Opinions are like [bleep], everybody has one. And here's mine. I say get a 3-9x40. It's got a larger objective, hence more light and 3x is a good setting to keep it on. Wide field of view and MORE light. And a VX-2 or equivalent is decent glass and won't break the bank. Yeah, maybe a tad heavier but unless you're trapsing about in the mountains the little bit of extra weight is probably imperceptible.

What goes up must come down, what goes around comes around, there's no free lunch. Trump's comin' back, get over it!