i have a vortex diamondback 4-12x40 on my 22-250 and its solid.i really like the clarity and sharpness and for 189.00 and a great warrenty its hard for me to beat

That's not a bad price.

I have the following Buckmasters scopes:
3-9x40 on my 223(was on the 270)
4.5-14x40 mildot on the 270
6-18x40 mildot on my 308 (turrets are very repeatable and always go back to the exact place after long range adjustments)
and a prostaff 3-9x40 BDC on my 50 cal muzzle loader.

I shoot a lot!!! Ive never had one lose zero, never had ANY type of problem out any of them like i had in the past with some crappy Tasco and simmons scopes.

When I compared them to other scopes in the same price range they always looked sharper and brighter. Plus they have a lifetime warranty.

To me Nikon is the best bang for your buck. Sure they are better scopes but I dont think they are enough better to justify the 2x-4x price of the nikon.

I had a 4.5-14(the old style, no side focus) on my 7mmwsm model 70....great set up!! compared to Leupold....better than the VXII...VXIII is much better, but way more costly. In my opinion, the Buckmaster is a great scope for the money, mine took a beating in the freezing cold of the Virginia mountains to the stupid heat of central Florida.....never lost zero, never anything but clear. If you're on a mid-range budget, I don't think you can go wrong.

Any model of Leupold, VXI, VXII, VXIII, and VX7, except for the Rifleman, stay away from that POS! Its hard to believe Leupold actually put there name on that one. The new Redfields also looks really good for the money, one of my buddies just bought a 4-12x40mm Redfield, it is amazingly clear, and a good looking scope. He paid like $200, very good deal in my opinion, hard to beat for a affordable hunting scope. Plus it is made in America by Leupold, and it carries the same great warranty as the other Leupold scopes.

I had a 3-9X 40mm Buckmaster on my old 7mm RM BAR and got good service out of it. I'm curious about the new Redfield line. I looked through the new Redfield binos (10X42) and they were really clear.

I see this thread is a bit old, but in case the OP hasn't bought yet I'll add that the newer (2005+) Buckmasters scopes are a very nice scope for the money. I have one on a 30-06 and am very pleased.
But if you search around, you can get a Bushnell Elite 4200 on sale now for $199 plus another $20 off with a coupon at one of the larger hunting retailers. You can't find anything close to the quality of the 4200 at that price point.