Should there be a relationship between the price of the scope and the price of a rifle you mount it on?
As the old saying goes, if I had a dollar for every time I got asked that question….
Honestly, I do not think there is a direct causal relationship between the price of the rifle and the price of the riflescope. Now, some specific applications virtually require rather expensive rifles and riflescopes, but one does not cause the other. Costs of both are driven by what you wish to use them for. Truly accurate long range rifles tend to be very expensive, and so are the riflescopes designed for long range shooting. The technical complexity of this type of shooting drives the prices up. On the other hand, for some night time hunting at fairly close ranges, the rifle does not necessarily have to be anything very esoteric. As long as it fits the hunter reasonably well, it does not have to be very pretty or super accurate (although neither hurts). After all, you do not need all that much accuracy to hit a 200 pound pig at 40 yards. The scope, on the other hand, may have to be pretty expensive if it is to be used successfully in very low light. I can come up with some other examples that dictate widely varying relationships between the cost of the rifle and the cost of the scope. The bottom line is that when you are trying to select a riflescope, focus on picking something that matches the intended use rather than the cost of your other equipment.