Ownining several Nikon Monarchs and a bunch of various models of Leupold, my recommendation would also be for a Leupold. I have purchased two new VX2s in 3-9x40 over the last year or so to put atop rifles gifted to service members on hunts donated to them. Excellent value & excellent scopes for the $$.
I would, however, also recommend that you look at a VX-R 3-9x40 with Firedot duplex reticle before pulling the trigger, if low light performance is of any consideration. I would absolutely recommend a VX-R over a VX2 or VX3. And of the 50+ scopes I own including some nice Zeiss and Minox models, the VX-Rs I own are the absolute best in low light performance. Again, that may not be a major consideration for you.
Good Luck!