RE: Scope for Remington Model 7
at 75yds, 1.5, 2, or 3x wouldn't matter to me.....but at 15ft.....it would....
I actually put a 3-12 on my .338 i wanted 10+ mag on the high end and ideally like 2x down low, but 3-12 was all i could find and most were 4-12 etc...or 4.5-14
So I chose 3x which i wanted 12 or 14x up top, so i went from 4 or 4.5 down to 3x, look at FOV if that matters to you, for the lower setting, which will be the larger of the 2 numbers, ie more feild of view on low power....
Up real close ya I think 2x would be perfect, but 3x isn't much more, but 4.5 is getting up there say.
Nikon monarch, or monarch gold makes a 2.5-10, though I'm not crazy about nikon riflescopes, like their rangefinders though. But that would be the best of both worlds? If the monarch gold is the most you were planning to spend, I'd go with something like that then. But if it's cheaper than what you planned to, I'd keep looking probably.
I think leupold makes a 2.5-8, everyone has a 3-9, or 3.5-10 those seem like your main options, though 2.5-10 covers all of that.
I think to many "Out West" means big money on a big game hunt like elk.....
though I think ust about anyone can draw a good antelope tag out west after 3-4years and public land DIY for a trophy antelope, and that would be "out west" cheap DIY. Once you do it once you'll probably be hooked.
Get online and checkout every scope maker you can think of, going to Cabelas website can help you compare lots of scopes/features pretty easily, without having to go to everyones website etc....or just open multiple webpages and go to everyones website.....on cabelas you can probably just type rifle scopes and under 500 bucks....and see what pops up.
That 2.5-10 sounds like a great option....but any 2.5-8, 3-9, 3.5-10 would be ideal I think. Since you talked under 75yds I'd look to the 2.5-10, or 2.5-8.
Hell get a new swarovski Z6 2-12x!!! I think they make a 1.7-10...