Sorry not to answer sooner, but was hunting, then having computer problems.
The very brightest scopes all run over $1000. At those ranges really high magnification isn't going to help all that much, and the reticle may make more difference than the scope. I'd suggest a 6x42 Leupold with a heavier reticle as one possbility, but any 3-9x or 3-10x variable in that price range would also probably work fine. It's also may be more important for a particular scope's coatings to match up with his eyes than any tiny differences in actual light transmission.
Sorry to be so unspecific, but just about any new scope in that price range is about as bright as another thesedays.
