Scope recommendations? - Page 2

Jack O'Conner · June 9, 2011, 05:36 PM

Look no farther than Simmons plain but sturdy 4X scope. On sale now at Natchez Shooter Supply for about $20. This Simmons is head & shoulders above Redfield's finest of 30 years ago. Simmons makes 'em right!

Jack

.300 Weatherby Mag · June 9, 2011, 05:38 PM

Leupold VX-II 2-7... No phillipine or chinese built crap for my rifles...

Doyle · June 9, 2011, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Simmons makes 'em right!

You'll find huge disagreement on that. Do some searching on this and the other gun forums and you'll see a seriously disproportionate number of Simmons failures. Usually it's not a "catastrophic" failure where it just falls apart. More often, it is the case of a badly wondering zero. It happens because of the way Simmons makes their reticle adjustment.

SRH78 · June 9, 2011, 11:09 PM

I couldn't agree more. I will never again waste my money on a Simmons. I have owned several and the only one that didn't come apart in short order is mounted on a Marlin 60.

Art Eatman · June 10, 2011, 08:53 AM

FWIW, the Simmons brand apparently changed sources, back maybe ten years ago or thereabouts. My 1997 version 44Mag has performed perfectly on an '06. A dealer friend, in maybe 2002 or 2003, said he was seeing comebacks on Simmons scopes.

Poodleshooter · June 10, 2011, 10:29 AM

Vortex Viper 2-7x 32mm
CameralandNY has em on discontinued clearance for $149.
It has optics on par with a Nikon Monarch or Leupold VXII, great tracking, and a lifetime warranty.
If I didn't have a good scope on my 30/30 right now, that's what would go on it.

603Country · June 10, 2011, 10:56 AM

Just get a fixed 4X scope. That's all you'll ever need on a 30-30 lever gun. Your shooting range is limited to about 150 yards (though I did good work with my old 35Rem out past 200 occasionally), and 4 power is plenty of magnification at that range. And one more thing to consider is that a fixed power won't confuse the distance issue if you're looking through the scope at a deer and are in a bit of a hurry to make the shot. If you have a variable on 7X or 9X, that deer gets a lot bigger in the scope, and therefore looks a lot closer. It wouldn't matter if you had a 270, but it could matter with a 30-30. I speak from many years of lever gun experience with deer at ranges from 30 yards to 270 yards (longest shot with the 35Rem).

Jack O'Conner · June 17, 2011, 02:18 PM

I've had very good luck with Simmons scopes. They're very sturdy with bright and clear optics. This scope is 2X - 8X from the 1990's.

I often hunt in rough country and harsh weather. I need a tough carbine and sturdy scope. Photo shows my older Glenfield 30-30. This photo was taken in western South Dakota.

How is that Mossberg 464 working for you? My eyeballs are attracted to the pistol grip model. 30-30 is a KEEPER!!

Jack

Kestrel4k · June 17, 2011, 05:33 PM

There is nothing wrong with used Leupolds as well. I just bought six of them to retool my hunting collection, an M8 2.5x fixed (for a 44 Mag rifle) to three Vari-X II 2-7x33mm (for two .30's & one .35). Costs for each of them ran from $130 to $190 (GunBroker, Ebay, AuctionArms). They don't have the latest whiz-bang coatings, but they are good solid scopes that are field-proven w/ lifetime transferable warrantees. (Lots of other 'lifetime' scope warrantees don't transfer to new owners.)

Doyle · June 17, 2011, 06:25 PM

Kestrel4K, I agree with you in principle but people need to be very careful buying used scopes on fleabay, etc. There has been a buttload of counterfeit Leupolds dumped on the US from China in the last few years. People buying them only find out they are counterfeit when they try to send them to Leuplold for warranty work.

Here is information on Leupold's website that anyone interesting in purchasing a Leupold when they are not 100% sure of its history:
http://www.leupold.com/corporate/res...rfeit-warning/

MOshooter65202 · June 24, 2011, 09:26 AM

I have a Burris 1 1/2-6 power w/electro dot scope I really like it mounted on my DPMS LR308 AP4 carbine

June 9, 2011, 05:36 PM	#26
Jack O'Conner Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2005 Location: Manatee County, Florida Posts: 1,976	Look no farther than Simmons plain but sturdy 4X scope. On sale now at Natchez Shooter Supply for about $20. This Simmons is head & shoulders above Redfield's finest of 30 years ago. Simmons makes 'em right! Jack __________________ Fire up the grill! Deer hunting IS NOT catch and release. Last edited by Jack O'Conner; June 9, 2011 at 05:42 PM.

