Your choice of scopes depends a lot on what you're hunting and where you're hunting. Just don't make the mistake of assuming bigger is better. Except for, perhaps, varmint shooting, I can't imagine a 4x16x50 scope on a hunting rifle. I can imagine a 2x7x40 or a 1.5x5x20 as I have used a number of those over the years. Light, agile, with a large field of view. My go to elk rifle is a .300WM with a 1.5x5 Burris scope on it. I have used it for a number of years and have never felt in the least handicapped with that rig. 3x9x40 is about the top end that you'll need or want to have on your 30-06. Don't forget the fixed power scopes. You get quite a bit more scope for less money with fewer internal parts that can go wrong. Most of us, when we bought our first 3x9 scope, couldn't keep our hands off of it for the first year. Constantly changing power settings to fit our supposed needs with the slightest change in terrain. The second year, we spent less time fooling with the scope and more time hunting. By the third year, it was a kinda "set it and forget it" thing. FYI, I have known several hunters that have missed game because they couldn't locate it because they were on too high a power setting with the resulting small field of view. I've never known anyone to miss a head of game because their scope was "underpowered".
The scopes we have to choose from today, even the cheap ones, would have been top-of-the line, cutting-edge not too, too many years ago. Keep in mind, however, that the cost of scopes is an excellent example of deminishing returns. You can pay a helluva lot more for scope A and only get a slight amount of quality over scope B. It is a failing of ours to assume because something cost a lot more, it is a lot better. Its also our nature, once we've spent the extra money, to try to justify the purchase with claims that are sometimes more smoke and mirrors than fact. Often, its an ego thing. What I'm trying to say is you don't need a $1000 scope on a rifle to kill a deer; or an elk. But then, a $25, made in Ethiopia, thingy that you pull out of the bargain basket at K Mart might be a sort of reverse overkill also. You notice I've talked a lot without saying anything about WHICH scope to buy. That's because I have several different brands that I use. They are all good, and they have all stood the test of time. I think if you pay @ $200-$300 for a Weaver, Burris, Nikon, Leupold scope, you can get a good one. Hell, I know a guy that has a 3x9 BSA (think cheap) on his rifle and gets his meat every year.
