For the money you want to spend I like the following:
1. Nikon Buckmasters - 3-9x40 or 3-9x50 - great field of view
2. Bushnell Elite 3200 - either 2-7x32 or the 3-9x40 - solid scope very clear optics
- You can pick up a Bausch and Lomb 3000 (made before the Bushnell Elite 3200) series at very good prices - these are great scopes for the money
I use to have several Leupold scopes - VX-I, VX-II, VX-3 - Leupold sat on there reputation for a quality product and stopped product innovation and other manufactures came out with better products at lower price points and now Leupold is trying to gain market share back with their VX-1 and Redfield lines - they have faithful followers because of their warranty. They make a good product but you can find better values in scopes ranging in the $150 to $250 range. Just for grins check out the focus ring technology on all the scopes discussed. I have seen a fair share of scopes - started out with the cheapies (< $100) and worked my way up to the better optics (>$1500). I mainly hunt deer and shoot paper and currently have the following optics that are in use:
Nikon Prostaff - 2
Nikon Buckmasters - 12
Nikon Monarch - 3
Nikon Monarch Gold - 2
Bushnell Elite 3000 - 2
Bushnell Elite 3200 - 6
Bushnell Elite 4000 - 3
Bushnell Elite 4200 - 4
Leupold - 3
Burris Signature- 3
Burris Euro Diamond - 2
Sightron - 1
Center Point - 1
Redfield (Japan) - 1
I had bought a Nikon Buckmasters 3-9x50 off of EBay a few years ago and when I got it there was a huge scratch on the front bell of the scope so I put some black marker on it and put it in the safe. I needed a scope for a new rifle this year and wanted to use the Nikon but wanted it checked out so I went to the website got the address and shipped the scope along with a letter explaining the history of the scope and wanted them to check it out. Three days later I received a notification via email that they had received my scope, two days after that I received a letter from Nikon stating they had received my scope and would contact me with their findings. One week later a brand new unopened scope is returned to me with a letter stating they could not find anything wrong with the scope except the scratch on the front bell so they exchanged the scope and sent me a $10 gift card that can be used on any future Nikon optic.
I have used Leupold and Burris warranty service and they both repaired the scopes with no questions asked - I bought them used. I have never used the Bushnell warranty so I cannot comment on it. I guess by not using the warranty says something about there scopes.
Out of the 50 or so scopes I currently own, 90 percent of them were purchased used and I have had great success with them. Be careful of the reman market - most of those scopes do not carry the same warranty as the product that is new - most are only 90 days. Whatever brand you decide on get the most you can afford, don't get caught up in the type of reticle - BDC, MilDot, fancy 4 click hold over... - if you can't see it you can't hit it. Since you are going to be hunting at night my choice is the Nikon 3-9x50 -
http://www.nikonhunting.com/riflescopes-buckmasters-buckmasters-3-9x50.html - I like a 50mm on my handi - looks better because the scope is mounted high and love how it picks up with a little light. This scope does not have fully coated optics so you will get a touch of whiteout early or late if the sun is just right but does not hamper your shot. Any scope in that price range is going to do that and some so bad you will not be able to see through it.
Show us some pictures when you get it all set up.
Mark
