I'm considering on getting a Leopold VXII 1-4x20mm. It costs around $300 and has 3.8 inches of eye relief and is all I need for hunting where I hunt. This is a bit more eye relief than the scope I'm currently using. I will be putting it on my Ruger #1 45-70 and I'm hoping it will give me a noticeable amount of extra eye relief. Being 6'2" I have a tendency to creep up on the optics on my #1's and if I'm not careful the 45-70 will bite me with the current scope ( a Bushnell 3200 3X9) while on the bench. I don't like putting the death grip on the forearm and sometimes just let the forearm rest on a sand bag without holding it at all. I get better groups this way but have paid for it with a split eye brow or nose in the past. What are your thoughts on this scope for it's eye relief or your suggestions for another with better eye relief. I don't want something that will cost more than the rifle so something around the $500.00 mark would be best. Also would off set rings help or is more/better eye relief the way to go. Thanks for the insight.

Fixed Leupold

Have you considered the really long eye relief scopes like those on "scout" rifles? They mount on the barrel, really long eye relief.
Here's one of them:
http://leupold.com/hunting-and-shooting/products/scopes/fx-ii-riflescopes/fx-ii-2-5x28mm-ier-scout/
There are others from the various makers, this one was just easy to find...

+1 to what Vagabond said. My 2.5x28 is great.

If you want a variable power scope, Nikon Monarch Gold 2x10 has 4" of constant eye relief.

May not be a good fit for your rifle, but their pretty good scopes.

JM.

Leupold 6x42

The Burris fixed 4x is up to 5" of eye relief and its pretty economical, around $150