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I am mostly interested in scopes no more expensive than Lepould Vari X II.
IMO,,,, You just answered your own question.
If a VXII is what you can afford then that's what I would get.
Once you get into the upper end (quality and price wise) there are several as good or better than Leupold, but in the lower end I'd take a Leupold every time.
As far as power goes,,, there's no free lunch. However FOV trumps magnification every time on a Predator rig.
A 3X9 is a pretty good trade out and won't break the bank.
Another concideration is that although Leupold buys glass and other parts from overseas vendors, they are assembled in Oregon. Buying their products at least keeps a few dollars at home.
Leupold's warranty speaks for it's self.
Good Luck