Simmons 8 point scope

B

Blindstitch

New member
Does anyone have experience with the Simmons 8 point 3-9x40? I'm looking for a new scope for my sporterized Type 38 Arisaka 6.5x50. It has a trusty Bushnell 3-9x32 on it but after 30 years it could use and upgrade and I have a 22 magnum that could use the old scope.

Here's the scope I'm looking at. Simmons is offering a $30 mail in rebate so in the long run it would only be about $25 after tax.

Simmons 8 point 3-9x40

I have also thought about the Simmons 8 point 4-12x40 but I hardly ever turn my scopes up past a power of 6 unless needed.

Simmons 8 point 4-12x40

After rebate it's only $30 plus tax.
 
Personally, I wouldn't bother. The Simmons scopes being produced today aren't much better than Tascos or Barskas. The only one they have produced in the last decade that was even halfway decent was the Aetec and even that wasn't great. You are better off spending your money elsewhere.
 
I have 2 of them. one on a muzzleloader and one on a 30-30. I have had them for 5 years and they are holding up well for me. Both are as clear as I need and they both hold zero well for me. I just ordered another one as a back up I can't see spending $200 for something that is basically the same as one of these. I have leupold that is no better than these.
 
Lower end of the scale !!!

Does anyone have experience with the Simmons 8 point
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This is one of those examples of "Getting what you paid for". As long as you are not too demanding, they are serviceable. For a "Smidge" more, you can get much better. There will always be trade-offs. ..... ;)

Be Frugal and;
Be Safe !!!
 
I don't think my expectations are to demanding. The thing that gets me is a lot of people push the top brands for big money and you might get what you pay for but you have to think that if we didn't have the internet finding a Nikon scope wouldn't be as common as today.

Not to long ago when I was in high school living in Northern Michigan there was no Gander Mountain or similar shops. In fact there wasn't even a walmart. Only Kmart so the options were always Tasco, Simmons and Bushnell. I think Cabelas was 300 miles away at best. Those three brands seem to kill just as many deer. Of course back then maybe the scopes were of better quality and not made in China. But it makes you wonder if a $60 Simmons today will measure up to a $20 tasco from the late 90's.
 
Not to long ago when I was in high school living in Northern Michigan there was no Gander Mountain or similar shops.
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Before the internet , there was this paper thing called a "catalog", and these other paper things called "order forms"

The stuff has been available for decades

Lee Harvey Oswald got his Carcano in the mail
 
Snyper,
That's called a blind buy. How many people do you think would buy stuff, look at the quality and send it back knowing they have to wait another month to get a replacement to contemplate sending back.

There has always been a Midway catalog in our magazine rack but that was also the day of no reviews or anything to tell you that the product is a dud or just as good or better than it claims.
 
reynolds357,
I envy you. No way do I have the patience for that. One reason why I don't encourage people to get mail order brides.

I compared several other scopes today at a bigger store that would let me play with them. Got lots of choices but I can tell you I don't like that new Bushnell fast focus eye piece.

It looks like something that might be nice but I just see it as another piece to break. If you don't know what i'm talking about the section closest to your eye behind the power adjustment rotates 3/8ths of an inch in and out of the lens. I suppose this would be good if you had glasses and somehow forgot them you could adjust the diopler.

scope-tests-bushnell-hawke-holland-leupold-009.jpg
 
One problem I have is that NO store anywhere close to here stocks high end glass. $400 is about the price limit of what is on the shelf. Most of what is on the shelf is $200 or less.

I do know about the fast focus. It seems to be similar to the old design that Minox used that gave them fits.
 
I have a Simmons 6.5-20x50 that I got from midway for $115, it's clear, very bright, holds zero and click adjustments are right on. The only issue is the parallax adjustment is way off. At 100 yards I have to set it to 75yds. Not a big deal. It's nearly as clear as my b&l elite 4000.
 
I have switched all of my older Busnell/Simmons/Tasco optics to Hawke Optics. Look into them, they have a great warranty and are still affordable although as people get the word about the quality I feel like the price will climb.

I put the 4x12-50mm BDC/lighted crosshair on my .243 and its awesome, I'm running 3x9-40 on everything else. I do have one Nikon, an Omega, on my slug gun.

Hawke Optics
 
I've had pretty good luck with Simmons scopes as have most of my hunting buddies that have used them. While I'd spend a little more on my main hunting rifle, or something I was taking on an African safari, they will do just fine for most types of hunting. My experience has been that thwy have decent glass, stay zeroed, but don't track very well. If you're going to zero ot and forget about it, it will likely work find. I've had a couple fail. One 8 point and one 44 Mag, but I've honestly had more Leupolds fail than I have Simmons.
 
Thanks guys. It's good to hear some positive feedback. The past few days I have been going store to store and checking out the display cases and finally found the 8 point scope I was looking at out of the blowmold plastic. Clarity was great. Maybe not as clear as that $600 Zeiss but I have a feeling I will be picking it up shortly.

Since I always need a second opinion I handed it to my wife Melody and she liked the glass too. That's good because she shoots all my rifles even though she's only 5 foot tall and 110 pounds.


Jack O'Conner,
How big is that 336? I have access to one in 444 Marlin and I was surprised that it didn't rattle my teeth out. Had to put it down before it somehow came home with me.
 
The Marlin 444 is a beast! I had one in the 45-70 cal as well. GREAT shooting rifles. They do have some "kick"
 
After seeing even more scopes the Simmons became the winner. I have it in my hands and everything looks good and the rebate info is all filled out to send off in the mail. The only thing I wish is that I had a backyard range so I could mount it and sight it in before the holiday antlerless deer hunt around christmas. But since I don't the old scope stays on till the end of the year.

One thing I didn't realize was it also has the screw out eye piece focus on the back like the Bushnell. But I can live with that if it only costs me $25 after rebate.
 
For $25 it's not a terrible buy. We stock them in the store and you can see through them all right. They would probably be fine for a set and leave it scope, but I can't attest to how well they hold zero.

I have had some bad experiences with cheap scopes recently

- A Tasco that wouldn't adjust for windage. When adjusted for elevation, windage would also move one click, resulting in completely diagonal adjustments

- Stock no name scope on a Remington .22 had nearly impossible turrets to turn, needed about 8 MOA elevation and 4 MOA windage adjustment more to center on our bore sight. We have a suspicion the scope itself was bent.

I would stay away from cheaper scopes on any serious rifle and be cognizant of their limitations. A lot of them hold up great with little adjustment, but if you're constantly adjusting them, the internals can wear out. I also wouldn't put them on a rifle that recoils heavily.

I ended up buying a Bushnell Banner for $65 and I'm pretty happy with it. I needed it to work once and it did. Now I use it for target shooting and it has a life time warranty. As far as cheap goes, I knew I couldn't spend more than $80 or so and I did my research to get what I thought was the best for my money.

All that said, for $25 it might be worth the try.
 
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