I've got some extra money coming in, and I need to scope my .308 Savage.  I want something decent, but a Leupold is a bit much for my blood.  Does anyone here have any experience with BSA scopes?  What about Simmons?

I would prefer a Simmons to BSA. I have 2 Simmons and they are great scopes for the money. I have never owned one, but have looked through a BSA and it had a very cloudy objective.

Really?  The Simmons scopes also seem very reasonably priced.  I'm not looking to drop a deer at 500 yards, but I'd like to reach out to 200 yards if I had to.

My friends keep saying Leupold.  Erm...even if I DID have the money, I'm not planning on shooting in the mountains of Afghanistan.  No sense in paying for something if I'll never get push it to its limit.

Get a Nikon Pro staff 3x9x40.  They are 100 times better than a simmons or BSA.

Quoted: Get a Nikon Pro staff 3x9x40.  They are 100 times better than a simmons or BSA.

Very good scope as well.

Simmons over BSA with neither being the best option.  Try moving up the pay scale a little bit. Its worth it.  Dont have to be an upper end Leupold but look at your options spend at least 200 bucks.

Optics are one of the few things where you exactly what you pay for...no more,no less,  you buy cheap you get cheap. Buy a good scope once, something like a Burris, Leupold, Nikon sure you'll pay a little for them,($250-300) but with a little care that will be the last scope you'll need to buy. Good scopes have repeatable adjustments, That is, you could move your windage and elevation knobs a few clicks, and then move them back where they were, and you'll be right back where you started from. Something most BSA, or Simmons scopes won't do. This is why quality scopes cost more, That and MUCH better glass.They also hold their zero, Quality scopes cost a little more, But when you're shooting at 200yds or farther it's nice to know you have a scope that's up to the job.

While I can see someone who uses his/her weapon "On the job" as wanting the very best to go on/in to it, Most of "Us" will never need to do so.

I own, and have use some of the "Top of the line" optics. I agree that they have better high end clarity, and some are of the highest quality.

I also own, and have used both BSA and Simmons scopes.

The BSA is their Platinum model and has been mounted on one of my .50BMG rifles for 3 years now. It has always worked well, is clear, and never let me down. Even with the punishment dealt out from the .50BMG cartridge . That says allot to me. I'd buy another one.

The Simmons is one of their mid-priced models. It is on one of my mid caliber rifles. It isn't as clear as the BSA, or the more expensive brands, but it was under $100 when I bought it, and has held it's zero after all of the movement it's been through for ballistic corrections.

I also have a pair of BEC compact scopes that are both clear and tough. They have been on my heavily modded 10/22, and an original Norinco SKS for over 14 years. Both have been through kids, bad weather, and more rounds than I can remember......Yet still hold zero & are very clear.

Understand that there are decent "low priced" scopes/optics, and there are POOR "low priced" scopes/optics.

The ones I use/have used are on the mid -to- upper end of the "Low cost" optics range.

The BSA Platinum/Contender scopes are an example of these.

I know that the "Anything but Brand _________ is Shit! crowd won't change their mind about any of this, but give them a try. I think you'll be happy with them.


"My name is Tall Shadow, and I'm an inexpensive scope user!"

Tall Shadow

A Simmons will serve you quite well for less expensive scope.

I'm going to have to badmouth Simmons for a minute.

I purchased a Simmons 1.5-5X20 (or thereabouts, might have been 1-5 or 1-4) shotgun scope for my turkey gun a few years back and it was nothing but trouble. I mounted the scope and brought it to the range to pattern my Mossberg 835 before turkey season. The first defect I noticed was the scope clouded up before I fired a single round. After I fired a few shells I noticed that I could not focus on the reticle and the target simultaneously, in other words the reticle and objective were badly out of focus and could not be brought back into focus together. I could adjust the focus to see either the reticle or the target clearly, but not both simultaneously.

I brought the scope back to Sports Authority and got another of the same, assuming I got a bad scope.

Wrong. I brought my turkey gun back to the range the following week and experienced exactly the same problem as the week before. Disappointed again, I returned the scope for a refund.

This was a shotgun specific scope, so maybe their rifle scopes are different. I have no experience with those.

