March Scopes

[K.H - Tikka]

Somewhat interested to learn about user experience of March Scopes if anyone on here has one/has had the opportunity to use one.

They look to be a high quality optic that should compete with the likes of IOR and S&B.

K.H

 

[Cottis]

I have one in 2.5-25x42 with 4 stage illumination on my walkabout .222rem due to its versatility. I can shoot Muntjac at 20yds with it in woodland and shoot crows at 300yds and everything else inbetween. The main features which attracted me are the lightweight nature of such a feature heavy scope and also the small dimensions. Just suits the rifle very well. The turrets are also bloody good. Accurate, tactile and never shift. Large choice of reticles and also come in FFP or SFP.

Optically the glass is very good in terms of depth of field, colours, contrast is exceptionally good. Edge to edge very good. I only have 42mm objective, so it is not going to stand up against a 56mm Schmidt at last light but it is good enough and I have shot Muntjac at 150yds after the sun has gone down but don't expect to be doing that on x25 power half hour after sunset.

It has a tightish eyebox on higher mags but then it is a 10 x zoom scope which is pushing the boundaries a little. That creates compromises like in all scopes. So at x25mag, it is fussy and in certain lights can be ever so slightly cloudy but up to x20mag, it is very very good. I tend not to use it much over x 20mag unless I am testing zero or working up a new load. Some people talk about fussy parallax on these scopes but I don't see that. I would say it is the opposite and quite loose over 200yds and further where you need parallax removed. Never been a problem for me.

If you want a small, light scope with a massive zoom range and a choice of reticles that will dial without any error at all, I am not sure there is really anything out there that competes. I really like the push button illumination in 4 stages. A small mention should also go to the included lens covers which are seriously small profile and do not get in the way but are really positive in terms of opening and closing which can be done silently or as quickly as you like. I use this rifle a lot and in the years I have had this scope, the lens caps have never malnufctioned and do not look like they will break.

Would I have one as an out and out deer hunting scope? Not in the format of mine. I would want a larger objective to get more light in. Their newest iteration (4.5-28x52 with locking turrets) looks to be very very good if the handful of reviews are to be believed. I am in the market for a new scope for another deer rifle and it is on the possible list but it is a lot of money. I am leaning towards a Polar T96 for that application but if you wanted a crossover scope that can do close up woodland, medium range open country, dial perfectly, be robust and strong and work with NV add ons, it is hard to see past them.

 

[K.H - Tikka]

@Cottis thanks for such a detailed response; you covered pretty much everything so that is greatly appreciated.

Only issue is you may have extended my list of potential scopes for the next build!

Where did you purchase from?

I did look on their website but very little in stock at the moment,

K.H

 

[Cottis]

@Cottis thanks for such a detailed response; you covered pretty much everything so that is greatly appreciated.

Only issue is you may have extended my list of potential scopes for the next build!

Where did you purchase from?

I did look on their website but very little in stock at the moment,

K.H

There is little stock of any decent stuff right now. I am hunting around for the best price and lead time on an MOA T96 Polar in FFP at the moment. None of this stuff is on the shelf annoyingly.

I bought mine direct from March themselves so I could go and take a look through it first and make sure the reticle was what I wanted. They just happened to have that model in their office, so i had a trek down to Gatwick which is where they are based. The guy I spoke to shot F Class, so I was dealing with a shooter rather than just some sales guy. Cannot recall his name now. I want to say Jordan but cannot 100% remember.

The new scopes are definitely preorder only. It made me laugh when the 20% deposit to secure one was over £600 ha ha ha. Shame we only have 2 kidneys.

 

[scotch_egg]

I found mine to be very focus fussy and the parallax very fine to adjust. So wasn’t great on a hunting rifle.

 

[Steff]

I‘ve had the 42mm models both in first and second focal plane. I can only second @Cottis on what he has so elaborately written!

The reason I sold them was that I didn‘t really have much use for such high mag. And while the March‘s are really light-weight and slender for what they offer I tend to prefer more traditional style scopes.
I only thing I didn‘t like was the fine threaded eyepiece with a lock ring. Just don‘t get along with this sort of diopter adjustment.
A couple of years ago they have released another extremely compact model. A 1.5-15x42. Maybe even too compact. I doubt that I could sensibly mount it on any of my rifles. But at least it has a fast focus eyepiece .

 

[tackb]

i second what cottis says , i run the same on my lightweight stalker in a PSE stock , it is a great scope with all the features you could want but as already said it won't compete at last light with the 56mm german stuff but thats not really a fair comparison

 

[dropmdead]

I have a few march scopes, and use them on both field and target rifles.
They work well on my eyes, and as has been mentioned, they are fantastic on everything apart from last light shooting.
I found my ffp scope turrets matched the reticle.
The zero stop is simple to set.
The higher mag scopes give the possibility to pickup smaller targets with clarity - 6mm bullet holes on paper at 1200 yards.

