For the price you are talking, get a fixed 4X. Check out the auction sites (auctionarms.com, gunbroker.com, even ebay.com) for a used Leupold or Burris or Weaver. If you have to go new, either a Simmons or a Bushnell 4X should work. But avoid anything marked as a .22 scope as the reticle might not hold up. My first choice, though, would be a used Leupold M8 4X, even if the tube were battered and scratched ... as long as the optics are clear. If it has any internal problems, send it back to Leupold for a fix.

cogito, ergo armor.