I've had good luck with weaver scopes in the $150.00 range. Even on magnums. Maybe they're not the best for 1000+ yard shots, and definately not good for military duty use, but more than adequate for just about anything a person would normally encounter in daily life. Aging eyes require a bit of assistance sometimes, I can't hit anything smaller than a milk jug at 300 yards with iron sights anymore.
That's STILL smaller than a man's torso, or a deer's. I've always felt that if you NEED a scope to make a shot (excluding snipers), you shouldn't take the shot in the first place.