Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Beware of Simmons scopes.

The reason that I thought that Simmons would rattle into little pieces on my ole 37 is because when my son built his 358WSM he put a new Aetec on it and when he shot it the whole ocular bell section fell off onto the bench!

Jim

The downside now is the scope on your gun has been whacked repeatedly with a hammer. It just might fail sometime... but its tough to blame the scope now!

I have a Simmons that I kept on a my .30-06 and it was dead on for 7 years before I even had to adjust it. The optics were not that great though. You could see small horns on a distant deer nearing dusk through my brothers Tasco World Class, but you couldnt see them through my Simmons Pro Hunter. That was enough to get me off the Simmons wagon for my main guns, but I still have that scope mounted to a rifle I dont currently use. It has held up well and was worth the money I paid for it.

FAIL, Simmons, FAIL!

Jim

Bought a Savage Mod.10 "package rifle" in 300 WSM in Mar. '04; came with a Simmons 3-9x 40mm 8-Point scope already on it. Had it on there for the first 98 rounds before putting a Leupold 3.5-10x 40mm VX-111 on it in Oct. '05. No problems. Then a few years later I put it on a sporterized #4 Mk I Lee-Enfield when the Tasco that had been on it for 12 years crapped out after 765 rounds of 303 British. It was on the Enfield for a total of 42 rounds before I replaced it with one of the new Redfield Revolution 4-12x 40mm's with the Accu-Range reticle. That's a total of 140 rounds from 2 different rifles on the Simmons and still no problems. So now it's for temporary/backup use, like when the Tasco died I used the Simmons until I could get something better. The glass ain't as good as a Leupold but it's not bad for a cheap scope. So while I STILL can't trust anything that says "SIMMONS" on it I still can't really complain about this one; at least not yet.

the only simmons I had was a "44 Mag", 44 mm objective 3x9. I noticed when I zoomed in and out, the cross hair moved about 3". That was the last time I'll ever buy a simmons. If in the market for low end scope, I'd choose a tasco or bushnell any day over the simmons.

I've had 1 Simmons cope in my life and thats a Aetec, knock on wood I've had it for about 15 or 16yrs on a 30 -06 and never had a seconds trouble out of it.

The older Whitetail Expedition is a great scope, I've been using one for many years as is some earlier makes of the Aetecs. I've also heard that the Presidential Series is very good. These were not your blister pack wal-mart specials and sometimes you can still find a Whitetail Expedition on auctions but they ain't cheap. Not for for sure about the latest stuff from Simmons as they've been bought out and changed hands so many times. I think Simmons still has my phone number blocked, we ain't been on speakin terms for many years since they were in Ga., he he.

See, I told you guys: They are just like fat chicks and volkswagons....

I had one Simmons that was good and one that was awful. Bushnell Trophys have given me good service to.

I've owned a lot of cheap scopes over the years. I've never had one let me down.

Finally, confirmation that a lot of guys buy scopes as status symbols. Probably the same guys that have air-cushioned toilet seats, designer labels sewed on the outside of their clothes and fuzzy slippers. If you can't hunt buffalo (on either continent) with a Barska scope and 12 pack of Bud - stay home.

The old Aetecs were/are excellent glass for the money....The first scope I ever bought was a 6.5-20 Aetec....It's still in my safe and works flawlessly with many swamps,tree stands,4 wheeler rides and a 16 foot fall from a climber that ripped the sunshade off to its credit....oh and it has seen the last moment of 30+ deer.....I know have my ZEISS,Swarovski and Leupolds but I wouldnt hesitate to mount it up and go.

Bruz

for a time, they made an 6x42, and ti light and tough. Sold mine on here, wish I never had

I love the optics forum, one can always stop by here for sheer profundity...

Profundity? Ingwe, glad you picked up on it!

I began this thread to poke the stick of humor into the eye of my own prejudice. Never expected four pages of defense for something that needs no defending.
The Simmons won!
Beat me fair and square!
I will humbly display it yet again atop my 12ga Benelli and probably experience it's faithful performance in April as I sight in and practice with whatever new Turkey loads I am suckered into trying. I may even join in with my hunting buddy's gleeful grin when it lines up and speaks to ole ElThom this spring. May even be forced to reluctantly murmur "thanks Dale, good scope."

