Is the March target scope really that good.

[BlackHawk95]

Ive read alot of reviews about the March variable power scopes. and all the reviews seem to be saying they are among the very best.

Ive finally got around to building my first full custom target rifle and an thinking about whay kind of scope to put on it. IS the March variable worth the extra money over say, a NightForce?

What do yall think?

Jerid

 

[rstreich]

I can't honestly say how good a Nightforce is, but I can say that the March is an excellent scope and worth the money. With as much as the Nightforces have gone up the last few years, it didn't seem like that much of a jump to spring for the March.

 

[Senderofan]

I've not had the pleasure of looking through a March. I've got two NightForce's and have owned an IOR as well as the average Leupold, Bushnell 4200 and Nikon's. I've been extremely satisfied with my NightForce scopes. I've been amazed at the glass in the IOR...better than my NightForce's,In my opinion) but in a package slightly less appealing than the NightForce.

I'm looking at a 12-42X BR Nighforce for @ $1300 new. The March is $2200 plus. If you can swing the extra dough...it's probably an amazing scope. I need those extra resources for gunsmith work and a new barrel.

Good Luck...So many great choices out there.

Wayne

 

[BlackHawk95]

Thats the problem, all the different choices!! It going to be February before the gun is ready so, Ive got some time to decide on what I want to do. The thing is, nobody around here that I know of has any of these upper end scopes I could look through.

I bought a used 8-32 NXS about a month ago, I may just end up using that scope and saying the money on a new one.

Jerid

 

[Thud]

YES

 

[wal]

Blackhawk95,

Ive got a 10-60x March scope and i believe optically they are the best. Prior to the March i only used 20-50 premier reticle conversions and cant complain.
I bought four nightforce scopes 12-42 when they first come on to the market, and all of them over time of about 3-4 months wouldnt hold POA. I know own no Nightforce scopes as they burnt me bad and now think their junk, they may have improved over time but i still see and hear of NF scopes not holding POA.
So far i havent had any troubles with my March, and would say for the extra $ it would be worth every cent. JMHO

Wal

 

[Senderofan]

Wal:

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience with NightForce...Was wondering...Did you ever send it back to them??? I had a problem with my 8-32x when I got it new 9 years ago...had problems with repeatability of the POI. I sent it back to them...two days later they second day aired it to me fixed and with a new battery. Seems they had a bad batch of bedding compound. I've got a NXS that I added to the family...never had a lick of trouble.

Wonder what the March repair service is like?? How long is their turn around?? Also, NightForce is lifetime warranty compared to March's......three years??

There's a lot more to consider when purchasing a high end scope...other than price alone...I'm very well aware. But NightForce has an outstanding repair service and warranty as far as I'm concerned. If over the $2K mark...there are a lot of other scopes to consider...S&B, U.S. Optics etc.

Good Luck,

Wayne

 

[wal]

Senderofan

Yeah, i did send those scopes back to NF to have them repaired and then i sold them. With the very early NF scopes the front lense wasnt bedded in at all, consequently that was the problem with mine the lense was moving around with recoil. When i recieved them back i was told by NF that they had a problem and that they need to bed the front lense as apose to what they were doing. Which is why so many NF scopes shifted POI in the early stages. When my scopes arrived back from NF you could see the lense had been bedded in with some sort of epoxy resin. Only one of the NF scopes i had to return again because when i recieved it the lens had black dots all over it. Later on i heard that they had a bad batch of bedding compound.
You are correct that there is more to look at with buying a high priced scope OPTICS,QUALITY,ADJUSTMENT,WARRANTY. And yes March probably doesnt have the best warranty 5 YEARS but there optics, quality, and adjustment are the best IMHO but i bet if something did go wrong March, would look after you. ,would be crazy not too)

I see it as why spend less for a scope you just spent $4000 building your benchgun.


wal

 

[Senderofan]

Wal:

I couldn't agree more...as far as putting the best scope on that a guy can afford. It's not an area to skimp on. I think there are more choices now as well...looks like a fair amount of folks are using the Sightron III, still a lot of fans for Leupy...whether the Mark 4 or others. I had an IOR on my rig that I'm rebuilding...outstanding glass, same lenses as Zeiss )but irregularities in repeatability of adjustments made me move on.

