Winchester 88--It's for sure a leupold but which one? 3x-9x, 4x-12x or 2-7 compact?

Simply my opinion but anything more than a 2x7 would be pretty huge on a 88. Beside what are you hunting that requires more then a 7x max scope?

I put a Leupold 2x 7 x 33 on my lever guns with scopes. It is small and light enough that it does not ruin the balance of the gun. optics are good for any range I would shoot a lever action.

If the budget allows, consider the 2.5x8x36 Leupold

2x7 compact...on an 88, compact rifles need compact scopes!

... and, as I've been arguing in the Optics forum, even-smaller scopes make extra sense on lever-actions.

Any of the smaller 1.5 x 4 or 5s any of the smaller 2.5x7s 2.5 x 8s or smaller 3x9s well serve you well on that rifle.

Most of my scoped lever guns like the sav 99, win 88 browning BLR over the years had 3 and 4 power Leupolds, a few had Lyman Alaskans and Leupold Alaskans in 2.5X or 4X. I have yet to see the advantage other than imagined in higher powered scopes than 4X fixed..Never once.

Yes Ray, and I have seen shots lost while the hunter tried to power-up his variable. Throw levers can speed that up, of course, but they become something else to catch on foliage.