OpticsTalk by SWFA, Inc. Homepage SWFA     SampleList.com
Forum Home Forum Home > Optic Reviews and Tests > Member's Tests and Reviews
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - March scope/Near Alphamount
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Visit the SWFA.com site to check out our current specials.

March scope/Near Alphamount

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <12
Author
Message
cheaptrick View Drop Down
MODERATOR
MODERATOR
Avatar

Joined: September/27/2004
Location: South Carolina
Status: Offline
Points: 20844
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cheaptrick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/07/2013 at 17:38
Originally posted by Kickboxer Kickboxer wrote:

My wife just saw the "kitten target"...
She said "the hummingbird was OK.. that was just a drawing, but that's a picture of a REAL kitten... you are so BAD..."

Now I'm in trouble...


If at first you don't secede...try..try again.
Back to Top
Kickboxer View Drop Down
MODERATOR
MODERATOR
Avatar
Moderator

Joined: February/13/2008
Status: Offline
Points: 23679
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/07/2013 at 17:42
Yuck it up, Fuzzball...
Opinion,untempered by fact,is ignorance.

There are some who do not fear death... for they are more afraid of not really living
Back to Top
Kickboxer View Drop Down
MODERATOR
MODERATOR
Avatar
Moderator

Joined: February/13/2008
Status: Offline
Points: 23679
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/09/2013 at 07:56
I'm continuing to put the March 3-24 Tactical through it's paces on the 7mmSTW.  3-24x42 may be good and sound enticing to some… not so for me.  This would be a truly amazing scope with a 56mm objective.  With 42mm objective, it is excellent in many respects, and would satisfy 99+% of the population… I find it less than satisfying.  For me, the lowlight performance is "average" and the eye box, in a government contractual evaluation get an "acceptable" rating.  Sorry, but "acceptable" in a nearly $3000.00 scope is NOT acceptable.  I have had "hands on" with other March scopes and was highly impressed with their performance.  Visually, this one leaves me a little cold.  It has some great features… I love the elevation turret… I don't really dial windage, I hold windage, so the windage I have not really even paid attention to… it is good and anyone who "dials" will like it.  As I have said before, glass is outstanding, there is no fringing, contrast is excellent, depth of field is high quality… 
Overall feel remains excellent.  

I'm really upset about the eye box.  I expected it to be on the order of my Hensoldt… it is NOT, nowhere close.  

Truth be told, if I had it to do over again, I would go with Hensoldt 3-12x56FF or 4-16x56FF.  Don't get me wrong, once you "get on" the spot the view is amazing… finding the right spot is not "instantaneous" as with the Hensoldt.  You won't want to sit behind it for infinity like you will with the Hensoldt… I've spent many hours observing the world passing by with the Hensoldt.  I won't spend as much time "just looking" with the March.  It is a great long range scope, 99+% will rave over it.  Finding the eye box is not slow, just not immediate and, for me, not ALPHA… 

I won't ever again purchase a scope based upon past experience with the "line".  I got it because I had past hands on with other March products… very positive, by the way… and it was in an interesting power range… 3-24 is a fantastic range.  I've never much cared for small objective scopes… just a personal thing.  

Rating, for me, OVERALL is about an 8.0 out of 10.0.  The turrets are fantastic, the glass is superb, some of the design features are less than "Alpha"… 

I certainly won't throw it or give it away… it is not a candidate for the "Carlos Hathcock scope shot", it is certainly in my top 5.  However, Hensoldt is "KING"...


Edited by Kickboxer - November/09/2013 at 10:00
Opinion,untempered by fact,is ignorance.

There are some who do not fear death... for they are more afraid of not really living
Back to Top
Kickboxer View Drop Down
MODERATOR
MODERATOR
Avatar
Moderator

Joined: February/13/2008
Status: Offline
Points: 23679
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/10/2013 at 18:21
I ran the turret and checked the reticle some today… 4clicks close enough to an inch… 7shots, up 4 clicks after each shot, just a hair over 7inches rise, shooting from a Caldwell Lead Sled.  The stadia are dead on using a yardstick.  As precise as I could hope for.  
At 12x, it has all the light one would require in low light conditions.  
I'm going to try to set up some long range shooting in the next couple of weeks.  With both the 7mmSTW/March and the 338LM/Hensoldt.
Should be fun...
Opinion,untempered by fact,is ignorance.

There are some who do not fear death... for they are more afraid of not really living
Back to Top
Rancid Coolaid View Drop Down
MODERATOR
MODERATOR
Avatar

Joined: January/19/2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 9318
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rancid Coolaid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/14/2013 at 10:16
Turrets like the EREK, that is high praise!

On the eye box issue, stop looking for the Henny equivalent, it ain't out there.  The closest I have come is the Kahles 6-24, and that is a appreciably "not Hensoldt", but quite good.

I have never owned a March but might need to take a look.  My go to 300WM wears the 6-24 now, but a 3-24 would be awesome for just about everything.

Let us know on the long range stuff.

