Anyone here use a Simmons Aetec scope?

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General Geoff

General Geoff

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Since I've had such great luck with my 22 Mag Simmons scope, I decided to see what other scopes they had to offer. Upon looking at their Aetec scopes, they seem to be competing with much higher dollar glass for a fraction of the price (msrp ~$300, street price closer to $200). That notwithstanding, I've been looking to pick up a scope for my M1A (still need a scope mount, but that's a different story). Ideally I'd like Leupold Mk4 tactical scope, but with the price for those approaching $1k, I'm thinking about picking up an Aetec to try it out and see how well it works. Even if it's not as great as I would like, an extra long range scope (I'll be getting a 4-14x44 illuminated truplex reticle) if I need one for a different rifle down the road is always a nice thing to have.

Just wondering if anyone else here has had any experience with them. From online reviews, it seems that the consensus is they're great value for the money.
 
No Aetecs here but a few Simmons scopes none the less. A pair of .22mags, a fixed 4x32, a ProHunter 3-9x40 and a .44mag in 4-12x44AO. I'm satisfied with all of mine. I suppose the .44mag is the closest to what you want and I think that this is a very good value scope. I'd think the Aetec would be too.
 
No experience with the Aetec. I have a Simmons 8-point which has convinced me to never buy another simmons scope again. Its a cheap scope but it has at least 2-3moa of parallex which makes it almost useless.
 
Of all the simmons scopes I've ended up with dealing and trading rifles, none of them had optics that would rate much better than mediocre at best.
 
I have had good luck with my Aetec, but I picked it up used at a pawn shop for $50. If I was buying a new scope and planned to spend $200 or so, I think I could do better with Bushnell elite 3200, Nikon Buckmaster or Weaver. Leupolds are good, but a bit more costly.
 
If it doesn't say Leupold on it, I don't buy it.

Burned too many times on Burris, Tasco, Simmons, etc.
 
good scopes

i have an aetec and a pro hunter
aetec is a 3x9x40
pro is 2.8x10x50

shoot year round in wisconsin and never had them fog or break

and i have killed deer at 250 plus with my 270 and my 308

the pro is mounted on a springfield sar8 (308)

sight have stayed dead on even with the recoil on the sar8.

my opinion is great scope
that doesnt cost an arm and a leg
 
Never been burned by a Burris or Nikon. Can't imagine one could be, but even Leupolds break, and generally are more expensive in the same quality bracket.

Ash
 
I've had several Simmons scopes: one Deerfield, one Prohunter, and two Aetecs. I still have the Aetecs - a 2.8-10x and a 3.8-12x. One is mounted on a Ruger 10/22 and the other on a Howa .308. Neither one has had any problems, but the Deerfield and the Prohunter were worthless junk.
 
Many people don't realize the Aetec is their pricey scope. When you say Simmons, they think about cheapo-scopes on package rifles. Like Bushnell, Simmons makes better scopes. Is the Aetec as good as the Bushnell Elites? Probably not. I did buy an Aetec recently for $20 and it is worth it all day long. It will make an excellent scope for a loaner gun. It isn't as good as my Burris or Nikons, but it is certainly better than the cheap Simmons scopes at Wally World. In any case, it is Chinese-made all the same, and if I were purchasing on the primary market, I would not get one.

Ash
 
I have an Aetec 2.8-10x on my AR-10 and have been very happy with it. It has spent quite a bit of time in the field and a lot of time on the range, with a total of about 1000 rounds shot. I got the scope dialed in the first day and haven't touched it since.
 
Got the 4.5-14 on my Century G-3, and it's worked fine. My biggest gripe with the Simmons and similar scopes (top of the bottom, if you know what I mean) is heavy crosshairs. I had a Bushnell Banner 6-18x 50mm on my Howa .223. Clarity was OK, but the reticle was so thick it completely covered praire dogs beyong 300 yards.

I have found it worth the extra cost to go Nikon, Weaver or Leupold. Got a Nikon Monarch 6.5-20x 44mm ultra fine crosshair on my .220 Swift, and it is absolutely perfect for the application. Yeah, it was 2-1/2 times the price of an Aetec, but worth it.
 
Price-wise, the Aetec is the worst deal you can get. The Burris, Pentax, or Nikon scopes are better quality for the same or similar prices. I suppose the point would be that the Aetecs are decent scopes, but priced too high for what you get.

Ash
 
I had one AETEC. It refused to hold zero and was inaccurate in its adjustments. I wasted a lot of time at the range trying to deal with it.

For non-critical work (range toy, on a rilfe that gets hunted once a year with a backup handy), I suppose they're OK. Some folk get examples that seem to work OK. A lot of folk don't.

My AETEC experience was useful in one regard - it taught me that I would rather save a few more pennies and get something solid and functional than try to 'just make do'. Chasing the least expensive option often winds up being a false economy.

I am partial to Sightron SII's - they're still reasonably priced but (other than their surface finish) are quite durable with excellent optics.
 
Yeah

Already been said but.

$200 and you're looking at a Simmons. You can do much much better than that. Simmons is junk. A lot of times scopes will have sh*t the bed, and people don't even notice (or were that way from the factory).

BTW, there is no service on any Meade product (Simmons, Weaver, etc.). That should tell you something about the product. Mass produced Chinese crap mentality.

Nikon
Sightron
Bushnell Elite
Burris/Pentax
etc.
 
Had one on a 30-06. After maybe 40 rounds it broke and couldn't hold zero or be sighted in. Glad I didn't spend very much on since it ended up being a disposal scope. Bought a Leupold and lived happily ever after.
 
I have a 2.8-10 Aetec with illuminated recticle and I like it. Nice and clear, if not a bit heavy. I have had no problems with it and like the scope alot.

Mine is the older version and not produced in China - Korea or something like that.

Good Luck.
 
Mine is the older version and not produced in China - Korea or something like that.
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I've heard that the earliest Aetecs were really good scopes, like you said, made in Korea or Taiwan, but typically like all cheap scope makers, they build a decent quality scope for an attractive price and build a good following or demand then move production to China where the quality goes to pot.
 
Many people don't realize the Aetec is their pricey scope. When you say Simmons, they think about cheapo-scopes on package rifles. Like Bushnell, Simmons makes better scopes. Is the Aetec as good as the Bushnell Elites? Probably not. I did buy an Aetec recently for $20 and it is worth it all day long. It will make an excellent scope for a loaner gun. It isn't as good as my Burris or Nikons, but it is certainly better than the cheap Simmons scopes at Wally World. In any case, it is Chinese-made all the same, and if I were purchasing on the primary market, I would not get one.
Click to expand...

Well, I've owned price point Bushnell sportviews and while optics suck many times, I've never had one fail on me. I had a sportview 3x9 on my Savage 7 mag and it held up fine, put the Simmons "Whitetail" on it (bought into advertising hype) crappy optics and it crapped out on that 7 from the recoil. I missed a doe, got back to camp saying "I know I was ON that deer", got to checking the scope and when I'd pass 7 power with it, the reticule would jump and the POA would change. :rolleyes: Bushnell has cheap scopes, but they work!

I sent that Simmons off and had it repaired and it now resides on a .22 I don't shoot much. I got a Weatherby Supreme 3x9x44 for 150 bucks on a sell out for the 7 and that thing compares to a 400 dollar scope. Optics are awesome and the scope is super strong. I figured if it had the Weatherby brand on it, it had to be able to handle a bit of recoil. I should have picked up two of 'em at that price.

I'm into Weavers now, affordable, yet high quality. Screw Simmons.
 
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