I think a person should spend the same amount (within reason) of money on a scope that was spent on the gun. A $1,000 gun with a piece of sh!t scope is worthless. Personally, I would stay away from any scope priced in the $200 range unless it is topping a .22 or some other plinker

I agree that Zeiss gets a lot of great reviews. I have one. It is a good scope. You will find Carl Zeiss' name on almost everything with a lens from scopes, microscopes, cameras, etc. No doubt they know what they are doing.

I have a .22-250 in dire need of a scope. Once the funds are available, it is going to be a topped with Leupold VX-3 6.5 x 20. I feel that with scopes you get what you pay for and pay for what you get. Do it right the first time. It is not like you are going to take it on and off. And, every time you pull that gun out you want to be able to hit the center.

Power depends on your main hunting scenario. From a tree at a Whitetail within 50 yds, a 9x is overkill. You need to be able to see back and belly at the same time. A scope picture of nothing but brown hair doesn't help with shot placement. For 200 - 300 yard shots across the prairie, 9x will be appreciated. Variable power from 3x - 9x is probably the most popular.

Go to the SWFA website and look through the forums. You should find a thread regarding choosing a proper scope for any application. They seemed to err on the low power side.