I just picked up a Savage 17HMR with the synthetic stock and heavy blue barrel. It came with a Simmons 8 point scope 3x9 40, one 50 round box of ammo, and a silicone gun sock for $229 at a Gander Mountain store.

I wasn't to worried about the scope just for the simple fact I'm not worried about it being great during dawn/dusk situations because I don't plan on using this gun that early or late in the day and figure it should work o'kay for what I need.

If I had the money I woud've bought the Marlin 17VS for $299 at Gander and the Bushnell Elite 3x9 40 scope for $151 at Wally World.

buy the marlin i have not shoot the savage but the accuracy comparisons in different shooting mags. show the savage as by far the worst. put a simmons on mine because not worried about recoil damage shoots great

Some are, some aren't! It a very individual thing!! You never know. I've had a couple that worked.... and some that didn't!!

I used a Tasco World Class Plus on my .270 for about 6 years with no problems. But.....the seventh year it went south and went big time. A gun that had been shooting 1/2" to 3/4" groups went to not even hitting the paper half the time. I put a Leupold on it and it has been fine since. I got my son a .22 last year for Christmas and put a 3X9X40 Vari-XII on it. This year he's getting a .308 and you'd better believe it will have a Leupold on it too. No more Tasco for me.

I have only been useing Tasco's for 35 years but I have yet to have one that didn't work very well. I have had a few that the eye relief was a little fussy but most have been fine. NEVER HAD ONE BREAK. Paid less than 30.00 for most of them. They dont make them any more but the clearest toughest scope I ever owned (and there have been a lot) was the straight 6X tascoe world class. I probably sold 60 of them with nothing but praise. Since most of the scope builders have decided we want variables, it hard to find a decent straight power scope in anything over 4 power. I like my new Lueplds M8's and VX 1's but I have to many rifles to buy those for all of them. A Happy Problem