I saw a simmons whitetail scope and wondered about the quality and ruggedness of the scope compared to low end nikons or leupold var x 1.

My neighbour has this scope(simmons) on one of his rifles & I have shot it a number of times, it functioned ok but the eye relief was very short (3). He is a simmons guy and doesn' t like nearly as much as his Aztec, but it is half the price. I just checked some data on the VXI and Buckmaster, both afford better eye relief with the VXI the most generous. I have looked through the VXI it is OK. The buckmaster I have never seen(no comment). I believe the Nikon is known for better light transmission, but again having never looked through it or seen, I can' t comment. With the given choices & my limited experience, I would probably opt for the VXI, given the service and eye relief afforded.

However just some information, hopefully other will chime in with field experiences to help with your decision.

Good Luck.

IMO...Simmons and (Leupold or Nikon) shouldn' t even be compared. You' re not comparing apples to apples. Even the low end models of Leupold or Nikon are far superior than any Simmons.

The Simmons whitetail scope should be relegated to use on your .22 rifle. Maybe a .22 mag. I have found them dull, poorly made, and not up to any rough use at all. My experience was with 2 of these scopes about 7 - 8 years ago. Maybe their quality has improved since then.......but I doubt it.

I haven' t tried the whitetail. I have three simmons 44 mags and have been happy with them. But they cost more than the whitetail...

Id look into the simmons aetec ive heard great reviews from hunters on this one. Or save up some money for a bit and get a leopold vx-ii or a nikon buckmaster or monarch.

I agree with WV Hunter.

I' ve never looked through a Nikon, but I have compared a Simmons Aetec to a Leupold VX-II side by side. No comparison at all. The Simmons had an unbearable amount of glare and was just an overall poorer looking scope. The owner of the Simmons is a hunting friend of mine. He honestly can' t hunt when the sun is near the horizon due to the incredible glare. The Leupold is much more crisp with a lot less glare.

Just off the top of my head, I think that the Leupold may be $100 more. I wouldn' t use a Simmons if it were handed to me free of charge.

I have a Simmons whitetail scope, would not buy another.

I have a Simmons .22 on a 10/22 that is fine, never a problem or complaint with it.

I also have a Simmons 4X shotgun scope on my H & R Ultra Slug Hunter 12 gauge and again never a complaint or problem. The " Pro-Diamond" recticle is really useful as a " rangefinder" for deer.

Never had a problem or complaint with either so I don' t know exactly what some of the " complaints" posted are regarding to. The .22 scope is silver and looks awesome on my stainless 10/22 ruger with black synthetic folding stock. Especiallly because the steel skeleton of the folder looks just like stainless, too.

I just got my boy a H & R Ultra Slug in 20 gauge and am looking for another with the " Pro-Diamond" recticle to top it off, too.

I think it' s fine to have your favorite brands, for whatever reasons. But shouldn' t rip on others just because they' re not your favorites. I think alot of folks speak of which they don' t really know. I mean you would have to honestly own and use all the different brans for a few years each to honestly evaluate them and form opinions...................................Wo uldn' t you?