Scope Breakage

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snipe300

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Has anyone had a problem with a decent scope breaking? As in a Simmons 3-10x44?
 
Any scope brand can break. You'll probably hear just about all of them if this thread lasts long enough. Pricier scopes tend to break less, but even that depends a lot upon how large and/or complicated the scope is, and how much recoil your rifle is producing.

I've broken several scopes, including Simmons. I don't think Simmons is one of the more reliable brands, and a largish variable is more likely to bite the dust than smaller scopes.

Having said that, it's been my solid experience that if a given scope holds hope for the first one or two hundred shots, it will hold on for approximately forever.

Countdown to the arrival of the Euroscope snobs: ten, nine, eight...
 
I've also wrecked a Simmons. No abuse, and I didn't have it on a cannon. My little sissy .243 Win. did one in in about two years.
 
depends on the definition of 'decent'. i don't count simmons among decent scopes... i have broken zeiss, cabela's, pentax, burris, simmons, tasco, and nikon.

of those i've broken, i would not buy pentax, burris, simmons, or tasco again.
 
Granted, until the last 5 years or so, I haven't been a big user of scopes on rifles. A rifle I got from my Gramps had a (literally) no-name, no-info scope on it. I'm guessing it wore a 4x scope and it worked fine. A few years back, I bought a $50 BSA scope for a Marlin GG in .450 Marlin. It survived about 100 factory rounds. I replaced it "just because", even though it worked just fine. (A Cateye 1.5x4.5x32mm). I've never had a cheap scope (or even an expensive one) fail on me. I've had some pretty cheap scopes, and some old ones that I'm sure were "minimalist" scopes.
I've never had any scope "go South" on me.
 
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I think Simmons the brand isn't the most consistent.

All of the shooters in my camp have always used Leopolds and we've never had a problem.

With that much success, why change.


Plus their customer service is awesome. I over-tighted the windage and elevation knobs on my scope and sent it in telling them I'd pay for any repair. This is a 12 year old scope mind you. They sent it back a week later fixed.

Everything I can say about Leopold is good. It's the only scope I'll put on my rifles.

.
 
[QUOTEdepends on the definition of 'decent'. i don't count simmons among decent scopes][/QUOTE]

well, some of us can not afford zeiss, leopold, or swavorsky scopes, so we have to rely on the more inexpensive models. i do not particularly like to two tasco's i have had. i like bushnells, and simmons scopes. they work fine for me, as i, like a lot of others, are on a budget.
 
moooooose102,

I don't think that

depends on the definition of 'decent'. i don't count simmons among decent scopes
Click to expand...

was meant as an insult to anyone or ignores the financial realities of many people.


However, financial realities do not alter the optic itself. It will be as good or as bad as it will be regardless of what we wish it to be.

I have a Simmons 3-9x50 laying in my closet right now. I have found that it offered VERY poor light transmission and clarity. Mine DID hold zero on a hunting rifle that I shot a few times a year.

However, my Father has a Simmons 3-9x50. Not only did his have the same poor light transmission and clarity, his would not hold zero. He shoots about 20 times a year and stores the gun carefully.


In my opinion, if you can spend $69.95 on a Simmons 3-9x50, you can spring an extra $30 dollars and get a Refurbished Nikon 3-9x40 from SWFA.com's Sample List. Or spring a net $150.00 and get a Nikon Prostaff 3-9x40 brand new.

Seriously. You'll thank yourself.


-- John
 
I had one scope "go south" on me, a Bushnell Banner that came stock on a Beeman air rifle. It worked OK, but the magnification ring would never move. So, I sent it back to Bushnell,and used their little known option of upgrading to a better scope rather than having that one repaired or replaced. I gave them a pittance to upgrade to a much nicer Elite 3200 tactical (5-15,target knobs, mil-dot reticle.)
The Bushnell Elites are almost universally well spoken of, the 3200's don't cost an arm and a leg, and with this kind of warranty coverage,anyone else is going to have a difficult time getting my buisness !!
 
I have a Simmons on a 30-06 that's 30+ years old

It's banged up pretty good but still works fine. Not the highest quality scope but it works.
 
A couple of years ago my father wanted to buy his brother a scope for his deer rifle. I suggested a $300+ Leupold and he had me order it. We've never had any problems with our Leupolds.

My uncle mounted it on his first-year Browning BAR .30-06. Something broke sometime during the first (and only) 7 shots and it wouldn't group at all, it was throwing shots everywhichway. Of course Leupold fixed it in a timely manner.

You just never know about anything mechanical, so fast quality service counts for a lot.

