Hey Dave,
I own all of the above. The VX III is a great scope and a little pricy but well worth the $$ if you want vision well after sunset. I have tested the VX III and Swarvoski side by side. There is a minute difference but not $1500 worth. I will not shoot a deer at dusk unless it is > 50 yards. I don't want to track into the wee hours of the night.
All said and done I have a Vari X II on my .35 CS and my Browning 308. Both scopes are about 35 years old and crystal clear, tough as nails. Some shun the small objective lens saying it does not allow enough light into the scope. This simply not true. The scope is short by design thus not needing the 40 mm or 50 mm flair for the objective lens. It allows ample light for it's designed use, relatively short shots, >150 yds. which is all I ask of a 30-30 or 35.
Leupold makes a class optic and as you say, the larger price tag the more you get.
What kind of shooting will you do?