They are a low volume production run of manufacturing and are built very well.

 

[DeLaRue1953]

I have no experience of their scopes but their customer service is first rate......

 

[jcampbellsmith]

I had a March scope on my 6XC and mistakenly I sold it. I have since replaced it with another one. I find the March scopes excellent for range work.
Regards
JCS

 

[Ronin]

Had a few - used mainly for F Class where they excel

Still have one on my “effer”

Not sure about stalking use

 

[Cloudhopper]

I've had a March 3-24 x 42 ffp on my one and only rifle for the last 6 years. Ideal for multi-purpose work with enough elevation adjustment to take it out to 1000 yards using a standard set of option ring mounts.
CH

 

[Jelen]

Everything Cottis has said is spot on. I've got the March 2.5-25x52 in SFP. I've also got a Nightforce NX8 4-32x50. The March is the better scope, particularly at last light.
As a bonus both scopes work very well with the PARD007's. I use mine on deer, fox, other vermin and gongs out to 600m. Does it all in a neat and light package.
Dealing with March Uk was excellent and you can have one built to exactly the spec you want. The hardest bit was waiting 2 months for it to be built .

 

[dropmdead]

March has a fantastic warranty, beyond what you would ever consider decent (I would suggest better than Swarovski, is you actually go looking for warranty claim history online)

 

[K.H - Tikka]

Thanks to all who have contributed so far; great to hear of your experiences, especially with varying use and/or models.

At this rate, March might take the last spot in my cabinet - there’s only one left (for now at least!).

K.H

 

[markymark]

I have one in 2.5-25x42 with 4 stage illumination on my walkabout .222rem due to its versatility. I can shoot Muntjac at 20yds with it in woodland and shoot crows at 300yds and everything else inbetween. The main features which attracted me are the lightweight nature of such a feature heavy scope and also the small dimensions. Just suits the rifle very well. The turrets are also bloody good. Accurate, tactile and never shift. Large choice of reticles and also come in FFP or SFP.

Optically the glass is very good in terms of depth of field, colours, contrast is exceptionally good. Edge to edge very good. I only have 42mm objective, so it is not going to stand up against a 56mm Schmidt at last light but it is good enough and I have shot Muntjac at 150yds after the sun has gone down but don't expect to be doing that on x25 power half hour after sunset.

It has a tightish eyebox on higher mags but then it is a 10 x zoom scope which is pushing the boundaries a little. That creates compromises like in all scopes. So at x25mag, it is fussy and in certain lights can be ever so slightly cloudy but up to x20mag, it is very very good. I tend not to use it much over x 20mag unless I am testing zero or working up a new load. Some people talk about fussy parallax on these scopes but I don't see that. I would say it is the opposite and quite loose over 200yds and further where you need parallax removed. Never been a problem for me.

If you want a small, light scope with a massive zoom range and a choice of reticles that will dial without any error at all, I am not sure there is really anything out there that competes. I really like the push button illumination in 4 stages. A small mention should also go to the included lens covers which are seriously small profile and do not get in the way but are really positive in terms of opening and closing which can be done silently or as quickly as you like. I use this rifle a lot and in the years I have had this scope, the lens caps have never malnufctioned and do not look like they will break.

Would I have one as an out and out deer hunting scope? Not in the format of mine. I would want a larger objective to get more light in. Their newest iteration (4.5-28x52 with locking turrets) looks to be very very good if the handful of reviews are to be believed. I am in the market for a new scope for another deer rifle and it is on the possible list but it is a lot of money. I am leaning towards a Polar T96 for that application but if you wanted a crossover scope that can do close up woodland, medium range open country, dial perfectly, be robust and strong and work with NV add ons, it is hard to see past them.

This. Perfect summary.

 

[lambic]

Think this question has been asked and answered a few times in the last few years.

They are very versatile.

I have 3 of them and will never sell them, unlike the Swarovskis before. All 3 used for hunting and a little bit of target work.

March UK are excellent as well, buy direct from them rather than 3rd parties.

Edit:

Models are:

FFP 3-24 X 42 (x2)

FFP 3-24 X 52 (x1)

All same reticule of "Illuminated FML1"

 

[Rsl]

I have one in 2.5-25x42 with 4 stage illumination on my walkabout .222rem due to its versatility. I can shoot Muntjac at 20yds with it in woodland and shoot crows at 300yds and everything else inbetween. The main features which attracted me are the lightweight nature of such a feature heavy scope and also the small dimensions. Just suits the rifle very well. The turrets are also bloody good. Accurate, tactile and never shift. Large choice of reticles and also come in FFP or SFP.

