jays375,
Just a fact of life that a scope is going to add bulk and weight, and usually a variable adds more of both than a fixed version. You have to decide whether to live with it, or without it. My favorite EER scopes for the most powerful handcannons are about the bulkiest of all of them, the discontinued Tasco Pro Class 30mm 1.5-4X, 1X, 2X, 3X, 4X and 6X. I learned to live with the bulk to have an excellent scope the big bruisers couldn't hurt, and I simply loved their tapered converging dot reticles. While in the $350 range new, they can usually be bought for $75 to $150 now days.
With Burris EER's, while their new models are not as good as they once were, they are still a good deal. You get what you pay for in scopes for the most part. Why have a match barrel and put cheap junk on it? Almost all of my TC barrels (and many other firearms) wore scopes that cost as much or more then the barrel/firearm itself did, for good reason. In the long run it would be "cheaper" to save up for a quality scope.
The only Simmons variable handgun scope worth its salt IMO was the 2-7 Gold Medal, a small and compact scope that will hold up even to the recoil of the handcannons. Not overly bright but serviceable. But its a long discontinued model. They do come up for sale now and then though and are usually quite reasonably priced. I sold a bunch of them a few years ago for something like $120-$150, and some that were still new in the box for around $200.
I've heard both good and bad about the Weaver handgun scopes, although their old steel tube rifles scopes were really great scopes for the price. The "V's" mcwoodduck mentioned are all rifle scopes, so guess he missed the "handgun" part.
Don't forget the TC variable scopes as a possibility. I'd rather have Burris, Pro Class or certain Leupold's, but the TC's are pretty good scopes.
HTH
