a good deal.  I'm happy with the quality of the glass for a sub $200 optic.  I usually keep it dialed in at 2x, since I expect to take shots somewhere between 30 and 70 yards.  

My scope is mounted in Warne Low QD rings which attach to a an Evolution Gun Works picatinny rail.  I like this set up because I can throw two levers and then be back to irons.  If you don't want to go QD, then a lot of people rave about the Talley ultralight combined ring/mount option.

This or this

I have the 3x on a CZ 550 chambered in 9.3x62 and I love it.

Bradd_D,

For a fixed 3X power optic the Leupold is really spendy. I'm assuming for the price point in a lower power fixed scope the optical quality must be phenomenal and the scope pretty much immune to recoil.  Can you confirm?

I haven't broken mine yet. I had a 2.5x on a Marlin 45/70 and it was a good scope. The 3x just gives you more latitude with regards to scope placement. The 2.5x is pretty short.

Good to know.  I've been shooting for many years but only recently started hunting with my rifles.  The more I spend time after game, the more I'm moving away from 3-9 scopes towards either low power variables or even low power fixed scopes.  9X is nice for shooting tight groups, but I like 2X to 3X for taking shots on game.   Those Leupolds low power fixed scopes are on my short list.

Leupold 3x