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Has Anyone Experience with the March 2.5-25x42

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    Posted: June/16/2019 at 00:42
These scopes are now more available than previously, and I'm wondering whether anyone has owned or looked through this particular March scope--or any general-purpose March scope.

They're pricey, but have some interesting features, like a 10-times power range (as in the 2.5-25).  Given the price and what I've learned about top-end Japanese optics, they should be good optically.  I wonder whether they have held up well in use and how difficult it is to get them serviced should the need a rise.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/16/2019 at 09:17
They are good optically and quite durable.

Also very light and compact for the mag range.

The compromise is that the arallax is a little sensitive and eye relief is not very flexible.

Very nice scope overall.

Ilya
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote South Pender Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/16/2019 at 11:22
That's very helpful, Ilya.  From your experience with the best-of-the-best, how would you rate the March scopes, overall, when compared with the best European scopes--Schmidt & Bender, Swarovski, Kahles, Leica, Zeiss, etc.?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Peddler Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/16/2019 at 12:36
You can find a lot of those answers on Ilya’s website. optics thoughts.com
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/16/2019 at 13:04
Originally posted by South Pender South Pender wrote:

That's very helpful, Ilya.  From your experience with the best-of-the-best, how would you rate the March scopes, overall, when compared with the best European scopes--Schmidt & Bender, Swarovski, Kahles, Leica, Zeiss, etc.?

March marches (for lack of a better word) to the beat of their own drum.  Their quality is absolutely first class, but they make their product design choices somewhat differently, so it is seldom an apples to apples comparison.

All of these are good, and depending on the application one might work better than the other.

If you tell me a little more about what you are looking to do, I can offer some specific suggestions.

Generally, I ran March 3-24x42 for a while (I prefer FFP scopes), but ultimately replaced it with Tangent Theta TT315M 3-15x50 because it is a better fit for what I do.

With SFP hunting scopes, overall I think Leica Magnus is the one I like the most, but Swaro Z8 is easily its match.  Magnus happens to agree with my eyes a little better and I think the eyepiece on it is slightly more forgiving on low power.

With FFP hunting scopes, I just tested one of the new Blaser scopes and I am extremely impressed.  If the other scopes from them are as good, they might be the ones to beat.  S&B Ultra Bright is also quite impressive.

In terms of what you get for the money with hunting scopes, Meopta has to be in the contention.  I really like what they are doing now.  

Vortex Razor HD LH is easily one of my favourites for light weight applications.

In other words, this can really vary depending on your requirements.

ILya


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote South Pender Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/16/2019 at 14:30
Originally posted by koshkin koshkin wrote:

Originally posted by South Pender South Pender wrote:

That's very helpful, Ilya.  From your experience with the best-of-the-best, how would you rate the March scopes, overall, when compared with the best European scopes--Schmidt & Bender, Swarovski, Kahles, Leica, Zeiss, etc.?

March marches (for lack of a better word) to the beat of their own drum.  Their quality is absolutely first class, but they make their product design choices somewhat differently, so it is seldom an apples to apples comparison.

All of these are good, and depending on the application one might work better than the other.

If you tell me a little more about what you are looking to do, I can offer some specific suggestions.

Generally, I ran March 3-24x42 for a while (I prefer FFP scopes), but ultimately replaced it with Tangent Theta TT315M 3-15x50 because it is a better fit for what I do.

With SFP hunting scopes, overall I think Leica Magnus is the one I like the most, but Swaro Z8 is easily its match.  Magnus happens to agree with my eyes a little better and I think the eyepiece on it is slightly more forgiving on low power.

With FFP hunting scopes, I just tested one of the new Blaser scopes and I am extremely impressed.  If the other scopes from them are as good, they might be the ones to beat.  S&B Ultra Bright is also quite impressive.

In terms of what you get for the money with hunting scopes, Meopta has to be in the contention.  I really like what they are doing now.  

Vortex Razor HD LH is easily one of my favourites for light weight applications.

In other words, this can really vary depending on your requirements.

ILya

Thanks, Ilya.  I realize that I should have been more specific.  And I have taken Peddler's advice and checked out your Optics Thoughts site.  I either hadn't been aware of it or forgotten about it prior to Peddler's mentioning it, and can see that there's just a ton of information there that I should read before asking ill-informed questions.

In any case, my interest here is in hunting scopes.  I want to revisit my choices re scopes with respect to several hunting rifles that currently have Leupold scopes on them.  I think the power range that would serve me best would be one with a low end of 2 or 3 and a high end of 9 to 12 or so.  Most of my hunting is here in British Columbia, where it generally involves a mixture of treed terrain as well as open expanses.  My shots have been under 400 yards, never longer than that, and often closer to 100-200 yards.

I'm not keen on illuminated scopes, and one factor that does come into it for me is compactness.  Part of this is just aesthetics; I really don't like the look of a massive scope (with an objective OD approaching 2.5") on a hunting rifle. (Perhaps I'm just a traditionalist as I also like blued steel and nice walnut stocks.)  But in addition there's also the weight factor, where I don't want to weigh down my hunting rig with a scope that approaches 1.5 lbs, and to have the sheer mass of a large scope on a hunting rifle getting in the way of every branch or vine.  I like to mount my scopes as low as possible, and this pretty much rules out a huge scope.

So I guess I'm looking at a fairly compact (but not super small) scope in the 2-3 to 9-12 power range that I can mount low, requiring an objective OD of 2" or less.  (I might add that I have some target and benchrest rifles where these factors play no role whatsoever, and I'm happy with bigger, more powerful, scopes on these guns; I have a  couple of Nightforce Competition 15-55x52 scopes on these rifles.)  I'm interested in knowing where I can find the best image clarity and brightness within these parameters.  Cost is not a big factor in this particular case, although good value for the money is always of some concern.

I guess this thread is beginning to merge with my earlier one re hunting scopes, and I apologize for the redundancy.  I perhaps should have added this to my earlier thread, but the March 2.5-25x42 scope just came to my attention.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/16/2019 at 20:03
Leica Magnus 1.5-10x42 has your name written all over it.

I prefer the illuminated version, but they have not illuminated as well.

Ilya
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote South Pender Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/17/2019 at 13:52
Originally posted by koshkin koshkin wrote:

Leica Magnus 1.5-10x42 has your name written all over it.

I prefer the illuminated version, but they have not illuminated as well.

Ilya

Yes, for sure.  I'll have to see whether I can get one here in Canada.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote South Pender Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/17/2019 at 13:55
Damn, I don't know how my response came out that way, with it beginning to the right of Ilya's quote and continuing under it.  Sorry about that.  I'll have to figure this out for my next reply.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote supertool73 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/17/2019 at 14:02
forum issue.  WHen you quote someone you have to hit the enter key a bunch of times to get it below the quote. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DWilly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/17/2019 at 17:54
i own the scope you are inquiring about and wish i could give you a detailed review but i can't. i've never really used it that much. i am currently waiting on it's return from Japan as the engineer from March-USA told Deon Optics he thought it needed service. it was past the 5 year warranty period but they were/are going to repair it at no cost because it was obvious it hadn't been abused.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/05/2019 at 14:19
Originally posted by DWilly DWilly wrote:

i own the scope you are inquiring about and wish i could give you a detailed review but i can't. i've never really used it that much. i am currently waiting on it's return from Japan as the engineer from March-USA told Deon Optics he thought it needed service. it was past the 5 year warranty period but they were/are going to repair it at no cost because it was obvious it hadn't been abused.

Did your scope come back from March all in good shape?

I do not see these failing very much, so I am curious how it worked out with yours.

ILya
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