Let me give you a little idea what my experience with scopes is first. I've owned a little of everything, from 30$ Bushnells to $1,200 Swarovskis. Most of all I've owned Leupolds and they have all been VariX-III's. As of right now my favorite is the Zeiss Conquest. It combines excellent optics with a reasonable price. I own two, the 3-9X40 and the 4.5-14X44. Of these two, I prefer the 3-9X40 because the optics seem a little clearer and because it offers more eye relief. A 3-9 is all anyone needs in a big game hunting rifle. You could probably find a 3-9 Conquest on the internet for around $350. Try one of the following companies:

SWFA www.riflescopes.com
BearBasin www.bearbasin.com
D&R Sports www.dnrsports.com

If you decide on another scope, one of these companies is still probably your best bet.