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This is about cheap scopes period, not your leo and swarz and other elite companies. I honestly have not had any failure with any of the simmons scopes I purchased in the last 10 years. Personally I think they are great for my application. I take off my middle class(all I can afford) scopes after the hunt and put on a cheapo simmons for cast boolit RD. Has any one here had any failure of any kind with these latest scopes? I am just curious what others might have found.
I was thinking about buying one and saw this review on Amazon and the reviewer seems sane.
Winner of the 3 scope "blind" challenge!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PW6AGG/...I2RRDR1PZXBQ0A
Three simmioms scopes currently in my line up, love em. Their 44 mag scope is one of the greatest scopes I've ever used. I've owned two other simmioms, one I bought at Camp Lejeune North Carolina in The mid 90s for 25 USD. Both those are still in service as well, one I gave my brother the other a neighbor for his slug gun. One time after a hunting trip down south my scope a whitetail classic broke, the windage adjustment knob broke off, Simmons replaced it 10 years after I bought it, used! Got no.complaints and I'd not hesitate to buy another one.
I presently have 3 Simons and they have held up very well. I've had them for over 20 years. Don't know about the new ones.
interesting test. I have all 3 of those scopes and I give the edge to my leo Rifleman only because of early dawn and late daylight clarity which is moot if you are hunting in the legal time limits of most states. I totally believe that test, but am sad to hear of the nikon early departure because I really like that scope.
I have a Whitetail Classic that I use for a test mule. I've had it a couple years and put it on a half dozen guns from 223 to 358 Winchester. I haven't been too easy on it and it still works fine.
Last week my BIL bought a Simmons 4x32 ProHunter with the ProDiamond reticule and today I sighted in his Handi in 300 BO. I'll have to say I'm impressed with the scope. The optics are crisp and clear and the eye relief is good. I expected to hate the ProDiamond reticule, but it's fine for a hunting scope.
Local gun shop puts 8 Pointers on allot of there 20 gauge Sluggers and Wolf muzzle loaders they sell. And they sell allot of them around here where folks just want a good shooter and go on. They claim only one came back and it was because of the owner dropping it. Was thinking of one for my CVA Scout Slug Gun in 20 gauge.
Jerry
I've had quite a few Simmons over the last 20 years, mostly on slug guns and rimfires. They all worked fine, no complaints. More recently i needed several AO scopes for pcp air rifles and i chose both .22 Mag models and Prohunters. I have to say i prefer them quite a bit over similar inexpensive models by other manufacturers i've tried in most all respects. Simmons still makes a great scope for the money i think.
I bought one, a straight 4x to put on my ruger 10/22. It lost it's seal on the first trip out. Sure glad it want on my deer rifle.
I've never tried another one.
In the last year I had bought 4 cheap scopes, 60-89$ range. Pair of Barska 3x9x40's, a Monstrum monstrosity, and a cheap Simmons 4 power with the diamond reticule. In the last year with only light range shooting 3 of the 4 have gone bad. One Barska was bad out of the box. My riflerange is indoor, underground, 3 lanes with paper targets, a concrete devider, and 3 lanes with electronic.
I was trying to sight in the barska at 25 meters and couldn't hit paper. So being a single shot I got a good bag, leveled it up, centered the bore on my target, looked through the scope. Scope was aimed 25 yards father down and one lane to the right. No adjustment moved it off that location. Monstrum shot fine, only 6 inches to the left. Vertical worked, but would not effect windage at all. Third was a Bushnell Banner and I have yet to successfully get it sighted in.
The Simmon's was zero'd for 50 yards in 5 shots, works flawlessly, and cost the least of them all.
So since I had some scopes to replace I bought 3 simmons. All 4x12x40mm variables. One went on my shooting partner's Mossberg .22 Plinkster. 15 rounds later he was putting 5 shots into a quarter sized circle.
One went onto my .357 Mag in a Handi Rifle. Same day I zero'd it in it put 3 shots into one hole at 50 yards. Currently shooting honest 1.5 to 1" groups at 100 when I am good enough to do it.
Last went onto my .444 Marlin also in a single shot. It put 3 into a perfect cloverleaf at 25. Made a slight elevation and windage change, and it put 3 dead center at 50. At 75 it was a touch low, put 2 touching and I pulled the 3rd, still less than an inch away.
Do I like Simmons scopes? Dang straight. And for the money spent, if I have to replace one next year, I'll still be happy.
In fact I am gathering funds to buy at least 2 and possibly 3 more.
They will be 4x12x40's.
I also have a 20 year old Simmons Red Dot that turns my Crossman 1322 into a beast. 5 shots into one ragged hole smaller than a penny at 20 feet.
Simmons has been good to me. Bushnell used to be, but I am not so sure anymore. Barska, never again.
There are certain scopes that fall belong the acceptable level
Simmons, Barska, and Leapers are just a few that do
Simmons entry level scopes can't be beat for value. I have a few.
I just got a Simmons 3-9x32 ($30 on clearance sale) for the Cooey/Winchester 600 .22 plinker I gave my wife.
She loves it. She's shooting under 2.5" groups dead center at 100m. Not bad for a novice.
It was tricky to mount, had to grind rear mount for bolt clearance.
Zeroed at 60m, and drew a trajectory graph for her 0-100m. Next trip to the range she wants to try out to 150-200m. I think she has the same bug I have! :)
I had 2 Simmons scopes both go bad , one fogged up and one broke the reticle when the rifle fired. I had several customers bring rifles in with Simmons scopes that would not hold zero. I wont own one now and have switched to Mueller for a good inexpensive Scope that has a large range of power but remains crystal clear. Leupold, Redfields,
Pentax , and Tasco World class have all tested favorably on High power rifles and I am currently Testing an Adventure class "Sniper" brand scope that has some fancy features /lit reticle.
I always shake my head at guys that buy a nice expensive rifle and put cheap junk optics on it and wonder why they cant shoot accurately or see a deer in it early in the morning or late in the evening when the light is low.
You get what you pay for...
Well I for one don't have expensive rifles. I have a 207$ .444 Marlin, a 220$ .300Blackout, I have 3 other barrels and 2 receivers and stock sets that get swapped around regularly. I paid the most for the original .223 Ultra Bull barrel, the other barrels were factory accessory add on's which have been fitted to that receiver, being a .357 Mag and a 7.62x39.
That bill was 400$ for 2 rifles one being a fairly rare and hard to find 7.62x39.
All on H&R Handi rifles.
I have seen the .357 put 3 shots at 50 yards into one hole smaller than my trigger fingernail.
The .444 Marlin while sighting in put 3 into a perfect cloverleaf at 50, and would have done 3 more at 75 but I pulled one an inch to the right. The .223 will shoot right at 1" at 100 no problem, gun will do better but I am not as good as I once was.
So until experience tells me other wise, any replacements will be Simmons. If I have to replace 2 or 3 in the next year then I'll try something else. But it won't be a Barska, I've had a 50% fail rate on them right out of the box.
I have an early 70's Ruger 10/22 with the good Walnut stocks, I think it was just over a hundred back then.
I don't have expensive rifles, I have inexpensive rifles that shoot well. And they are all wearing Simmons at this point.
I've been prejudiced against Simmons ever since the one that flew into pieces under recoil and hit me in the face. For cheapo scopes, I use Bushnell.
I have not had any good luck with any simmons scopes both handgun and rifle.
I have a Simmons 2-6x32 prohunter pistol scope. It's mounted on an encore in 7mm-08. Been doing great for several years. Managed to get a nice 8 point with it a couple years back. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.