I have centered on the CZ 527 American and Carbine in .221 Fireball, .223, 7.62 Russian and maybe a Grendel eventually. They preform and fit me very well. I have a set of detachable rings in 30mm and can use plastic inserts to reduce the diameter to 1 inch if desired.
The goal is to put one high quality scope in the rings and move the assembly from rifle to rifle.
I am mostly a plinker or off the bench to mostly 100 yards and sometimes 200 yards. The goal is mostly small groups and the process that goes into getting them. The problem is to find a small scope that weighs little and does not look huge of what is mostly a small rifle or carbine. The odd situtation of something useful for punching small groups and also small enough to not weigh down the rifle.
My budget can grow. The mistake of buying cheap and crying every time equipment is used rather than crying one time when you buy it is not foreign to me. Further I am of the view that the world would look brighter and prettier if a person naturally came with Lica quality optics for their eyes. Fine optics are almost as pleasurable as a fine rifle to me. Leupold is about the least acceptable. 3x9 could work. 4x12 is better if the scope doesn't grow too much larger. Perfect would be 4x20 in a compact scope. I can dream for the impossible. One scope four or five applications and save the money over buying 4 or 5 lesser scopes rather than 1 great one.
There are rifles I want, but the money is going for this scope. Something that provides pleasure every time I look though it and marvel over the optics is what I want to finally get for myself. Don't need fancy reticles. Need quality.
I am sort of stumped and looking at catalogues.