John,
Very nice article. I don't twirl elevation turrets or shoot (for the most part) really hard kicking calibers. Low to medium power variable and fixed scopes from Leupold, Burris, and Weaver have worked well for me. I have a Burris Fullfield II 1.75 x 5 that has seen hundreds of max 30-06 rounds, then mounted on a 45-70 Contender carbine barrel (no fun and since disposed of), and is now doing duty on a 9.3 x 62. Probably close to a thousand rounds with no issue. I don't remember exactly what I paid for it fifteen plus years ago, but I think is was around $200.
At gun shows I look for older Bushnell scopes; the Japanese made ones that used Bausch and Lomb lenses. I've bought them for as little as $15 to $25. They are really bright and sharp and generally hold up well, even on muzzle loaders and shotguns. They are a much better option that the blister pack scopes from the big box store.
Mike
