...SWFA 6x or 3-9. SWFA is the meat and potatoes, especially the 6x42 as it can't be beat for the $.
This. Plus the Bushnell LRHS. Where I hunt shot opportunities could be at PBR, or they could be as far as the eye can see. My objective is to make sure my rifles/scopes, and my training and practice, are up to par to maximize the number of opportunities I can successfully take advantage of. That means that nearly all my rifles have a scope that is mechanically robust (holds zero tenaciously, tracks properly, RTZ, etc) and has a versatile reticle marked in the same angular units as the turrets. IME, the best bang-for-buck scopes that meet my criteria for a hunting scope are the SWFA 6x, 3-9x, and the LRHS 3-12x.
Even if I chose not to use the turrets at all after zeroing the scope, my experience has been that scopes that show signs of mechanical reliability like proper tracking, RTZ, etc, also tend to hold zero better than scopes with erector assemblies that track erratically or display other signs of mechanical unreliability.
