10X42 woud be my recommendation for hunting out west and scoping from long distances. I broke down a year ago and bought Swarovskis. They are absolutely awesome, however I had to sell my oldest child to get them (I'm kidding, but they are a big investment). Nikons are a great glass and if you want to spend a little more, I have also glassed through the new leupold Gold Ring 10X42 and they are very, very good, but still around $1,000. Good luck.

Kelly