ORIGINAL: Rick James
ORIGINAL: Slamfire
3x might be a bit much for pickin' up them deer you said jump up at your feet, and you sure don't need 9X for 200 yard shots, so why carry the weight? A 2x7 or better yet a 1.5x5or 6 would do just fine. As for the .270 you don't need it neither anything from a .250 Savage on up will do just fine. I like the .260 cause we got bears and hogs down here and I can shoot bullets heavy enough for deep penetration, a 7mm-08 would do the same thing.
I also hunt PA as well every year, and often times shoot 250+ yards there. I like the topend magnification, and 3x is enough on a leupold w/ 40mm objective to easily center on running deer at 25 yards.
Anything that will kill a deer in Vermont is good honestly, get the best deal you can find around that feels right, that is most important IMHO.
I don't often hunt PA, anymore, the non resident license is too expensive for the number of deer available. I don't know what you mean by central PA, but I have hunted York, Perry and Centre counties. The same rifle is not ideal for use in these three. In fact there is a movement afoot to restrict York to shotguns only. In Perry and Centre counties I felt quite adequately armed with a good ol' .30-30. I had a lever action, My brother had a Savage pump.
Obvously, I don't know what you are looking at in Vermont, but I have hunted the west extensively, having lived out there for over 30 years. I never felt that more than 7X was required for actually shooting at game, but I have used binoculars and scopes with much higher magnification for evaluating individual animals.