IMHO, if you can afford a Leupold (or equivalent) get one. That's what I did. Apparently you get what you pay for in glass.

Good luck.

I've purchased Savage gun packages  that come with the Simmons scope but I take the scope off and give it to my kids...it's Ok for average hunting... you'll be happier in the long run if yo save for awhile and buy the better quality scopes...

Hmmm, every big game Animal I have ever shot has been looking through a $90 Simmnos scope.  I have found that simmons scopes are great for the money.  My .22-250 has a $$$ leupold on it and yeah, it's a bit clearer, but simmons have very little parallax problems in my opinion.

I would stay away from BSA. I've had three, one red dot that was broken when I got it - exchanged for a another one - which was broken as well, only in a different way.  Tried one more time with an exchange - arrrived broken again.  The two others were fixed power scopes that failed after some light use.

If I had to recommend el cheapo scopes I say look at Bushnell or Tasco.
But like everyone has said, you get what you pay for.

I had a Simmons scope literally fall apart on me once.  The threaded area where the scope adjustment caps screw on started cracking and crumbling.  I couldn't get the cap back on, and the adjustment dial wasn't staying put either.

I sent it back to Simmons and they replaced it, but I'm not buying another one anytime soon.  For cheap scopes, I like Swift.  They are Korean made and are noticeably better scopes for the money than anything Wal-mart sells.

I have Simmons scopes on several rifles. I have a 44 Mag 3-10x44 and a 6.5-20x44 and have had nothing but good luck with them. The optics are clear and hold zero well. My only complaint is the crosshairs are a little thick. They work great for what I use them for though. Check natchezss.com, they have them on sale if interested.

www.prooutdoorsman.com/viewItem.asp?idProduct=3751

Pretty good buy on the Nikon...great scope, too.

HH

Optics are one of the few things where you exactly what you pay for...no more,no less, you buy cheap you get cheap.

+1!

I have never understood why people will spend big bucks on a firearm, and then insist on mounting a 29.99 stuffmart special scope on it.    Buy a good quality scope, you'll be happier in the long run.

Quoted: I've got some extra money coming in, and I need to scope my .308 Savage.  I want something decent, but a Leupold is a bit much for my blood.  Does anyone here have any experience with BSA scopes?  What about Simmons?

BSA is crap.

Absolute crap.

Complete and utter-will-break-in-no-time crap.

I like my Simmons scopes. I have one on my varnmint rig, and it is a good reliable scope.

Quoted: Simmons over BSA with neither being the best option.  Try moving up the pay scale a little bit. Its worth it.  Dont have to be an upper end Leupold but look at your options spend at least 200 bucks.

The higher power Simmons scopes are over 200 bucks and offer very good performance.

The Aetecs are pretty good scopes too.

Mueller Optics

Quoted: Quoted: Simmons over BSA with neither being the best option.  Try moving up the pay scale a little bit. Its worth it.  Dont have to be an upper end Leupold but look at your options spend at least 200 bucks. The higher power Simmons scopes are over 200 bucks and offer very good performance. The Aetecs are pretty good scopes too.

I used Simmons scopes everyday on a variety of rifles from age10 to 20.   Maybe everyday is a slight exageration but not much.  I grew up in the country and there wasnt much I did that I didnt have a rifle with me.  I had Simmons that were "good" and had the exact same model that was crap.
I had simmons that went through horrendous torture for years.  The first scope I ever bought as a 3-9X32 Simmons that went on everything from a pellet gun to a 30'06.  It finally broke on a 10/22 and simmons replaced it with a Factory Refurb and a list 4' long of what was damaged on the one I sent in.

