Rifle Scopes : Looking at 3 (possibly more) scopes

There's no such thing, though I guess that's a relative term in the Swaro realm. The "el cheapo Swaro" (3-9X36 Z3) is a $20 bill shy of $800.00, and the only way they were even able to get it that "cheap" is to move assembly from Austria to the US. 

Optically speaking, the AV / Z3 series is nipping on the heels of their flagship 30mm stuff. Center field resolution and light transmission is virtually the same, given equivalent magnification. They're just "bare bones" in terms of options and mechanical features, they only have 3X zoom ratio, and they aren't as recoil-resistant as their 30mm brethren (traditional leaf springs rather than coil spring erector support), contributing to the lower price.

I haven't spent much time with Sightron scopes, so I can't provide a valid comparison, but that would be amazing if they or any other scope in their price range were equivalent to Swaro Z3 series optically. I can tell you without hesitation that compared to any scope I've seen in the $350 - $600 price range, the Z3 series is noticeably superior optically, though maybe not mechanically.