I have a few rifles equipped with top end scopes. With $1500 you can buy very good glass. From my experience the Swarovski Z3 scopes are worth every $$$$. The one top end Ziess scope that I have (VMV) is fantastic, but is now well over the $1500 budget. Unless you are going to be hunting little critters at very long distances I'd not go above 10X. Something like a 1.5-6, 2-8 or 3-9 is gracious plenty for deer sized game well out beyond what most of us should even try in field conditions.