I don't think you'll ever have a problem with your March...but if you do..I hope they've made their repair service / customer service as top notch as their scopes. I would be more sold on their scope if they offered a lifetime warranty...I think is says a lot about the companies confidence in their product.

It's a wonderful thing...to be living in such a time that we have so many options available in optics. Hopefully other companies will be willing to produce a product such as March and we'll all benefit from them.

Wayne

 

[tenring]

Two months ago, I traded a NF 12-42 NXS plus cash for a like new March 10-60X. Wanted 1/8 min. adjustments. The March is very clear, and adjustments crisp. But I still have trouble seeing bullet holes at 500. Truthfuly, I don't feel the March is worth $600 more than a NF; and the warranty problem troubles me. Hope I never have to send it back to Japan and pay out of my pocket.

I also have a NF 12-42 BR that was sent back to NF for tracking problem last year. Told them I bought it used. They repaired it at no cost and it was in my hands within 3 weeks. I would buy another NF.

 

[wal]

tenring

Sounds like you sell NF scopes and are in need of a promotion. Honestly March optics are superior to NF and you know it. You must take the lense covers off.:thumb:
p.s only a joke no offence ment
wal

 

[OneEyedJack]

I'm a bit of a scope-o-holic and have been "eyeing" the March 10-60x because it uses "low-dispersion" glass or "apochromatic" lens elements to reduce chromatic aberration and improve resolution. So called high-end spotting scopes have this design feature, but I'm unaware of any other rifle scope that has it.

There seem to be lots of comparisons of March image quality to Nightforce BR scopes, but in my experience Nightforce NXS image quality is third tier behind Zeiss-Hensoldt,first tier), and then USO, S&B and possibly IOR,second tier). I think this is because Nightforce BR are widely used in benchrest shooting, but I'm not a benchrest shooter per se.

If March scope image quality cannot at least reach the second tier,by my definition) then I would not consider buying one. After using S&Bs and USOs, my Hensoldts still make me go "wow" with the first look - if the March does that, then it may be worthwhile at that price.

So, has anyone looked through a March and S&B or USO to compare them?

 

[BlackHawk95]

Thanks for all the great info.

I want to put good glass on my new rifle, Ive looked into the US Optics, but im nt sure what reticle would work for target shooting, along with the front focal reticle. would it cover more of the target?

Anyone know how long it takes to get one of the 10-60 March's?

 

[OneEyedJack]

You can find drawings of the USO reticles on their website. Select a model - probably the ST-17 fixed magnification or the SN-3 variable magnification model - then play around with the configuration options. Under "reticle" there is a button for more information, I believe, and you can bring up drawings with subtentions. You won't find ultra-thin cross hairs, for example, since these are "tactical" optics and not BR scopes. Certainly, many of their reticles are excellent for F-Class shooting at 1kyd.

 

[rstreich]

Anyone know how long it takes to get one of the 10-60 March's?

Just give Kelbly's a call. It can vary quite a bit and it will depend on which reticle you want.

 

[BlackHawk95]

Thanks everyone. Im still trying to decide between the USO and the March.

 

[richardatwinder]

HI
Does anyone know how thick the lines in the tactical,Similar to the Night Force NPR2) reticule are on the new March 10- 60x52 scope??
I know that the Reticule is 0.04' in on the fact sheet from Kelbys, but cant find any way to compare it to either a NF NPR2 or the P4Fine in a Schmidt PM2. 0.04' which looked at in real terms is VERY thick.

Cheers
Richard

 

[BlackHawk95]

The NP-R2 on my Nightforce is .06" and I consider it to be quite fine. so .04 would be even better. The Milldot on my Sightron S3 is .10 .

Think of it like this, at 1000 yards the NP-R2 would cover a little over 1/2 of an inch. where as the .04 March would be just over 3/8 of an inch. This would only apply tho whatever power the reticle is calibrated to.

Jerid

 

[w]

Hello,
I want to buy also a March 10x60x52 scope,but a doubt about the recticle.which one a take the 1/8 or the 1/16 dot.
someone experience with the dot?

 

[rstreich]

I went with the 1/16 dot. I like it. It's pretty small, but then, that's what I wanted.