I had a VariX II 2-7 on my .243 for 20 years before I even knew that there was a difference. Killed deer, antelope, javelina, coyotes, and a bunch of jackrabbits (some at pretty long ranges). The scope never failed me even at dusk, etc. I now own and use some high dollar scopes including a Leupold Mark IV M1 and a Bausch and Lomb Tactical 10X. But when I bought another .243 for my son I bought another VariX II. The only thing I did different was I bought a 4-12. Some of those jackrabbits were so far that the crosshairs on the 2-7X covered them completely so I wanted a little more magnification. Now that I've used the 4-12 a little I wish I'd bought a 3-9. The VariX III's are definitely better if you have the money, but for hunting I save the money and spend it on ammo. The VariX II's are excellent scopes, too. Just a thought.