If this new rifle comes to be, I will need a new optic too.

Being mostly a hunter, I'l stick with MOA turrets and dial my elevation and windage off a t Ballistic card.

$2,000 budget,

NO VORTEX please.

Nightforce is in first place so far cuz of the turrets, Swarovski in 2nd cause I love them.

What magnification you looking for? Another Hubble?

yep, minimum 18X but will go to 30...again

NF nsx

Mil based

For hunting/target in that order I chose the VX-6 HD. Excellent glass and the new locking turrets are getting good reviews. It is MOA. I got the 3-18 Firedot duplex. They come with a built in level indicator that flashes if you get off level. I personally don’t use it but did play with it. To my knowledge this is the best glass Leupold makes. I don’t know how it stacks up against top tier European glass but I’ve never saw better. I have put it beside a NF ATAC and couldn’t say if one was better than the other in the light I was in. This is at range not in store comparison. Mine came in at $1500. Prices change with reticles. Thy also have 4-24 or 4.5-27. Can’t remember which. It has a 34mm tube. Just at your budget.
If I would have prioritized on target over hunting at $1500 it would have been another SS 5-20 HD. Wouldn’t have second guessed it for a second. They haven’t been upgraded in years. But then why would they? There’s definitely better glass if you’re willing to pay for it but in that price range it beats the snot out of the NXS.

Besides the ones you mentioned, I would also suggest looking at the Leupold VX-6 HD with a firedot for what you want and your budget.

Leupy mk5 is a really good scope in your price range.

To bad it’s a 35 mm hawg leg

Yea that is kinda a pain if you search for rings locally but all quality ring manufacturers make 35's.

The Leupold Mark 5 and Badger low rings are a great combination.

ATACR 4-16

If I was hunting and wanted MOA, I'd go with the SFP MOAR reticle. Nearly perfect setup for what you're talking about. SFP won't hurt you too bad since you'll be at 16x shooting long range anyway. I wouldn't want SFP with anything over 20x though, even for a hunting rig. But I think it'd be fine with the ATACR 4-16.

Really like my VX6, 3-18. I also have a VX5HD 3-15. Both these Leupolds seem to create light, they're awesome. I have been able to judge racks on deer at 100 yards that I couldn't see unaided. The clarity and color transmission is unbelievable. These scopes may get me in trouble some day they're so good in low light.

I don't know how or where this could work, but a bunch of us should get together someday at a range with different optics and give each other a chance to look with our own eyes at how different optics look at low light, side by side. I've never looked through some of the scopes I hear about in outdoor low light.

Well Buzzsaw I couldn't help myself. Like you, I like and run the Swarovski's. Google the Swarovski X5i. It is not a "Z" scope. It's not in your budget but you are the THF high roller. If you want to march to your own beat, it fits the bill. Over budget but it would be a damn fine choice for your stated parameters.

Leapers

Do you have an X5i ? They are very interesting

No I don't. I want one. It will have to wait till hunting seasons close.