I'd like to jump in on this thread also, as I've recently acquired a 77/22 with heavy barrel and laminated stock that I want to scope. And like PKAY, I'm new to this as well. My questions are:
-- What power to people recommend for target and possible varminting -- Is 9x or 12x enough, or do I really need 16x or 24x? At what point do I need an adjustable objective to correct for parallex?
-- What brands do you recommend? I realize that many are good. I'd be willing to spend up to $200-300, but would welcome spending less. Any experience with Simmons? I've been looking at their Aetec series, esp. the 2.8-10x 44mm, which I've seen for about $150.
-- How big an objective should I get? I'm thinking of about 40mm as a compromise between light gathering and mounting height.
Thanks -- any advice for this newbie would be appreciated. This stuff can be pretty confusing if you don't know anything about it.
Andrew