RE: Scope power...
I firmly believe that power range is part preference and part the terrain/length of expected shots.
I know plenty of folks that love the 4x12 and larger, and others that use 3x9 or even fixed 4x. Preference is important.
I also think that if you are not going to have/expect any shots over 200 yards you likely can get by with a 3x9 or even a 2x7.