Now we're talking.
I have just enough experience with ARs and with scopes that I do have an opinion in the matter... Nothing bigger and unwieldier than the Leopold 2.5 compact I once owned... Got it from a buddy of mine who was an old-school rifleman - it had a single post reticle in it as one might use hunting dangerous game. It was just the bee's knees on my 10/22, and it's what I became adjusted to in terms of expecting to see a reticle in a scope.
I don't think that reticle is even offered any more - but times have changed anyway, we have a wealth of red dot and holographic scopes available now that seem to make more sense both ergonomically and visually. Whatever I get I'll have to adjust. (I've since scored an old Savage/Stevens model 52, which is actually a very decent old .22, which a Simmons 4x scope on it. I still haven't shot it enough to get used to just that plain fine reticle.)
Anyway something like this is what I've expected... smaller than that old Leopold, with good rugged optics. I'll have to check them out somewhere along with the other suggestions on this thread. I'm planning to replace that D**S... in the near future... :)
A nice thing about the Burris 332 (there is also a fixed 5X version) is that there is a real reticle. With holoscopes, if the battery is dead, there is no reticle at all. There are some like the Trijicon that operate on tritium at nicht and fiber optic in day, but they cost more than most rifles.