Simmons were never considered a “high end” scope in the grand scheme of things, even the Whitetail Classic range. They were popular amongst air gunners but weren’t in the same league as German/Austrian offerings such as Schmidt & Bender, Swarovski, Zeiss etc.

I remember Ramsbottoms sold the 1.5-5x20 for around £70 in the early 2000’s.

They may have been marketed as a budget deer stalking scope in the US, but I’ve never seen one being used on a stalking rifle over here, despite the “Whitetail” marketing.

The style of scope without an objective bell wasn’t unique to Simmons. Generally that type of scope was used on big game rifles, where a wide field of view and quick target acquisition was required. In the airgun world that translated well to shooting rats, for example.

I really like them and own a couple myself. They’re well sought after for a good reason.

Cheers
Greg