Game Stalker, I wondered about the "Budget" part of it too. I did buy a new "Blemished" VX-1 last summer for $100 after the rebate. I could find no blemish on it.
Optical quality was evaluated by studying optical test charts thru the scopes and by an outside test. They made a rack to hold the scopes side by side, set them all at 6 power aimed at a decoy deer placed in the shade of trees 70 yards away. As dusk came on the guy checked each scope to see if it presented a "shootable" view as it became darker. The difference between the worse and the best was six minutes, the Zeiss was slightly better then the Leupold.