Thanks Jim.

And to the specific original question...

I'd go with a 2-7 Leupold. I bought a VXI, for around $200. Looking back, I wish I'd have bought the same in a VXII or VXII. I personally like the variables. To target shoot you can crank it way up, and to just glass chipmunks or small game, the 2x works nicely for me.

But if you were to go with a fixed, a 4x is the ticket.