I shoot .223 Remington at paper targets from the bench at 100-300 yards. My current optics include a Nikon Monarch 3 4-16x50 and a Leupold VX-3i 4.5-14x40. Both have side focus and simple duplex reticles. The Leupold is the clearest and brightest of the two and the Nikon has really good eye relief.

I find myself wanting more magnification and have been looking at the following optics as a possible upgrade. I have a budget in mind of around $1K. My reticle preference is a simple duplex without all of the hash marks and other clutter. These are listed in no particular order.

Sightron SIII 8-32x56
Sightron SIII 10-50x60
Leupold VX-3i LRP 8.5-25x50
Weaver T-36
Weaver T XR Series
Athlon Midas BTR 4.5-27x50

At first glance, the Sightron scopes are most appealing because they have the most duplex reticle options and appear to get a lot of favorable reviews. The Weaver T series is touted as a good entry level optic but I’m not sure about going with fixed power.

What are your thoughts on these and what else should I be looking at?

What is the practical amount of usable magnification at 100, 200, and 300 yards for benchrest shooting?