Don't own any scopes that cost over $700.00
The reticle is very important to me also, as others have mentioned.
Where I hunt, my perception is that I see most of the animals I shoot very early or very late, so low light capability is at the top of the list.
I have a Meopro 3.5-10x44 with German #4 that is great to my eyes. A Conquest 3-9x40 with German #4 that is great and a VX-3 1.75-6x32 with a Custom Shop #4 that is pretty decent. My Elite 4200 3-9x40 is pretty good but I lose the reticle quite often, it is a duplex.
I've owned two Vipers that to my eyes were noticeably inferior in low light to my other scopes - for my eyes. The Nikons I've looked through were about the same as Vipers. I've had a couple of Fullfield II's that were surprisingly good in low light.