Jim

I'm not going to lie. While I'm not a against cheap scopes like so many people on here, I will admit that I've bought an expensive scope over a cheap one purely for the status symbol of having the name brand. In some cases I've seen better performance as in tracking, better glass (although I could have done everything I wanted with a cheap one), etc and have paid extra for those features. Other times I've bought them as a status symbol and I'm not afraid to admit it.

I do still use a couple of cheap scopes though.

Hey wait a minute whats wrong with fat girls, err I mean Simmons...

12 years ago, money was tight. I had a son, wife and daughter to buy scopes for. Got 3 Aetecs. Already had one on my rifle. Best scope I could afford.
about 7or 8 yrs ago walking down icy steps at our cabin, my son slipped and fell while toting my rifle to the truck. He landed on the scope. He was very upset, thinking I was gonna kill him.

the scope was bent at a 45 degree angle about 1/2 inch above the adjustment dial. I was really upset but knew the investment and time involved with killing him and my wife going thru pregnancy again to have another son were just too much, so I remained calm. he was about 12 and crying like crazy. wasn't even his fault.
Well, I took the scope off the rifle and bought a new one for it. I had an aweful Bushnell on my muzzleloader that I took off and through away as it fogged up easy anyway. I put the Aetec in a vise and bent it back straight. I mounted it on that TC encore just to see what it would do. I got it to a tight group and that Encore is still on my TC and hammering away.

I am glad I didn't just throw it away. I almost did. If someone told me that story I'd swear they were lying.

Now, money really isn't a problem. Not buy 2K scopes, but can afford much "better". Buying a new rifle for my wife. Gave her the choice of a 3-9x40 Zeiss Conquest or a VX-3. She looks through them and asks, do they have an Aetec?
I look up and down and ask her "why" when she could have much better. She says "I love my scope. It's what I want."
Well, an Aetec is what she gets.

And, with my newest rifle, I'd likely have gotten the same, but wanted the VX3 cds.

Before getting married, I dated 2 slightly overweight girls, but married a lean girl so I do understand the "fat girl/Simmons" reference. I guess its why I have a Zeiss on my main rifle now, and my new magnum, a VX3.

But, I wonder, would a Zeiss or Leup let you smack 'em around and still perform as good as always?

I picked up some 4 x 40 Whitetail Classics in Billings, at the local Big R when they were having a sale on a bunch of stuff they were clearing out...paid $50 for it..

After we got back to my buddy's house, and I had a chance to check it out... clear glass and felt real rugged, I went back and bought the other 3 they had left...

Guess they didn't sell well, as folks just don't buy many 4 power scopes, like they use to... so Simmons quit making them...

I've mounted them on 338 and 300 Win Mags..and they hold up all day long, and the glass on those are as good as any glass I have on Leupolds... well at least for a guy with crappy eye sight like I am 'blessed' with...

another 'Cheap' scope I have picked up over the years, is the old 4 power Tasco's with a 32 mm objective... glass on those have always been more than 'good enough' for my eyesight and they hold up quite well.. regardless of how big a kicker they are mounted on... never had one go south and I've picked them up when on sale for $25...not taking them on trips where I can get stuck with one failing..

and the final 'Cheap Scope' types I have about 8 of, are the Bushnell "Shot Gun Scopes"... some are Banners, some are Trophy Series..1.5 x 4.5 in power, and I love that Circle X reticle...since they are supposedly good enough to take the recoil of a 12 gauge.. they should hold up on stuff smaller than a 270, particularly to use at Wood's Ranges... that I frequently hunt...but have been good enough to take a deer at 300 yds with the 260 Rem one season..( shooting little sage rat targets all summer, sure gets ones eyes trained for little targets at long distances..)

If I was financially "out of the ghetto"... all my rifles would probably wear Leupolds.. but on the other end, I wouldn't trade off those 4 power White Tail Classics, or even those 4 power Tascos, or the Bushnell Shot Gun Scopes.. they just do a good job..

heck I even have two 6 power Pine Ridge Scopes I picked up at Cabelas in Nebraska, for like $49 each... optics quality was good enough for a back up scope, which is what I bought them for...yet at the same time, darn things are built like a 53 Buick...

now a BSA or Barska.. you couldn't give me one of those...

I had a lean girl, that turned into the fat girl after she got a husband ( me).. and I've had a ton of VWs in my youth...

Give me the VW...

of course I have known fat gals, that I sure wished were lean gals, because they had ALL the right attitudes in life...

and I've known lean gals that had fat gal personalities..