RE: New scope
I'd be hard pressed to buy anything but a nikon monarch or buckmaster, and I definately wouldn't ever pay my hard-earned cash buying an overhyped scope with a leupold brand name printed on it. I've owned monarchs so far and have to say they are absolutely gorgeous and clear scopes. Solid adjustments, spectacular clarity and light absorption, precise parallax adjustment, and an overall fantastic piece of glass worth every penny! If you don't want to drop 300-350 finding a monarch (350 seems like a steal to me anyway) you could go to buckmaster which should be just as durable and I'm sure are great scopes in themselves, but I'd gladly pay the money for the monarch - just an added touch of class and quality.
They have lifetime warranties too, transferrable between owners.