Don’t let these idealists fool you. Yes a Ferrari is a better car than a Volkswagen but if you only need it to pick up a loaf of bread then is it worth the BIG Bucks? A scope will not do you much good when it is sitting at home wrapped up in bubble plastic. You should be willing for it to get a few bumps and grinds by having it with you when you go afield. If you hunt then you may be taking it with you into the bush. Having said that, I treat mine like it's my first born but then I do that with my guns to.
I don’t know what the problem is with some of these guys. I have no problem seeing bullet holes through the 4x scope on top of my rifle out to 200 yds. Mind you I am shooting a big 30.06 not a .22 – maybe that is the problem.
In answer to your question, you should first look at scopes that are priced within your range. If it is a tossup between good glass on your gun or good spotting scope, I would opt for the glass on the rifle.
You want a scope with a straight view not one of the angled eyepieces. When you are shooting, you usually have the scope beside you and you don’t want to have to get up from your firing position to look down into the scope. Ideally you would just shift your position a bit to look along the same line as your rifle scope. It should also have a small tripod or at least one that you can collapse. Again you should not have to change your position a lot to use it.
With Black Friday coming up, you may be able to get a good deal at the big stores or even online.
Hope this helps a bit