I am in the market for a scope for my new varmit rig a Rem 700VLS 22-250. Does anyone have a Simmons 44mag 6.5-20AO & do you like it. I found it on sale for $149.00 on the net. I am looking for a scope in this range & trying to stay under $200.00. Let me know if you all have any sugestions.

The only Simmons scope I have is an Aetec 3.8-12x44. I'm going to mount it on a 25-06 that I'm getting. I don't have much confidence in the scope because of all the rumours. I'll give it a try though. If I don't like it, I'll put something else on it.

Bob257

For that money, the Whitetail Expedition (on closeout) is a much better scope. The 44 mag is two steps down.

I have an Aetec that I am quite happy with. Other scopes to look at would be the Weaver V16 (much more money). HTH, Dutch.

I have 3 of the 6.5+20+44mag scopes and they have been great scopes.Never had any problems with any of them.

I've never owned a Simmons scope, but did much research on them when I bought my 300RUM. Like you, I wanted to keep the cost down, but I heard of so many people the had problems with them that I opted to pay a bit more and go with the Leupold. Not everyone had problems with them, but it seemed unusually high compared to the others, and I wasn't willing to take the chance. You've bought a fantastic rifle with tremendous accuracy, so why not hold out just a bit longer and buy better optics. A good shooting gun doesn't mean anything if the optics are poor.
I'm not saying put a $1000 scope on it, but for $100-$200 more, you can get a scope that you know will do the job that the VLS is capable of.
I'm sure I'll get hammered by the Simmons fans, but that's just my opinion.

I used a 6-24 one for years but it started getting foggy on the upper powers after about 4-5 years so I don't use it any more.

The best advice I can give you is save your money and buy a Leupold. You are going to in the long run when the Simmons fails. There is another scope on the market that is not well knowen, but a high quality scope.It is Sightron. They don't cost as much as a Leupold and they are top-shelf. Go to any shooting comp. and see hope many shooters are using a Simmons. They don't period. That should tell you something. it's not about the money, it's about the quality. The best rifle ever made can only shoot as well as what it is aimed with!

Check out this link below for optics. They have pretty good prices and you may be able to use them to get a local store to beat or match it.

Bear Basin

BossMoss,
Unless you absoloutely need a 6-20x, check out Bushnell's 6-18 Banner series. Walmart sells them for around $110.00. Midway lists them @ $128.00 plus tax,shipping. I have two one a 222 & the other on the 308. They are very durable and hard to beat.

I have tried a Simmons about 3 years ago, 6.5 -20.

I'll say this if you are going to shoot that nice 22-250 very often put a Nikon or a Leupold VX-2 on it at the least and you will never have to worry. Any of these scopes can be had for under $400.

You have a very capable gun so put a decent piece of glass on it and enjoy.

And for all you guys shooting simmons, go Prairie dogging this spring and take your simmons and a VX-2 and see which one you love after the trip is over. Life is too short for crappy optics.

Mike, been there, done that. Either of the VX series will be shown up badly by my Aetec.

The Aetec is not a Vari-XIII, but the VXI or II? Give me a break..... I have a Tasco World Class that has better resolution than a Vari-XII I compared it to. JMO, Dutch.

I think there is Simmons and then there is Aetec. The Aetec seems to be a much better scope all the way around than the rest of the Simmons line. I would rate mine very favorably to all my VXII scopes at any temperature and location. But then I have never had either fail.

I made a big mistake last fall trying to save a little money by purchaseing a Simmons scope for my .50 Encore muzzleloader. After missing 3 deer in 3 days (165 yards, 180 yards and 150 yards) I decide to check zero. Found out scope had failed internally. Put 17 year-old Leupold on and killed deer that evening; 207 yards with.

Simmons honored the warranty but the 5 x 5 that I missed at 165 yards was taken the following week and it measured 32" wide. I'll never buy another Simmons anything.

If your going to put a Simmons on a 22 rimfire it should do OK. All three Simmons scopes I purchased had to be returned because they would not hold zero. I put one on my bolt action 12 gauge slug gun and at round number seven at the range during sight in the cross hairs canted to the right and the adjustments would not respond.
I have not purchased one for a long time but when I bought mine they failed at rate of 50% within the first year of service. I don't know if they have improved them since. The sporting goods store where I bought mine told me Simmons is the scope they get back for repair most often.
I have had exctional luck with the Bushnell brand inexpensive scopes.
I bought a 3x9 gold ring Leupold scope in 1968 and sent it back two years ago to be gone over completely just to be on the safe side. They returned the scope in three weeks that had a card in the box that said resealed scope, checked erector and tracking calibrations and found nothing wrong with your Leupold scope, it is in perfect working order. No charge to this customer. That scope is back on top of my 30-06 sighted in and ready to go.

Simmons isn't bad if that's all you can do right now. Me? I'd wait until I could afford a better scope. Save your money for a Leupold and you'll never regret it. My oldest Leupold (a 3-9x)was purchased in 1974 and is still going strong. Only once have I had a problem with a Leupold, they fixed the scope so fast it was back to me, for free, within a week of when I sent it to them.

Right now I've got a 6.5-20, two 4.5-14's, the old 3-9x and a 2-7x. At one point I was hard up for cash and sold three Leupolds - wish I had every one of them back. The rifles that went with them weren't nearly as impressive as the scopes.

Two scopes, a 6.5-20 and a 4.5-14 are on real SWAT rifles that have seen hard, real use. I can rely on them every time.

You've got a fine varmint rifle. It deserves a fine scope. Regards, Guy

Thanks Guys, I think you have helded a lot I have always wanted to buy a leupold but didn't want to shell out the bucks. I think after listing to you guys I will will do as you suguest and save for a Leupold.

I haven't looked through an Aetec but I have looked through other Simmons and shot with them.

If you haven't picked up the new VX-2 not the VarXII you should, I don't count the VX1 , because its the low cost scope.

The VX-2 has the same lens coating as the VarX-III and I have used a 6-18x40mm and its a damn fine scope.

MY opinion is there is not a Simmons out there to compete with it. The proof is when its on the gun you cannot fully test a scope until it has been to the field.

The VX-2 also out performs my Nikon Monarch FWIW.

Mike, in one post you say:

"I haven't looked through an Aetec"

AND

"MY opinion is there is not a Simmons out there to compete with it. The proof is when its on the gun you cannot fully test a scope until it has been to the field."

All I can say is ???????????? Dutch.

Bossmoss, there are a lot of excellent scopes between a simmons and a leo. Do a little more homework. I use leupolds but I also have other scopes that work just as well. I won't post what brands as it will just set the "ain't nothing but a leupold for me" to higher shrillness which will stir up the zeiss bunch, and so on and so forth.