Re: New guy here...got a couple of ?s
natchez seems to be the place to get good optics at a reasonably good price.
i'm currently running a series of posts for a low budget .22 trainer, perhaps you can pickup some info out of it.
although i didn't include it in the posts yet, as i wanted it to be as low budget as possible, a 20 or 25 moa base would be a good thing to put your optics and rings on top of in the event you want to shoot further than "average". it gives scopes mor adjustment, as they are slightly canted (essentially tilting the scope to gain elevation clicks). EGW and rimfire technologies are about the 2 most popular ones out there, around $40.00.
asking the choice of optics is a can of worms and you'll get about 50 suggestions. depends on what you are trying to accomplish, and the "quality" that you are willing to pay for vs. available options. targets at known distances - i like the target dot. targets at unknown - i like mildots.
i like target turrets, and mid to high magnification, unless using for hunting also, then i like the 4 to 12 or 16x range. it sucks to aim at a squirrel or something 25 yards away, and have a 6-24x scope (you usually can't find it quick enough as your lowest starting power is 6x).
to clear up the image, an adjustable objective is great and side focus is a plus. objective size - bigger objectives = brighter sight picture, more light is funneled in. the draw back is you have to moount your scope higher, which brings eye alignment / cheek weld problems into consideration. adjustable eye relief is nice to sharpen the reticle.
illuminated reticle, do you really need it?
1" or 30 mm tubes - if your going for lightweight - 1".
sunshades - they look cool and add a function of keeping the glare from the sun from "glancing" your view through the optic.
get something with a good warranty. personally, i would stay away from bsa. i had bought three, had to replace three.
i'd say make a list of what options you want vs. what you need for what you are trying to accomplish. then find the scope that has those same options that's within your budget, and it'll narrow down the choices. then order.
that savage you have is pretty accurate, and once you find the ammo that works through that particular rifle (try wolf match or match extra) your going to find out that the better glass you put on top of it, the more enjoyable it will be to shoot it.