Simmons 44 Mag scope made in Phillipines

[macomber]

I have a made in Phillippines model 1044. 3-10x44

Are these good scopes?

Would love to hear from those who have/had them.

Thanks

[NC_JEFF]

I've mounted two of these on two different Ruger 10/22s and they worked very well

[Bzcraig]

I have a 4-14 on a 308 that works just fine

[GhostHawk]

I have a whole assortment of Simmons scopes, everything from fixed 4 power prodiamond to a pair of 4x12x40's.

They have proven to me thus far that they are the best reasonably priced scope.

Now you can buy Leopold, or Nikon, or Bushnell, spend anywhere from 250$ to a thousand. And they can still fail. Big difference is their warranty tends to be quite good.

But in almost 4 years of putting Simmons Scopes and Red Dots on rifles and carbines I have yet to have one fail.

YMMV

[Shawlerbrook]

Agree with ghosthawk. They are my choice in budget scopes. I find the big difference between budget and high end scopes is optical clarity. The budget scopes, especially Simmons seems to hold zero .

[izzyjoe]

I have one on a older mossberg 308 that is a decent scope, I bought it at a yard sale for $10. I don't know where it's made at, and really never given it much thought, cause it does what it's supposed to do.

[nagantguy]

Shhhhh, your letting out one of optics best kept secrets the Simmons 44 at line is very good quality for the money, one is now mounted on my muzzle loader cause the very expensive Nikon won't hold zero, this particular Simmons 44 I've had for about 16 years, have had it on various minin 14s and 30s a h&r handi in 223 a heavy encore barrel it has worked very well and has sp my the last 10 years doing duty as a pickup truck rifle scope, is gen ought others used at very nice prices cause they work, got one right now on the barn gun, not saying they are as clear as a 1000 dollar scope but the hold zero and are repeatable! I think the first one I got was $99 and free shipped . They hold zero and gather plenty of light.

[warboar_21]

There are many companies who have moved their Scope production to the Philippines. I have an older Burris that was made here in the United States and bought another that was made in the Philippines. The quality of the one from the PI isn't quite as good but it still works well.
The quality has really improved in scopes that come from the Philippines now.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

[Lloyd Smale]

I had a couple back in the day. They had decent optics for the money but lacked in eye relief.

[EDG]

About 30 years ago a large local gun shop carried Simmons and then dropped them and refused to handle them anymore because of so many failures..
At the same time the gun show peddlers would have dozens to hundreds of refurbished Simmons that they sold really cheap. This fact coincides with the story the gun shop told me.

On the internet there are always lots of cheap used Simmons for sale.

My personal experience with Simmons?

I bought a rifle that was a bargain. I tried to get the seller to remove the Simmons 2.5 to 8 variable and knock off $20. He refused so I took the deal knowing I would have to throw away the scope.
I tried it on another rifle and it worked fine. I gave it to my brother and mounted it on an old knock about truck gun to use in nasty weather. All these years later he is still using it and has taken some nice deer with the old rifle with the throw away scope.

If you buy a Simmons I think you take your chances.
For me, I troll for a used Leupold for about $100. It might take a year to find one but I know that Leupold will stand behind it.

[lefty o]

ive had one of the 44mag scopes rattle itself to death on a 10/22.

[Uncle R.]

I've heard lots of Simmons horror stories, have a couple of friends who've sworn "Never again!" on Simmons scopes.
That said, I have an old 44mag scope in a carry handle mount on an AR-15.
Got the scope free - a friend just handed it to me saying "If you have a use for this you can have it."
It's served me well for well over 20 years. (Cheez! Time flies.)

I don't know if the current production scopes are the same - in fact it's quite likely they have different internals, are made in a different country, and perhaps at a different quality level. That's one of the things that makes choosing a scope difficult. Just because your favorite scope from 20 years ago stood up to hard use doesn't mean that brand or model of scope is still good today. It's likely there is literally nothing the same in the newest production scopes. Different corporate owners, different factory in different country, different performance standards and quality levels.

Modern scopes are a gold-plated bargain compared to those of a generation ago, but there are still potential problems - especially if you try to go too cheap on the purchase price.

Uncle R.

[EDG]

These stories tell the tale that while many people slobber over scope optical performance when the most likely ***** will be a mechanical break down.

I was asked to help a guy with a scope at the rifle range about 25 years ago. His scope was out of focus. I tried to turn the ocular to adjust the focus. While looking through it the rear lens in the zoom tube fell out inside the scope so that I was looking into the edge of the lens. Then we could shake the scope and the lens rattled around.

The scope was another brand in the same price range as Simmons - It was a Bushnell bottom of the line scope in something like a 4X to 12X variable.