June 9, 2011, 11:09 PM	#29
SRH78 Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 517	Doyle I couldn't agree more. I will never again waste my money on a Simmons. I have owned several and the only one that didn't come apart in short order is mounted on a Marlin 60.

June 17, 2011, 02:18 PM	#33
Jack O'Conner Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2005 Location: Manatee County, Florida Posts: 1,976	I've had very good luck with Simmons scopes. They're very sturdy with bright and clear optics. This scope is 2X - 8X from the 1990's. I often hunt in rough country and harsh weather. I need a tough carbine and sturdy scope. Photo shows my older Glenfield 30-30. This photo was taken in western South Dakota. How is that Mossberg 464 working for you? My eyeballs are attracted to the pistol grip model. 30-30 is a KEEPER!! Jack __________________ Fire up the grill! Deer hunting IS NOT catch and release.

June 9, 2011, 05:38 PM	#27
.300 Weatherby Mag Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2008 Posts: 1,777	Leupold VX-II 2-7... No phillipine or chinese built crap for my rifles...

June 10, 2011, 08:53 AM	#30
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	FWIW, the Simmons brand apparently changed sources, back maybe ten years ago or thereabouts. My 1997 version 44Mag has performed perfectly on an '06. A dealer friend, in maybe 2002 or 2003, said he was seeing comebacks on Simmons scopes.

June 10, 2011, 10:29 AM	#31
Poodleshooter Senior Member Join Date: August 7, 2000 Location: Floating down the James River in VA Posts: 2,599	Vortex Viper 2-7x 32mm CameralandNY has em on discontinued clearance for $149. It has optics on par with a Nikon Monarch or Leupold VXII, great tracking, and a lifetime warranty. If I didn't have a good scope on my 30/30 right now, that's what would go on it.

June 10, 2011, 10:56 AM	#32
603Country Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Thornton, Texas Posts: 3,998	Just get a fixed 4X scope. That's all you'll ever need on a 30-30 lever gun. Your shooting range is limited to about 150 yards (though I did good work with my old 35Rem out past 200 occasionally), and 4 power is plenty of magnification at that range. And one more thing to consider is that a fixed power won't confuse the distance issue if you're looking through the scope at a deer and are in a bit of a hurry to make the shot. If you have a variable on 7X or 9X, that deer gets a lot bigger in the scope, and therefore looks a lot closer. It wouldn't matter if you had a 270, but it could matter with a 30-30. I speak from many years of lever gun experience with deer at ranges from 30 yards to 270 yards (longest shot with the 35Rem).

June 17, 2011, 05:33 PM	#34
Kestrel4k Member Join Date: March 29, 2011 Location: The Willamette Valley, in Oregon Posts: 97	There is nothing wrong with used Leupolds as well. I just bought six of them to retool my hunting collection, an M8 2.5x fixed (for a 44 Mag rifle) to three Vari-X II 2-7x33mm (for two .30's & one .35). Costs for each of them ran from $130 to $190 (GunBroker, Ebay, AuctionArms). They don't have the latest whiz-bang coatings, but they are good solid scopes that are field-proven w/ lifetime transferable warrantees. (Lots of other 'lifetime' scope warrantees don't transfer to new owners.)

June 17, 2011, 06:25 PM	#35
Doyle Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2007 Location: Rainbow City, Alabama Posts: 7,167	Kestrel4K, I agree with you in principle but people need to be very careful buying used scopes on fleabay, etc. There has been a buttload of counterfeit Leupolds dumped on the US from China in the last few years. People buying them only find out they are counterfeit when they try to send them to Leuplold for warranty work. Here is information on Leupold's website that anyone interesting in purchasing a Leupold when they are not 100% sure of its history: http://www.leupold.com/corporate/res...rfeit-warning/

June 24, 2011, 09:26 AM	#36
MOshooter65202 Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2011 Posts: 471	I have a Burris 1 1/2-6 power w/electro dot scope I really like it mounted on my DPMS LR308 AP4 carbine