At the age of 21 I bought my first Nikon, it was a 3-9X40 Buckmasters at walmart.  That first year of Deer season with a truly decent scope was enough of an eye opener for me that I will never buy anything of less quality than that Nikon BM.  Being able to see through your optic until legal shooting light is gone is priceless.  I dont care how much money you make you can save up for a 200 dollar Optic and when I say 200 bucks I mean in the low end of magnification.  6.5 - 20 X50 mm AO Optic for 200 bucks will always be suspect in my opinion and not worth the risk.  If you have ever lost the buck of a lifetime to a cheap optic (or whatever is a relevent situation for you and shooting) then you understand.  I would rather cut corners on the Rifle than on the Glass.  I can hit any Game with a NEF Handi-Rifle costing about 245.00 but if that 60.00 optic fails you at last light, it doesnt matter if it is setting on top of 5,000.00 dollar Ghee Whizz custom hot rodded rifle you can not make an ethical shot on a game animal you can not see. YMMV

simmons is okay, and lifetime transferrable warranty...so long as the tube is intact....

I sold my BSA very cheaply.  I obtained it on a trade, thankfully.  Poor glass that didn't work for my eyes--it shot all over the place.  

I had a Bushnell on my .308 until I could afford a Leupold.  I still have the bushnell on my 10-22.  Good stuff.  I also run a Simmons on one of my ARs.  I like it.

Several folks around like the Nikon too.  I wouldn't fart in the BSA direction, but would consider a Nikon.

BSA is junk, Simmons isnt much better IMO. I've had good luck with Bushnell. However if you want excellent glass for cheap, look around at gunshows for the old steel tube Weaver scopes I have several K8's and K10's and a couple of T10's all are perfect and have never given me a problem, old Redfields are excellent as well and can usually be found for a decent price.

The new owners of SIMMONS is not BSing around.  The MasterSeries AETECS should be on the shelves in another week or two.

Dave S

What my daughter is getting on her 6.8mm SPC rifle:
www.riflescopes.com/products/512104/new_simmons_4-14x44_aetec_master_rifle_scope.htm

Something else you may want to look at is the Bushnell Legend and 3200 series.  Good value for the money, along with the higher end Simmons scopes.  Whatever you do, don't be talked into buying one of the lower end Leupolds like the VX1.  Nothing worth money there but the name.  JMHO, YMMV.

CO

I volunteered to help run a hunter sight in at a small gun club for four years in a row...
I have seen more than just a few cheap scopes bite the dust...

You get what you pay for.....and actually you might spend more than the cost of a quality scope, replacing cheap scopes when they break. Happened to me once.

Want my advice, buy a Nikon, Leupold, or Burris... these are great mid priced scopes that will last...
Oh, and get a set of quality rings to go with it. You will be glad you did.

Ah... a nice 3X9 Leupold....$199...from Midway USA...

www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=217147

This is a bargain for a nice scope

hmmmmm...

that Nikon Prostaff is worth looking into

Quoted: Mueller Optics

Mueller designs their scopes, and farms out the actual building to one of a fairly few number of optic manufacturers, just like most other scope companies.  

80% of scopes on the US retail market are made in China.  The rest are made in Japan, the Phillipines, the US, and finally Europe.  Most of your BSA, Tasco, etc. scopes are made in China.  Hell even Nikon is selling a 30mm red dot that is made in China.  It's the same as a BSA RD30.  

The Chinese have come a long way with optics in the last few years.  A guy who is a regular on Snipercountry.com is an avowed Luepy shooter.  This guy is an optics guru, he helped design the laser that is used to fix eyeballs.  He recently posted how much he loves the BSA Sweet 17.  I about fell over.  But, I have one, and the glass IS really nice.

I have a Chinese Tasco that I bought about 5 years ago.  It's the same scope as the BSA with the same features, only difference is the name stamped on it.  The optics are pretty good, not as good as a high end scope, but decent.  Some of the newer BSAs blow it away optically though.

About 8 years ago, I had a Simmons Pro 50 scope.  I couldn't see the target and reticle clearly at the same time.  It was fixed focus too.  Finally, the eyebox was very small.  It was too bad, because the glass was really nice.  
Simmons was recently bought out by Meade Instruments (they are primarily a telescope manufacturer) and the whole Simmons line was looked over and revamped.  The Master series looks to be a great scope for the money.  I recently looked at one of the new Simmons line (a cheaper line than the Master series) and the glass was pretty darn nice.  Construction is beefed up too.  I believe it was made in the Phillipines.

Stay away from Tasco.  But don't be afraid of Simmons, or even BSA.