What was the rifle that did the damage. It was an AR 15. Apparently the wood pecker impacts of the bolt flying back and forth was enough to break the adhesive holding the lens in place.

[jonp]

I've got one and had it for a while. Works fine.

What was the rifle that did the damage. It was an AR 15. Apparently the wood pecker impacts of the bolt flying back and forth was enough to break the adhesive holding the lens in place.

Common when mounting a rifle scope on an airgun.

[GhostHawk]

I have several Simmon's scopes now. Everything from the little fixed 4 power pro diamond which I love. To a variety of 3x9 and 4x12's on my single shot Handi Rifles.

Over the last 3 years I have seen many scopes fail. Barska, Monstrum, Bushnell even.

But the Simmon's have held up thus far. And for what I pay for one, if I can get 2-3 years out of it I don't feel so bad if it fails. If I can get a couple more I start thinking maybe I'm ahead of the game.

3 of those Simmon's were from my local pawn shop at very very good prices. Basicly half price for new in the box never mounted scope.

So we see what happens. You put down your money and you takes your chances.

[Any Cal.]

I had a Simmons that came on a Savage '06. Worked well for quite a while, which was saying something on a 6.5lb '06. Eventually, I couldnt raise the zero right before a big hunt. After shooting 30rds or so, bought a new scope and was fine.

Technically, the scope was still usable, but it had failed at some point. I figured it was a decent scope, but the frustration and cost of ammo made it less of a deal than it seemed.

I will say that there was a world of difference between the $40-50 Simmons and the $200 Redfield Revenge. Better optics, better materials, better tracking...

I bought another Simmons for a .308, so I guess they aren't too bad for a budget.

[Huffmanite]

Own around six or so Simmons and all are at least 4 to 6 years old. Think all of them were made when Meade owned Simmons. FWIW, Meade got out of the rifle scope business and sold line to Bushnell. Now the same company (Vista) owns Bushnell, Weaver, Simmons and Tasco. A couple of my Simmons are 44 Mags, but most are the Pro Hunter models. Still have them. Zip problems with them.

[No Blue]

I think the fact that a company is paying $100 million or so to buy Simmons, is a pretty good indication they make good product. ALL of the scope companies buy, off the shelf, the other makers scopes. Test them on an optical bench for the quality of the optics, things like light transmission, focusing, zoom, and whatever else. Then take them out and shoot them, see if they last. Then take them apart and see how they're made.

If you've got sharp engineers, they can tell how and where any corners were cut, and how important those are. So Leopold, Weaver, Nikon, et al can determine where they stand versus the competition.

I bought Simmons starting 20 years ago, 5 scopes and a spotting scope; never had any problems with any of them.

I was at the 100yd range one time, guy at the next bench had a 20x60 Leopold spotter, same as my Simmons. I asked if I could have a look, said OK. So I eyeballed his target, see what was visible or not. Then I went back to my scope and looked at his target. Pretty much identical, just as bright, could read the same printing, see the same bullet holes. My Simmons was $100 and his Leopold was $400.

This is why I ignore the rantings of glass snobs....

[dh2]

I have serval Simmons 44 Mag. series scopes from 1990 to 2016 they are all holding up well even with the recoil of a .300 Win. Mag in an ultra light

[EDG]

Try your scope at 200 yards on 22 cal holes in the black. You will be able to tell that you have a cheap scope very easily.
Compare it to a real scope like a 77mm, 82mm or 88mm Kowa and you will find a significant difference.

The proper way to make a useful comparison is to use a resolution target. This chart will give you a real number to compare against other scopes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1951_U...ion_test_chart



You can ignore glass snobs but you cannot ignore performance.
You cannot compare performance without a way to measure performance.

I think the fact that a company is paying $100 million or so to buy Simmons, is a pretty good indication they make good product. ALL of the scope companies buy, off the shelf, the other makers scopes. Test them on an optical bench for the quality of the optics, things like light transmission, focusing, zoom, and whatever else. Then take them out and shoot them, see if they last. Then take them apart and see how they're made.

If you've got sharp engineers, they can tell how and where any corners were cut, and how important those are. So Leopold, Weaver, Nikon, et al can determine where they stand versus the competition.

I bought Simmons starting 20 years ago, 5 scopes and a spotting scope; never had any problems with any of them.

I was at the 100yd range one time, guy at the next bench had a 20x60 Leopold spotter, same as my Simmons. I asked if I could have a look, said OK. So I eyeballed his target, see what was visible or not. Then I went back to my scope and looked at his target. Pretty much identical, just as bright, could read the same printing, see the same bullet holes. My Simmons was $100 and his Leopold was $400.

This is why I ignore the rantings of glass snobs....