The M8 4 power is a great scope. it is one of the classic fixed power big game scopes. Small, Light weight and ultra reliable. A fixed power has less lenses and less moving parts. You will never miss a shot by fiddling with the zoom knob. I prefer fixed power scopes. They used to be much cheaper than variables. They still shouild be. They are cheaper to build. But volume is the key to brining prices down. And the fixed powers don't sell like they used to.
Noted gunwriter and optics guru Craig Boddington also prefers fixed powers in 4 and 6x. He claims (and I agree) that for shots of 250 and less, the 4X isgreat, and for shots of 250 to 400, the 6X is perfect.
I have also had some problems with variables scopes shifting point of impact when you crank up or down the power. This is not unknown even in high end scopes. They are much better now but I still keep my variable scopes at the same power setting that I zeros them at (4 and 6X)
My next Purchase will be a 6X (sightron S3, or maybe Zeiss, Kahles, or Swarovski Habicht) in6X for my Mauser in 300 win mag.
My Leupold M8 4x sits upon my Marlin 882 .22 mag.
Plus, every one uses a Leupold or Zeiss conquest 3-9x40. I like using something different. And I like to keep it simple. I have enough to worry about without diddling with the power knob.
I bought mine used. It had a problem and I sent it to leupold, telling them that I was not the original owner. They fixed it anyway free.
Oh and the eye relief is good too.
Well I do ramble about optics!!
mco