For the shooting possibilities i come across, i also opted for a 3-18x50 (athlon ares, moa). Most shots are under 200, but hangin up at 600+ happens sometimes. I rarely bother with those shots tho, but the scope is up for it if i choose to. Id rather mark it and come back 2-3 weeks later and give another go.
I got my howa 204 primarily for prairie dogs, and it has an 8-34x56 athlon on it. Sweet for that purpose, horrible for coyote stands! 8x low end is way too high. I only used this a couple times when my buddy used my primary, but it was rough. Ill likely switch it for the 2.5-15x50 thats on my 17 hmr tho, just to make it actually reasonable to use on stand if i want to.