RE: Less expensive shotgun scope
I do like the Leupold shotgun 2-7 scope and have it on a couple slug guns. In the past I used the Bushnell Trophy 1.75-4 with circle reticle. Trophy is a really nice scope for the money and mine served me well for quite a few years. I paid right around a hundred for the Trophy and around two hundred for the VX-I 2-7..
Trophy has a really wide field of view and good eye relief...