Optically the glass is very good in terms of depth of field, colours, contrast is exceptionally good. Edge to edge very good. I only have 42mm objective, so it is not going to stand up against a 56mm Schmidt at last light but it is good enough and I have shot Muntjac at 150yds after the sun has gone down but don't expect to be doing that on x25 power half hour after sunset.

It has a tightish eyebox on higher mags but then it is a 10 x zoom scope which is pushing the boundaries a little. That creates compromises like in all scopes. So at x25mag, it is fussy and in certain lights can be ever so slightly cloudy but up to x20mag, it is very very good. I tend not to use it much over x 20mag unless I am testing zero or working up a new load. Some people talk about fussy parallax on these scopes but I don't see that. I would say it is the opposite and quite loose over 200yds and further where you need parallax removed. Never been a problem for me.

If you want a small, light scope with a massive zoom range and a choice of reticles that will dial without any error at all, I am not sure there is really anything out there that competes. I really like the push button illumination in 4 stages. A small mention should also go to the included lens covers which are seriously small profile and do not get in the way but are really positive in terms of opening and closing which can be done silently or as quickly as you like. I use this rifle a lot and in the years I have had this scope, the lens caps have never malnufctioned and do not look like they will break.

Would I have one as an out and out deer hunting scope? Not in the format of mine. I would want a larger objective to get more light in. Their newest iteration (4.5-28x52 with locking turrets) looks to be very very good if the handful of reviews are to be believed. I am in the market for a new scope for another deer rifle and it is on the possible list but it is a lot of money. I am leaning towards a Polar T96 for that application but if you wanted a crossover scope that can do close up woodland, medium range open country, dial perfectly, be robust and strong and work with NV add ons, it is hard to see past them.

I have also been interested in the new 4.5-25x52 March riflescope and after reading some reviews about it (mainly in the Snipers Hide), I learnt that while the day vision regarding contrast and resolution was on par with the best, the low light performance was a little bit disappointing. So I recently exchanged a couple of emails with Mari Morita from DEON (manufacturers of March scopes) and she confirmed that the exit pupil of 4.5-28x52 at 4.5 magnification is φ 4.84mm. Apparently, they exit pupil has been deliberately reduced for better flare control and this would explain the diminished dawn / dusk performance. For your information, the exit pupil of 2.5-25x52 at 2.5x is φ 7.54mm and the exit pupil of 3-24x52 at 3x is φ 7mm.　
In conclusion, if low light performance is important, I do not think this is going to be the best scope. However, in a mountain rifle destined to be used during the day for hunting chamois, Iberian ibex and the like it would be brilliant.
Anyways, because I think that March is a company that takes the judgement of customers into account, I let them know that low light performance is a major concern for a lot of hunters and that high transmission scopes are extremely desirable.

 

[Cottis]

I have also been interested in the new 4.5-25x52 March riflescope and after reading some reviews about it (mainly in the Snipers Hide), I learnt that while the day vision regarding contrast and resolution was on par with the best, the low light performance was a little bit disappointing. So I recently exchanged a couple of emails with Mari Morita from DEON (manufacturers of March scopes) and she confirmed that the exit pupil of 4.5-28x52 at 4.5 magnification is φ 4.84mm. Apparently, they exit pupil has been deliberately reduced for better flare control and this would explain the diminished dawn / dusk performance. For your information, the exit pupil of 2.5-25x52 at 2.5x is φ 7.54mm and the exit pupil of 3-24x52 at 3x is φ 7mm.　
In conclusion, if low light performance is important, I do not think this is going to be the best scope. However, in a mountain rifle destined to be used during the day for hunting chamois, Iberian ibex and the like it would be brilliant.
Anyways, because I think that March is a company that takes the judgement of customers into account, I let them know that low light performance is a major concern for a lot of hunters and that high transmission scopes are extremely desirable.

I did buy a T96 in the end as it was mostly going to be a UK deer scope. And very bright it is but that aside, I just about prefer the optical quality of the March more. Horses for courses I guess but it's definitely nice and useful to have both. I think the March is more versatile overall but the brightness of the Schmidt is remarkable and I like the locking turrets. I knew I would dislike the illumination knob which has proven to be true.

Thanks for the info. It is definitely useful.

 

[Macloaded]

I have a 3-24x42 (non illuminated) which I really enjoy. It is light, compact and has very good glass. I also enjoy the reticle as it scales very well.

I won't go over ground already trodden in this thread but low light performance isn't up to S&B but it isn't terrible. As my scope has no IR mind it is easy to lose the centre dot as it gets dark. The parallax adjustment is also quite fiddly at lower ranges (sub 100 metres) but works very well once locked in.

The only real downside for me was the non locking turrets as I would invariably mess up the windage taking it in and out of a gunbag.