FYI: I was disappointed in the 4-16 Hensoldt FFP regarding elevation range, it was much lower than the 3-12 and not nearly enough for true long range work.
Freedom is something you take.
Respect is something you earn.
Equality is something you whine about not being given.
Back to Top
jonoMT View Drop Down
Optics Master Extraordinaire
Optics Master Extraordinaire
Avatar

Joined: November/13/2008
Location: Montana
Status: Offline
Points: 4853
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jonoMT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/14/2013 at 11:55
Originally posted by Rancid Coolaid Rancid Coolaid wrote:

...a 3-24 would be awesome for just about everything.
While it's lacking in a few areas, the mag range is great and it weighs 10 oz. less than a comparable scope like the S&B 3-20.
 
When I consider swapping the SS 3-15 out for a Swaro that weighs half as much, I think about how much I'm used to dialing in shots over 300 yards. And the extra mag is great for when you get to the point where you'd consider a shot and 8X bin glass isn't enough to really check out antlers. 9X would not add much.
Reaction time is a factor...
Back to Top
Kickboxer View Drop Down
MODERATOR
MODERATOR
Avatar
Moderator

Joined: February/13/2008
Status: Offline
Points: 23679
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/15/2013 at 05:50
the March does not adjust to boresight the way the EREK does, it reminds me of the EREK in operation.  Still not EREK. 
Opinion,untempered by fact,is ignorance.

There are some who do not fear death... for they are more afraid of not really living
Back to Top
Rancid Coolaid View Drop Down
MODERATOR
MODERATOR
Avatar

Joined: January/19/2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 9318
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rancid Coolaid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/15/2013 at 09:11
All good info, thanks.
Freedom is something you take.
Respect is something you earn.
Equality is something you whine about not being given.
Back to Top
Kickboxer View Drop Down
MODERATOR
MODERATOR
Avatar
Moderator

Joined: February/13/2008
Status: Offline
Points: 23679
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/18/2014 at 11:28
I just did a comparison… side by side… of Springfield Armory GenIII 6-20x56 vs the March.  Now, I paid nearly 4x as much for the March as for the SA… that is worthy of note.  

Mechanically… March turrets/adjustments are cleaner, better in every bit of comparison…  is it 4x better… hard to say… March is "SUPERIOR", SA is "VERY GOOD" in most respects, just "GOOD to FAIR" in others.  There is a big price differential for the March advantages.  One thing that would swing toward the March is I believe the SA is more "fragile"… approaching max extent of adjustment on the SA has some issues… the turret adjustments get really mushy at the extents, both elevation and azimuth, but are quite good in the middle… no issues experienced on the March… all adjustments are clean and crisp and when I did the ruler measurements at 100yd some time back, they were perfect… as perfect as I could visually ascertain.  Also, the SA only has 45MOA total adjustment range… pretty meager for what is supposed to be a long range scope.  However, this scope was an "early" entry into the surge of "advanced tactical scope" offerings and the philosophy at the time was one could/would use the reticle for long range engagements… and the SA does have a very nice reticle, though it is MIL and adjustments are MOA.  March wins mechanics by a substantial margin… just not sure it is 4x.  

Optically… I've been looking in broad daylight, 49degF, 22% humidity… of course, I could not compare low end and I'm looking at a 42mm objective on the March vs 56mm on the SA… That said, looking from 6x-20x on both scopes, there is very little difference in 1) eye box, 2) clarity-edge to edge, aberration.  The March handles color better, the SA (due to objective size) is overall better in dark areas… the SA will clearly perform better in low light conditions and in shady areas it is definitely better, 3) depth of field the March edges out, not by much, 4) mounting… goes to March… it is definitely and obviously lower to the barrel… however, that has never really been a big deal with me.  

All in all, I love them both.  I wish the March cost less and had a bigger objective, I wish the mechanicals on the SA were better with more adjustment range.  Some would be completely happy with the 42mm… it just not "me"…  The March is "SUPERIOR", the SA is "VERY GOOD"… is SUPERIOR worth 4x as much as "VERY GOOD"???  Definitely a personal choice.  However, the SA scopes (made in Japan by Hakko with glass from LOW (LOW makes some of our most prized scopes), for Springfield Armory)

I'm glad I have the March, I'm glad I have the SA.  They each fill a "gap" for me.  I'm going to check out the March 3-24x50 when I get home from my next "trip".  

After considerable recrimination, I would not "get rid of" the March, nor would I "get rid of" the SA.  I expect the March to be around for a VERY long time… the SA, I'm still not sure on.  I've had the SA for 16 years, heavy usage at first, light in recent years... the March for less than 12 months, fairly light usage since I've had it.

I will continue to evaluate the March, as time allows.  For overall performance, the only thing I have that beats it is the Hensoldt.  Nothing I've used is in the class of the Hensoldt, but there are some contenders coming along.


Opinion,untempered by fact,is ignorance.

There are some who do not fear death... for they are more afraid of not really living
Back to Top
Rancid Coolaid View Drop Down
MODERATOR
MODERATOR
Avatar

Joined: January/19/2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 9318
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rancid Coolaid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/30/2014 at 10:02
Hard to beat a Henny for optical quality.
 
The downside is that it gets shipped to Austria if there is a problem.  Mine went back (in the hudisco days) and it was not a timely process.
Freedom is something you take.
Respect is something you earn.
Equality is something you whine about not being given.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <12
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.01
Copyright ©2001-2018 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.139 seconds.