RE: scope question?
I agree completely and usually tell people that when they ask me what scope I think they should get. For most big game hunting you simply don't need that much scope. Spend the money on quality optics, not more magnification and fancy gizmo's. Unless your shooting long ranges out west or something. Most don't shoot deer and other large game animals much farther than 100-200 yards, and usually it's closer than that, especially in the mid west. 2-7X is plenty most of the time. And its usually brighter, more compact and more affordable. you can get a really nice 2-7x hunting scope in the 200 dollar range. If you can afford more, then go for it.
3-9x40 is normally your most common though and more than enough for most hunting. I have never actually turned a scope up that high in an actual hunting situation.
Like I said, high powered big belled adjustable scopes are nice for target shooting or varmint hunting where you have the time to fiddle with it and take careful aim. However if you think your going to get a good high powered scope with an adjustable objective for a couple of hundred bucks it probably ain't going to happen. You might get one that works, but I assure you a similar priced scope with less power and less features will look much better and be more simple to operate in the field. The money they didn't spend on "cool" features went into better glass and quality control.
And I will simply not buy a scope without looking through it first. There are some great deals on the internet, but I just can't bring myself to buy something like that without handling it first. That is a personal thing though.
Paul