Steve, I'd consider either a Redfield 3x9 or a demo version of B & L Elite 3000 3x9 40mm objective. I've compared B & L side-by-side with a Leupold Var-IIx 3x9, and the quality of the optics is very, very close. Demo model of Bausch Lomb Elite 3000 3x9-40mm is around $110 from S.W.F.A. Website adr is
http://www.riflescopes.com/
Shutoku