How will you use this scope? Will most of your shots be offhand at quick-moving game? Or will you be shooting off bags, painstakingly placing your shots? If you'll be shooting offhand, consider magnification, eye relief, field of view (FOV), and exit pupil size. If snapshooting game at relatively short ranges, you don't need or want a lot of magnification.

David tends to prefer mid-range scopes like this 3.5-10X 40mm Leupold. It mounts low to the bore, has a useful magnification range, and its optics are good.

Eye relief is something to consider on a hard-kicking rifle because you don't want a scope in the face if you mount the gun poorly. A wide FOV is a plus, especially when trying to hit a moving animal. A wide exit pupil also allows a full FOV (rather than a black image) even if you are not perfectly behind the scope. If you are carefully shooting off bags in bright light with a light caliber rifle, eye relief and exit pupil are not as important.

For big game I prefer a relatively straightforward scope in the 3-9X/2.5-10X range. These scopes provide a wide field of view and a large exit pupil on the lower end, plus a good deal of magnification on the upper end for precise shot placement. Hunting scopes continue to increase in magnification, but I think 9X or 10X is more than enough magnification for most realistic hunting distances.

I like what many would consider a heavy rifle, so I have no objection to a 26mm or 30mm scope tube. I think a 34mm tube is a bit much on a hunting rifle.

I also prefer an objective lens in the 40mm to 44mm range and only go above 50mm for specialized applications. On a scope in this magnification range I have no need of adjustable objectives or side parallax knobs.

I prefer a bold reticle with simple holdover marks for hunting big game.

Take the time to figure out exactly what you need and want in a sighting system for your rifle. Then save your money and buy the best scope you can and mount it properly. You'll be glad you did.