I picked up a .243 yesterday, and looking at optics has got me cross-eyed. I just want a solid, no frills scope that is clear and that will last. Not interested in anything with a real busy looking reticle or any of that stuff. If I need to use holdover or compensate for wind with a rifle like this, I'll not be taking that shot. Something with a duplex or cross hair reticle, fixed magnification is fine or maybe a 2-7x or a 3-9x, even just a nice fixed 4x could do the trick. I just want it to function correctly, and last. What are your suggestions?

When wanting a simple scope glass clarity will be the number one most important feature. Followed by scope rugedness and a good warranty. Leupold is one of the first that comes to mind for this. I would also look at Vortex. If possible, go somewhere that will allow you to look through them, outdoors.

The older Vari-X IIs in 3-9x can be had for as little as $180 or so in pretty decent shape, and they're backed by Leupold's lifetime warranty...gloss finishes are mostly what you'll find and I'm not sure there ever was a matte finish offered. The VX-IIs have better glass but you'll pay more. The VX-2 has better glass yet, but it does not have the locking ring on the ocular bell. The two newer models can easily be found in a matte finish. One thing these scopes have all over the rest is a very generous eyebox and relief. Rugged as boulders, too.

I picked up a Weaver K6 (fixed 6 power) awhile back for a 300BLK AR.
I have been very pleased with it so far.
You might also look at the K4.

These are well under your price point.

They are also made in Japan, not China.

A solid fixed power scope is more and more appealing to me. Ideally it'll stand up to some abuse. I should have also stated, I don't like large objectives. I think maybe 40 mm is about as big an objective as i'd like to use, because I prefer to keep the scope as near to the bore as I can. Also, the rifle has a fairly low comb. Currently it has the cheapest scope I could pick up with weaver rings in the store, and it is purely a temporary deal. It has a 40 mm onjective with mid or low rings, and with my fat chin I still get a pretty good stockweld.

Edit- and by the way, thanks for the suggestions so far. I didn't expect to get good responses so quickly. The leupold and the weavers look nice. I really like the weaver fixed mag scopes a lot. Is there another scope that may fare a little better for a little more money, or is that about as good as it gets for a fixed power scope under $300?

I'm a big fan of simple fixed powered scopes.

Might be able to make that 300 bucks stretch a little further by shopping here.

http://www.samplelist.com/

The Leupold VX3 are on sale at cabelas for $150 off right now. You may be able to get one in your price range. I have the Leupold FX3 6x42 fixed and love it. It is on my Tikka T3 in .243. I own one Weaver scope. For my money, I would buy the Leupold over the Weaver every day.

Leupold 6x36 would fit your requirements nicely.

Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40 for $299 from Eurooptic would be pretty tough to beat in the variable power.

The Conquest at $299 is a Best Buy, without doubt.

The Conquest at $299 is an outstanding buy...but I bought a US Made Minox 2-10x50 30mm tube Camera Land NY open box special, made with the same German Schott Glass s'posedly used by Steiner that is located in the same city as Minox's source, at that same $300'ish price. I saw that CLNY still has this ZA5 HD 2-10x50 30mm on their Demo List but at $319 couple weeks ago as I remember....the HD designation is the newer step up series glass ... and is amazingly clear wall to wall with a 4" eye relief I have to have. The next scope up in that line is a 3x15-50 SF, and is priced in the upper $600's even at CLNY.

I made that decision after looking at the 3x9x40 Conquest my neighbor had offered me, after he bought it from Cabela's the last time they ran them on the X-Mas Season closeout. My only gritch with that Conquest was the super thick DuPlex crosshairs - great for early/late low light but covered up way too much peripheral glass outside of the thin X DuPlex Center for my taste.
Ron

Don't rule out the Redfield Revolution if you are ok with a variable power scope. I purchased 2 of their scopes a while back on clearance for a couple of guns I have that just needed scopes. I ended up with a 3-9x50mm and a 4-12x40. I personally liked the 50mm lense much better between the two, but for a sub $300 scope, they both were pretty decent scopes.

Look at Leupold or Redfield. Swfa has a Leupold vx-1 3-9x50 on the sample list for less than $300.00. There ya go .

Burris Fullfield II 3-9 or 2-7 for under $200.00.

The fixed power really does appeal to me the most, but I never thought about using higher mag for a precision zero then using the lowest setting for field of view. I guess 3-9x40 is probably the best compromise based off what Yall suggest, and what else I've read seems to compliment that. Plus I really enjoy depredation hunting, and it would be nice to do some long range ghogs or something like that. Might be able to get a good deal on a good one if it works out...

What's long range to you?

I ask because that adds a needed feature to depending on how far.

Long range for me is probably anything passed 200 yards. I don't think i'd even be able to hit something like a groundhog much further without a bench or a table set up anyway. But it didn't work out for me with the deal I was talking about, I screwed that one up. I think I am gonna go with the redfield revolution in 3-9x40. It looks like plenty of scope, and no fancy stuff just a fixed parallax variable that is very durable and not very heavy

Vortex has worked very well for me

Awhile back I picked up a new Weaver fixed 6 power scope for under $200. Has Japanese glass.

Do any of you have experience with the Bushnell Elite 3200 scopes? I have been reading a lot about scopes, trying to understand and get a better grasp on the features. After learning the difference between mil and MOA adjustments, the half mil reticle in conjunction with 1/10 mil adjustments has become very attractive to me. The Bushnell Elite 3200 tactical in 10x40 is the only fixed scope that offers this combination that I've seen for less then $500- the next step up is quite a bit more pricey. I have seen other nice 1/10 moa adjustment scopes in the price range, but they come with funky reticles that I don't like. The mil or half mil reticles are simple and more useful in my opinion. I would like to get out snd shoot silhouettes at longer ranges, and it would be nice to have a simple, sturdy scope that isn't too high mag for hunting but still has good magnification and features for long range recreational shooting. I have definitely been bitten by the bug...

I have lots of experience with Bushnell Elite, but not the 3200 specifically. The glass is very clear.

I say you are on the right track with a Mil reticle and .1 Mil turrets. I can show you how to use it all in a day and you will hit way farther than you think you can.

I wouldn't mind coming out for a day, but I just moved to North Carolina!

You would have the record for the farthest distance traveled.

$350 and under scope I'm going Nikon Monarch. That Zeiss for $299 would be good also!

No experience with the fixed 10x specifically, but I have owned a 4200 3-9x40 for a long time. Very very clear glass with very little distortion - could hunt well past legal hunting hours.

Had a hunt with two buddies (one using a Weaver Grand Slam and the other a Swaro) on a rainy cold day (33ish degrees) and the Bushnell Elite was the only one that did not fog. The ocular lenses on the other two fogged beyond usability just by exhaling through the nose. We could not get the bushnell to fog no matter what we tried.

The elite series all have the same proprietary raingaurd coating and some can be had for pretty cheap. Had it on a 7mm for around 50 rounds, switched it to an '06, then to an AR for 500ish rounds without any loss of zero. Toughness was also demonstrated when it sad on a 10/22 for about 4k rounds. To the rifle a river trip during which the rifle and scope were both seriously abused. Think thrown into the canoe abused. Multiple times.

Have never abused an optic as much as I did that one - glass was still clear and the turrets tracked true up until the day I sold it.