I am looking to get a scope for my do it all hunting rifle. The rifle is yet to be purchased but it will be something I hope will fill all my hunting needs as I get older and start going on big time hunts like elk, moose, bear, big horn sheep, etc. Since those types of hunts are a few years off I can build it out over time and figured I’d start with the scope since I have plenty of guns it can live on in the meantime.

My optics knowledge is pretty basic so I am open to suggestions on all aspects. I have a Vortex PST 4-16 on my current hunting rifle and I like it but one thing I realized that I want on my next one is the ability to lock the turrets. I like being able to dial in my shots but I noticed that while hiking with my rifle slung across my back I have inadvertently spun my turrets before. If I’m going on a once in a lifetime hunt I don’t want to have to worry about that causing me to miss my shot and would rather just get something I can lock down. My only other thing that I know I want is for it to not be super heavy, I like a lot of the Razor HD II’s features but that thing is built like a tank and weighs as much too.

I can’t imagine ever taking a shot beyond 300 yards on game so I don’t think I need much more magnification than the Vortex I currently have, I rarely shoot at 16x but it’s nice to have.

Any suggestions on features, magnification, optics brand/model, etc? My budget is under $3k but just because it’s that high doesn’t mean I have to spend it needlessly.