John
 
I have a Simmon 3-9 x 40 that has had some serious abuse. I was crossing a creek using a fallen log as a "bridge", I slipped on the mossy covered bark and the scope hit the log right on the objective lens, then into the drink. I also went swimming. The hunt was over that day but after a thorough cleaning the POA was off exactly two feet to the west. I dialed her in and went hunting the next morning. I shot a little forky that morning DRT.

This is the kind of thing that makes for memorable hunts !

CC
 
Yep, last November. A few years ago I bought a used Redfield 3x9. Mounted it on a 700BDL '06 and hunted with it. Early Nov. of last year found me in Montana for my first ever elk hunt. I popped a bull with the Redfield sighted BDL. After returning home, I went whitetail hunting. Was in the woods before I noticed that the reticle was loose in the tube. Since Redfield had changed hands several times in the last few years they would not honor a warranty. It was bad enough on a deer hunt. It would have been catastrophic on the elk hunt. The rifle travels in a padded hardcase and never gets rough handling.
 
Bought two Tasco "World Class" scopes probably 20 years ago, a 6-24 and a straight 24. The 6-24 would change point of impact about 2" at 100 yards from start on a .223, it never went prairie dog shooting. The straight 24 worked well on a .22 LR benchrest rifle, but went south - wouldn't adjust for windage or elevation - shortly after it was put on a varmint weight .243. I've also got an old 6-18 Burris that quit adjusting for parallax, a 30 yr old Leupold 12X that needed a factory rebuild because the windage and elevation adjustments wouldn't.

Some makers do have better warranty service and service/repair reputations than others too. If a Leupold fails they'll fix it for shipping costs. :D
 
I had a simmons once. It came on a 30-06 I bought from a guy. First off, the windage was supposed to be .25MOA but it was really somewhere between 3MOA and 4MOA depending on the time of day. Then one time I put the magnification up to 10 and the reticle twisted. It twisted while I was in the field hunting deer but held zero.
 
Snipe, I would not call a Simmons a 'decent' scope. While they might work fine for awhile, they are a cheap brand, made cheaply.

I have personally never 'broken' a Leupold, Zeiss or Pentax, but I have had failures with Bushnell, Simmons, Tasco and BSA products.
 
I've broken Simmons, Tasco, and Bushnell. Won't buy another Simmons or Tasco. Bushnell seems to have addressed some of the quality concerns, but even here, I'd not buy a Bushnell for anything other than a .22.

At this point, I'm sticking to (in order of preference): Leupold, Nikon, and Burris.
 
FWIW I have a Simmons 1-4x20 that has withstood all sorts of beatings from some very heavy cartridges and has always worked perfectly. So while I agree that Simmons is not a top name, they can and do make scopes that work just fine. I still maintain that any scope that stands up to the first few hundred rounds (assuming an appropriate scope/gun/cartridge combo) will stand up for many years of use, regardless of the name on the tube.
 
I had one of the first Simmons scopes, way back when. Had no problems with it. A buddy of mine had two break in the mid 1990's. They were on a 300 Win mag. I have a Prarie master now that came with a rifle, I doubt I'll ever use it.

I had a Springfield loose a c ring internally once. It was on a 340 Weatherby magnum, evidently couldn't handle the recoil.

No issues with Leupold or Kahles so far, knock wood.
 
I have not had good luck with simmons had 2 different on a .22magnum and the massive recoil did them in after 50 or so shots. But I have busted bushnell also. I now only buy bushnell elite series or equivalent. But I have also busted a $500 Sightron on a 220 swift and I have buddies that swear by simmons and they certianly abuse them. the thing is Anything can and will break eventually.
 
I have a Weaver V9 3-9x50 that I got on a used 700BDL in 30-06. After I bought it I discovered that the innards had come loose. So I sent it back to Weaver with a little note; after a few weeks it was back on my doorstep and it's worked wonderfully since.
 
had one scope "go south" on me, a Bushnell Banner that came stock on a Beeman air rifle. It worked OK, but the magnification ring would never move. So, I sent it back to Bushnell,and used their little known option of upgrading to a better scope rather than having that one repaired or replaced. I gave them a pittance to upgrade to a much nicer Elite 3200 tactical (5-15,target knobs, mil-dot reticle.)
The Bushnell Elites are almost universally well spoken of, the 3200's don't cost an arm and a leg, and with this kind of warranty coverage,anyone else is going to have a difficult time getting my buisness !!
Click to expand...

It must be little known cause when I sent in my Trophy that went south a couple months ago, I asked about upgrading and was told no.

And I had to pay for shipping there and back. About 22.00 bucks...
 
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