Which of these two scopes for the long haul.....

Te Anau · April 23, 2012, 10:50 PM

http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm...8B&src=tpCtgOp
Or
http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm...53&src=tpCtgOp

No interest in Zeiss,Nikon,Nitrex,Leupold,Konus,etc.
Primary use would be on bolt action rifle in .223,.308 or 30-06

Te Anau · April 24, 2012, 12:00 PM

Interesting,140 reads and 2 votes.Apparently people think its a joke poll or something.

Maybe I'll just get both.

Kreyzhorse · April 24, 2012, 03:11 PM

Ok, I'll play. Out of those choices, I think you might have better luck with the Bushnell.

Cowboy_mo · April 24, 2012, 09:39 PM

Of those 2 I would choose the Bushnell. However, My choice would be a Pentax Gameseeker (oh yea that's what I replaced the Bushnell with that came on my Weatherby Vanguard).

I have had a couple of Simmons over the years and they were 'iffy'. Didn't hold zero very well.

Yung.gunr · April 25, 2012, 12:29 AM

Bushnell has a much better name. But, my personal experience is that I live my Simmons scope on my .22 bolt rifle and hate the red dot Bushnell on my brother's AR.

I guess sometimes it boils down to luck of the draw..

Justice06RR · April 25, 2012, 02:14 AM

Bushnell gets my vote. I just purchased a very similar scope, the Bushnell Banner 3-9x40 and I'm very pleased with the quality for the price you pay. The optics are very clear and easy to acquire.

Powderman · April 25, 2012, 06:30 AM

I have a Whitetail Expedition--but it's the 6.5-20 model. I have had fantastic results with it. I can also say that mine is very durable--I mounted mine on a .50 BMG rifle (

) and it performed beautifully. They're also inexpensive; you can usually find them on sale for right around $120.00.

Te Anau · April 25, 2012, 02:08 PM

I think a lot of people reading this are grouping the Whitetail classic with all other offerings from Simmons,but apparently its made in the Phillipines and is a whole different animal.

603Country · April 26, 2012, 12:27 PM

Right or wrong, I'd go with the Bushnell. I have a low dollar one that's not on a gun right now, but it worked Ok when it was. Not a great scope by any means, but it held its zero. I paid a lot more for a scope (Japanese, but will remain nameless) that replaced the Bushnell on the 223, and the more expensive scope did NOT hold zero. The Bushnell was made in the Phillippines.

**Brian Pfleuger** · April 26, 2012, 12:46 PM

I've owned a lot of cheap scopes over the years and I've only seen 3 fail.... 2 of mine, 1 of my dads. One was a very, very cheap Tasco, 10-40x that lasted 5 years or so, the other was a Bushnell Dusk and Dawn 3-9 that simply couldn't handle the recoil of a 12ga in a lead sled. My dads was a Simmons that he had on his 12ga that was about $39 brand new. That one lasted a SOLID 20 years. It just broke last year and he had it on his gun when I started deer hunting 21 years ago.

I'd probably pick the Bushnell, though I can't say exactly why. I like magnification, so I might pick the Simmons. It's a toss-up.

How's that for ambiguous?

Major Dave (retired) · April 27, 2012, 11:55 AM

don't expect any scope to last, "for the long haul".

Sportsman's Guide is selling Pentax Gameseeker scopes, 2 models, for $62.

Whatever you get, it will "last" longer on the .223 (less recoil) than on a .308 or 30-06. That doesn't mean the image will be bright, or have high resolution, or good color definition.

Note that the Bushnell lenses are "multi-coated", not "fully multi-coated". That means that at least the exterior surface of either the objective lens or the ocular lense has at least 2 coats of lens covering. But none of the other lenses have any coating on them at all. RESULT: dim, fuzzy images with poor color separation.

Meanwhile, my Pentax Lightseeker 3-11X43 ($700 MSRP) has seven lens coatings on EVERY surface of EVERY lens. RESULT: Bright, sharp, crisp images from first light to last light, with every color in the rainbow clearly defined.

Te Anau · April 29, 2012, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Coated optics means that at least one of the major optical elements has a coating on at least one surface. Fully-coated means that all lenses and glass surfaces have a coating layer. Multicoated means that at least one of the major optical elements in a fully-coated binocular has multiple coatings of antireflective compounds on at least one surface. Fully-multicoated means all glass surfaces have multiple coatings and it is the best kind, resulting in light transmission of 90-95 percent, bright, sharp and contrasty images.

http://www.celestron.com/c3/support3...articleid=1626

THE RAVEN · April 30, 2012, 08:11 AM

Neither......Check out Nikon before you buy anything,you might be glad you did..Good luck !

