I looked at this thread only because you didn't mention the Konus in the title ... I too, have a Konus 80 and love it. The reviews panned the included tripod, so I ordered a replacement when I ordered the scope and would recommend against that ... I would have been 100% fine with the included one. The replacement IS nicer
but the original that came with mine was not too bad. I use mine for longer range stuff mostly (800+yds) but it is great in the closer ranges as well. What I did find to be totally cheap on that one was the case. I upgraded to a Nikon case that is form fitting ... now the scope goes in my backpack when I head out.
As for power, you won't need much more than 20x or 25x ... but invest in a bigger objective ... it looks like you already figured that out by your two options ... this is smart, as the light you let in directly affects the clarity of the image you get.
I forgot to mention that the camera adapter that comes with it works REALLY well ... we have been able to get video of the bullet trails when we were shooting at targets across a 825yd canyon ... you can watch the bullets arc over and up and then back in and down to the target ... it is almost as cool as shooting
Saands