2.5-8 will do anything I need a scope to do in Michigan, slight chance its short on magnification for real long shots out west but I doubt it. Its easy to get behind and good in low light. I had a 3.5-10 on my short actions and IMO it made them feel top heavy, the smaller 2.5-8 seems to fit the gun better in size and weight and makes the overall balance better.
For a hunting scope its hard to beat IMO....