View Poll Results: Which of these two scopes for the long haul...
Bushnell Trophy 3-9x40 Riflescope DOA 600 Reticle	17	89.47%
Simmons 3.5-10x40 Whitetail Classic	2	10.53%
Voters: 19. You may not vote on this poll

April 23, 2012, 10:50 PM	#1
Te Anau Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2004 Location: Somewhere south of the North pole Posts: 3,824	Which of these two scopes for the long haul..... http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm...8B&src=tpCtgOp Or http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm...53&src=tpCtgOp No interest in Zeiss,Nikon,Nitrex,Leupold,Konus,etc. Primary use would be on bolt action rifle in .223,.308 or 30-06 __________________ "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it." --American author Mark Twain (1835-1910)

April 24, 2012, 12:00 PM	#2
Te Anau Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2004 Location: Somewhere south of the North pole Posts: 3,824	Interesting,140 reads and 2 votes.Apparently people think its a joke poll or something. Maybe I'll just get both. __________________ "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it." --American author Mark Twain (1835-1910)

April 24, 2012, 03:11 PM	#3
Kreyzhorse Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Location: NKY Posts: 10,856	Ok, I'll play. Out of those choices, I think you might have better luck with the Bushnell. __________________ "He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson

April 24, 2012, 09:39 PM	#4
Cowboy_mo Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2010 Location: Missouri Posts: 727	I'll Play Of those 2 I would choose the Bushnell. However, My choice would be a Pentax Gameseeker (oh yea that's what I replaced the Bushnell with that came on my Weatherby Vanguard). I have had a couple of Simmons over the years and they were 'iffy'. Didn't hold zero very well.

April 25, 2012, 12:29 AM	#5
Yung.gunr Senior Member Join Date: November 12, 2010 Location: Phoenix area Posts: 1,196	Bushnell has a much better name. But, my personal experience is that I live my Simmons scope on my .22 bolt rifle and hate the red dot Bushnell on my brother's AR. I guess sometimes it boils down to luck of the draw..

April 25, 2012, 02:14 AM	#6
Justice06RR Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2010 Location: Central FL Posts: 933	BUSHNELL. Bushnell gets my vote. I just purchased a very similar scope, the Bushnell Banner 3-9x40 and I'm very pleased with the quality for the price you pay. The optics are very clear and easy to acquire.

April 25, 2012, 06:30 AM	#7
Powderman Senior Member Join Date: September 7, 2001 Location: Washington State Posts: 2,032	I have a Whitetail Expedition--but it's the 6.5-20 model. I have had fantastic results with it. I can also say that mine is very durable--I mounted mine on a .50 BMG rifle () and it performed beautifully. They're also inexpensive; you can usually find them on sale for right around $120.00. __________________ Hiding in plain sight...

April 25, 2012, 02:08 PM	#8
Te Anau Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2004 Location: Somewhere south of the North pole Posts: 3,824	I think a lot of people reading this are grouping the Whitetail classic with all other offerings from Simmons,but apparently its made in the Phillipines and is a whole different animal. __________________ "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it." --American author Mark Twain (1835-1910)

April 26, 2012, 12:27 PM	#9
603Country Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Thornton, Texas Posts: 1,752	Right or wrong, I'd go with the Bushnell. I have a low dollar one that's not on a gun right now, but it worked Ok when it was. Not a great scope by any means, but it held its zero. I paid a lot more for a scope (Japanese, but will remain nameless) that replaced the Bushnell on the 223, and the more expensive scope did NOT hold zero. The Bushnell was made in the Phillippines.

April 26, 2012, 12:46 PM	#10
Brian Pfleuger Staff Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Central, Southern NY, USA Posts: 14,662	I've owned a lot of cheap scopes over the years and I've only seen 3 fail.... 2 of mine, 1 of my dads. One was a very, very cheap Tasco, 10-40x that lasted 5 years or so, the other was a Bushnell Dusk and Dawn 3-9 that simply couldn't handle the recoil of a 12ga in a lead sled. My dads was a Simmons that he had on his 12ga that was about $39 brand new. That one lasted a SOLID 20 years. It just broke last year and he had it on his gun when I started deer hunting 21 years ago. I'd probably pick the Bushnell, though I can't say exactly why. I like magnification, so I might pick the Simmons. It's a toss-up. How's that for ambiguous?

April 27, 2012, 11:55 AM	#11
Major Dave (retired) Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 2008 Location: Between Dallas and Shreveport, LA Posts: 517	For $70, or less.. don't expect any scope to last, "for the long haul". Sportsman's Guide is selling Pentax Gameseeker scopes, 2 models, for $62. Whatever you get, it will "last" longer on the .223 (less recoil) than on a .308 or 30-06. That doesn't mean the image will be bright, or have high resolution, or good color definition. Note that the Bushnell lenses are "multi-coated", not "fully multi-coated". That means that at least the exterior surface of either the objective lens or the ocular lense has at least 2 coats of lens covering. But none of the other lenses have any coating on them at all. RESULT: dim, fuzzy images with poor color separation. Meanwhile, my Pentax Lightseeker 3-11X43 ($700 MSRP) has seven lens coatings on EVERY surface of EVERY lens. RESULT: Bright, sharp, crisp images from first light to last light, with every color in the rainbow clearly defined. __________________ Artillery lends dignity to what would otherwise be but a vulgar brawl. Last edited by Major Dave (retired); April 27, 2012 at 12:20 PM.

April 30, 2012, 08:11 AM	#13
THE RAVEN Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2012 Location: New York Posts: 122	Neither......Check out Nikon before you buy anything,you might be glad you did..Good luck ! __________________ I have NEVER heard of a firearm picking itself up and shooting someone ! S&W MP-15/22,S&W MP-15 .223,Remington SPS .308,Remington 870 A-TAC 12 ga,Savage Model 25 Walking Varminter .17 Hornet