Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Need a Scope Recommendation

Guys, I'd appreciate some personal experience-based recommendations for a new scope, given the following criteria:

--The rifle is a Tikka T3 in .270 WSM
--Use is for longer range (300 yards or so) whitetail hunting from elevated blinds
--Variable power with the max being in the 14-16x range
--Good quality optics, and especially, excellent light-gathering for low light conditions, when the big bucks come out.
--Preference is 50mm objective, but not mandatory
--Price limit is around $500

Given that, what's the most bang for the buck, in your estimation?

Thanks in advance.