not sure what they go for used....check out ebay etc...

to me I wouldn't want less than a quality Nikon, or Leupold VX-III/3

Zeiss Conquest is great.

I love a 4-12, or 4.5-14x, I mostly have the latter.

I'd spend all the extra money you could spare on a quality scope you could.

I really don't know what quality you can get for $250, but I think for 300 or 400, esp when talking quality used...you can be talking a nice scope...