Which scope

[Dogmann]

I am going to scope  a few new contender barrels. I spent alot of time looking at the Simmons handgun scopes at this years NRA convention & I was impressed. But I have also liked the Bushnell trophy scopes & they make a pistol scope also. WHich of these two brands would hold up to the most abuse...(45/70 & 44mag).

[rickyp]

You should look into the T/C handgun scope line. I llike the ones with the lighted cross hairs and they have a life time warrenty

[Redhawk1]

I use the Bushnell trophy handgun scopes on a 460 and 500 Mag. If they will hold up there you won't have a problem with them on a 44 Mag or 45-70. I would not put a Simmons on any of my handguns or rifles. JMHO. 

[spinafish]

I have a Simmons Pro-hunter 4 X on my .300 Whisper and it works just fine.  Its inexpensive, which is what I was looking for at the time, was looking to trade up later..but like it so well I just stayed with it.  Of course, the .300 Whisper is not a thumper!  Have a Bushnell 2 x 6 on the way from Mid-way as we speak. Its for a 6.5 TCU I just bought.

[The Old Redneck]

 From some of your past post you talked about shooting to 200 yards. I shoot a lot of handguns and use the cheap and better quality scopes depending on gun, caliber and use. Burris scopes are not cheap, but they make a 2 X 7 with the Ballistic plex reticle. For hunting it takes the quess work out of hold over if you use a range finder, or know your distances. Over the years I have bought a lot of cheap scopes and some that were not so cheap that the big bores would shake apart over time. With handgun hunting becoming more popular we have a lot better selection than was out there just 10 years ago. Some of the new kids on the block have done their home work and have good products, I just don't have enough experiance with them to recomend them. The 45/70 and 44 mag are 2 that I shoot with heavy loads, whatever you buy get a good set of rings and base. The 3 ring setups do give extra hold for the heavy recoil guns, with the heavy bullets you talked about. Reloading would also help with the cost of shooting and pay for the extra investment soon. Good luck, hope you get your deer. The Ol Redneck

[Gavinator]

 If you have good eyesight and will be hunting in full daylight a $40 "target sports" will work.
 If you will be ready to shoot at the "legal start" of shooting time, or are losing your eyesight you will need a high quality scope, either a Burris 2x-7x, or Leupold 2.5x-8x, preferably matte black finnish, but definitely not silver finnish (the Leupold scope is silver on the inside and it'll give you a glare).
 Then you will need to learn to keep your dominate eye on the animal while you bring the pistol scope in line with your sight, you do not look through the scope to find the target.
 As for durability I haven't had any problems with the glass, but have had a mount break on a red-dot sight, and a scope slip in Leupold QRW rings. My favorite ring/base combination are Weaver #92 base with their 4x4 medium rings, no slipping and the square lugs makes good contact with the base. And if you want a 3 ring set-up the spacing on the base is already correct for these rings.
 When you mount your base, check that each screw individually holds the base to the barrel, if it doesn't you'll need to shorten the screw.  If you are going to drive that 45-70 hard you should consider having a 6-screw base smithed onto the barrel.

[Lone Star]

The .45-70 is the hardest-recoiling chambering normally available in a Contender, the only thing worse I've shot is my .50-70-750.  Cheap scopes will break eventually (heck, good quality ones have), usually just when you are about to make that shot on a great trophy.  You will not regret buying a quality scope for that barrel, but if you shoot it much you will regret getting a cheap one.  Once it breaks, you don't have a scope and you don't have your money.  I like to have at least one or the other.   


.

[Catfish]

Leupold.

[Keith L]

I am not a fan of cheap scopes any more.  All it took was for one to fail when hunting to sour me.  I agree with Lone Star that it is only a matter of time.  Wit some it is constant frustration, and life is to short for that.  I have some Leos, some Burris, some better Bushnell, and some cheap ones still.  I like the field of view on the Burris scopes I have, and the bright crisp optics on the Leos.

Good luck on your choice.

[poncaguy]

I have a Simmons on my 460 S&W Encore pistol..............doing just fine so far

[Heavy C]

Simmons & Bushnell are what my contenders wear.  Those include 223, 44 mag308, and 7 - 30 Waters.  I put the Bushnell on the 7 - 30.  Both brands have served me well.  Prior to my T/C addiction it was Leupold all the way, but that became an expensive proposition when you consider a scope for each barrel.  I'm putting together an Encore pistol and I'll probably put a Burris on that one; it's a 308 Win.

[MnMike]

I am a cheapskate, but the Simmons scopes I have looked at had distortion around the edges. I personally think that BSA, Tasco, and Bushnell are better. I do know that Nikon, Leopold, and TC,  etc are better yet. I just don't want to pay the price- well I do have one TC.

JMHO

mike

[SD Handgunner]

I too have been down the CHEAP SCOPE ROAD a time or two. Seems in the end they don't stick around long for one reason or another and I come to my sences and replace them with a BURRIS.

I have never had a Burris fail me. Like has been stated a lot has to do with the Base and Rings. A buddy had the barrel rib on his S&W Model 29 machined to accept Scope Rings (don't remember the style or make of them). He shook apart 2 2x20mm Leupold's before he figured out his mounting system was the problem.

Buy a good scope and mount it with good rings and bases and you shouldn't have any problems.

Merry Christmas one and all.

Larry

[jamie]

In all my messing with scopes I have come to figure out that for my rifles, a Nikon Monarch or Buckmaster (depends on use) is all the scope I will ever need at a very decent price, and for my handguns I use the Elite 3200.  I had a Leupold 3x10x50 Tactical and it was a great scope, it just wasn't $$400 better than my Nikons.  I have owned 3 Burris scopes and all 3 had quality control issues, I won't buy another.

Save your money a little longer and purchase the Elite 3200, you will glad you did.

[Ken ONeill]

A Bushnell 3200 will probably work and be durable. For my money, though, there is only one scope to put on a .45-70 or .44 Mag... a Leupold... either a 2X in a very heavily wooded and brushy terrain, or a 4X for more versatile useage. Nothing is a good buy if it breaks in the middle of a remote hunt.

[poncaguy]

I had very good results with the Mueller 2x7 Multi Shot scope on my 45-70.