IMHO, Burris makes a very tough scope. I have never had problems, and I don't baby my equipment- it takes some abuse. I don't like their sometimes tricky eye relief. I think Leupold wins in that department.
Don't know what type terrain you'll be calling in with your 223, but for my calling I am beginning to prefer scopes on the lower end of power range. For a long time I wanted to "see all the details", but now I am going the other direction, preferring the wider field of view for faster targeting. I am down to 2x7 on one rifle and I am even considering a 1.5xwhatever just to see how I like it for close-in situations. Just my thoughts.
