Thank you guys! All info was great and spot on! I very much appreciate it. Good thing I found out yesterday I am getting a nice tax refund this year! I know what I am going to splurge on! If ya’ll know of anyone wanting to part ways with their 10-60x56 HM in a crosshair, 1/16 dot or MTR-2 reticle let me know. Samuel Hall
Let me add a few unsolicited thoughts here, all worth far less than what you paid for them.
I look at March scopes as something for the long run. When I bought my March-X 5-50X56 nine years ago, I had only seen a March at a few matches. It also helped that Ian Kelbly, who was the US dealer at the time, had brought a bunch of them to show at one of our matches at Bayou Rifles. After looking through them, I decided to upgrade my still new NF NXS 12-42X56 by buying the March-X 5-50X56. I knew very little (ok, virtually nothing) about March at that time, so it was a $3200 gamble. Which I never regretted.
In the Optics section here, I spend a lot of time explaining about optics, glass material, zoom ranges, and all sorts of other things. I navigate under the misapprehension that I know something about optics. I have been an avid photographer for over 50 years, which a wide panoply of discarded gear to reflect that. My photo gear is Nikon.
My experience with photography and optics was such that I have known about lens coatings since the 70s when they were all the range and differentiators, then various implementations of automation and the onset of digital. Nikon invented ED glass in the late 60s and installed it in a lot of their lenses. They invented Super ED glass later on and that found its way into their camera lenses also.
Deon was the first riflescope manufacturer to incorporate ED glass elements in their offerings about 14 years ago. For the longest time they were the only ones, then Nikon started doing that with some of their Monarchs and other lesser brands like Nightforce started copying them and other jumped on also. It was interesting to see some brands come up with terms like XD glass and make a big deal about while avoiding the exact benefits of ED glass, lower CA due to reduced dispersion.
All March scopes have ED glass except for the 24mm LPVOs where it won't benefit the IQ and of course the models with Super ED glass. No other scope manufacturer on the planet incorporated Super ED glass in their riflescopes. Just like no others incorporated ED glass 10 years ago, except for March.
So the glass in the 10-60X56 HM is light years ahead of any other scope, but let's continue with the longevity aspects of the March scopes in general and the March-X and March-FX in particular.
The tube bodies are CNC machined from a ingot of aluminum, and not just the ordinary, run of the mill 6061 or 7075 junk only fit for planes, Deon uses a special kind of expensive aluminum exceedingly well suited for riflescopes. The aluminum is not extruded or drawn, it is simply cut away to produce the full one piece body. There are no doors or traps at the control knob area. Only the three holes for the knobs.
Each scope is had assembled in Japan by a skilled optical technician using all-Japanese parts. That is something Deon is very insistent on, all parts are made in Japan; there is no China stuff in there. There are also no plastic parts, everything is metal except of course where metal is not suited, such as wiring for the illuminated reticle. The parts are all fitted by hand and fully tested throughout.
Deon uses argon to fill the tube and purge the air inside where other manufacturers used nitrogen. The reason for using argon instead of nitrogen is, again, for longevity. The argon atom is huge compared to nitrogen and is less likely to leak out over time.
The finish on the March scope is something else, in my opinion. When you will get your HM, you will be amazed at how smooth and solid it will feel. The craftsmanship is, in a word, exquisite and durable. My 5-50X56 still looks like new after 7 years of monthly competitions, a dozen state matches, a few regionals, 7 nationals and 2 worlds. It's been all over the place in countless trips. It still looks pristine.
Now, let's talk about the -X and -FX series of March scopes. The tube diameter of theses 2 series (and the Genesis also), is 34mm. You might think this is for added internal travel. Nope, it's not. The wall thickness of the X/FX series is 4mm instead of the 2mm in the 30mm bodies. The March scopes are very strong, and the X/FX series are immensely strong. I told you these puppies were built for the long run.
Everything about a March scope exudes refinement and silent strength. The knobs are wonderful and very tactile and positive. The "springs" inside are also designed for the long run and that's all I can say.
And now, let's zero down on the March-X 10-60X56 HM. I am now in my third year shooting with mine and it looks pristine, of course. When I acquired this scope, I ordered it with the exact options that I wanted after doing in-depth research. These scopes are expensive enough, I had to have the exact things I wanted in that riflescope. There are two types of reticles for the HM and that is a decision you need to make because the types are not interchangeable. The types are wired or etched reticles. The bodies of the scope are different depending on the reticle type. The bodies are about a quarter inch longer between the knobs and the eyepiece for the etched reticle models. This means if you get an etched reticle like an MTR-2 or my favorite, the MTR-5, you cannot get it changed later on to a wired reticle like the crosshair or the center dot. The other was around doesn't work either. You cannot get a wired reticle swapped for an etched reticle.
I prefer an etched reticle and my 5-50X56 started life with an MTR-2 but since I had it so long, my eyes got worse as I aged and I had it swapped for an MTR-5. Some people absolutely love the wired centered dot reticle and you cannot pry the scope out of their hands. It's you choice.
If you choose the etched reticle, you can decide if you want illumination or not. I have illumination in my 2 March-X and I have never used it. I even pulled the battery from the scopes.
I do use the big wheel on the side focus knob as I have arthritis in my left hand and it hurts to try to play with a focus knob. The big wheel makes it so much easier and provides for fine granular control. Your scope will come with a sunshade, which I leave on permanently, a zoom lever, which I have on because people love to look through my scope. I also added the big side focus wheel with the center adapter, and the rear eyepiece extension.
I understand your motivation in looking for a pre-owned HM and that you would settle for whichever reticle was in it. Always a good idea to save money.
But a March scope is like an heirloom; you will have it for a long time so get it exactly as you want it to be. Order the exact model with the options you want and in 2 months or so, this amazing piece of optical rifle guidance will show up at your door and when you first gaze at it and touch it, you will realize why it was worth the cost and the wait.
We can talk about how to mount it later on; suffice it to say that I want to get all the benefit of the superb IQ of the HM and mine is set so that it is near optical center at 1000 yards.
