Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Mule Deer - Simmons new Master Series vs. Leupold VX-1?

Re: the warranty issue:

The article on the Master Series in the latest "American Rifleman" states that they are warranted for life to the original purchaser AND they guarantee 48-hour turnaround on service, whether the outcome be repair or replacement. It would appear Simmons/Meade is playing for keeps, as of now.

Pay close attention, I think the world of hunting optics is going to undergo some major, once-in-a-lifetime changes before our very eyes thanks to Meade.

From the little I've read, I can't imagine NOT buying scopes with this technology exclusively for the rest of my days. I feel I'd be a fool to buy any traditional scope, at this point; up to, and including, the likes of Swarovski and Schmidt & Bender.

We are witnessing sporting optics history.

A friend of mine purchased the same Simmons Aetec Master series rifle scope you ask about here.
He mounted it on a Winchester Model 70, 7mm Remington Magnum that he hunts deer with.
The accuracy of the scope and its settings is first rate. We shot the rifle from a bench sand bag rest at 100 to 300 yard ranges, using two different factory loads.
The scope was zeroed for 200 yards.
With over 80 rounds fired in three sessions, over a two week period at the shooting bench range, the new Simmons Master scope has done really well. Click adjustments, optics, and focusing is really good.
He bagged two deer this past season using his 7mm with this same scope.
One deer was taken at just over 125 yards accross an open bean field. The second deer in the same area was taken at slightly over 178 yards. Both shots were from in a sitting position from a bipod. The weather was cold and overcast.
He will be doing more shooting with this rifle/scope combination on coyotes through the winter season too.
Simmons and Meade may have a great scope here for sure. The older Simmons Aetec scopes just can't be compared to these new Meade/Simmons designs.

arover,

Thanks for the early report. I got a Master Series 3x9, but won't be able to mount and test it for quite awhile. The skepticism about these scopes is understandable, given the brand history, low price, and the fact that they are made in China. However, I'll bet that if Leupold had come up with the same thing, even if they raised their prices, a lot of folks would be opening their wallets and getting in line to buy them. That's just the way it is, and time will tell whether the new technology and new scopes will live up to the hype. I'm a big fan of innovation, and I'm crossing my fingers on this one, and have gambled my $100 on its success.

Paul

Has anyone heard when (or if) the Aetec Master Series 4-14x44 scopes are going to be available? Sure would like to see some first hand reviews of those. Seems like they were supposed to have been available back in September, then were delayed to October. Still, Midway says coming soon. SWFA appears to be accepting orders for them, but don't know if they actually have them in stock. BTW, the few initial reviews of the lower powered Simmons on Midway's website are hardly complimentary. Wonder how long the negative reviews will be allowed to stay up?

I purchased a brand new Simmons Master Series ProHunter 3x9x40 from Gander Mtn. in Greensboro, NC. I put it on a LH Rem 700 in .308Win. 20 rounds later the crosshairs are 15*-20* degrees tilted to the right. I took the scope off the rifle and you could hear something rattling around inside the scope. I took the scope back to Goose Hill...errr Gander Mtn. and they gave me a full refund that I put towards the purchase of a Burris FullField II 3x9x40.

For the amount of money you stated you had to spend I would not buy any Simmons. I would buy a Bushnell Elite 3200 or the Burris FullField II in 3x9x40.

<><Fish

FishHunt, I like hearing actual in the field testimony. I am amazed at all the hoopla and "how great these new Simmons scopes are" when nobody has actually used one at all or for a very small amount of time. Time will tell if they are all they're cracked up to be. I admit they have my interest a little bit, but I'm not about to jump on the bandwagon yet. Thanks.

Execution by Simmons may actually leave something to be desired (it'd be no surprise, really), but the concept is solid progress from a technical standpoint. If you like the sounds of it but are concerned about Simmons' quality, get one of the American-made Redfields that have the same design.

FWIW, I am/was a dyed-in-the-wool Burris Signature man, but this new design is causing my eye to wander.

RSY

Just finished mounting my Simmons ProHunter 3-9X40 on a Ruger 77 in 7mm-08. I have to admit, seeing 'Simmons' on a scope on my rifle makes me shudder, but...
Clarity - very good!
Eye relief - nearly 4"
Styling - guess I could get used to it.
What I don't like - there is no witness mark on the turrets to reference how many clicks you moved - you need to keep count!
Shooting results will follow. I'm going to the range Monday.
I have no plans to trade in my Leupolds.