March FX 4.5-28x FFP Field Eval Q&A

[SDHNTR]

Haha. I believe March could make the best scope on earth…. If they would make it with a 4x erector.

Agreed and thought that ever since I got one in my hands. There’s potential, but it will never happen. I actually discussed this very topic with their one marketing person. I was very politely shot down. Their schtick is ridiculously high zoom range. That’s their thing, what they are known for and all they want to be known for. To do something practical like build a 4-5x erector would simply be too un Marchlike. Like asking Elon to build an internal combustion automobile. Unfortunate. I guess the Benchrest and Fclass crowd likes their gimmick and provides them with enough biz that they feel they do not need to pander to us lowly hunters.

 

[Wiscgunner]

Frustrating. Was my failed attempt a couple years ago at seeking out the unattainable combo of “alpha” glass, impact tested durability (which March does do on some level), and lighter weight. I’ve since resigned myself to the reality that such a scope doesn’t exist. Somethings gotta give. Lesson learned.

I understand there will be compromises and while I do not claim to have lots of money I do prefer to save up and buy the right tool instead of 3 versions of the next best thing before eventually buying the thing I wanted in the first place. I am willing to sacrifice price and weight long before I want to sacrifice user interface and durability.

I honestly would not mind the wait to eventually purchase a $5,000 optic if it was as clear as my NL Pure binos and a durable as a Nightforce is claimed to be. Unfortunately I am not seeing TT or ZCO to be that level for the money. I want a Rolex of optics not a Patek and not a Timex.

Yes I do realize these are supposed to be aiming devices but that is not all they are supposed to be. I do use my optics to read wind, judge animals, measure mirage and watch bullet trace and spot impacts/misses. Better glass does this, poor glass is unable to do this. Leaving to gun to look through better optics before getting back on the rifle is too often wasted effort/time.

It is sounding like maybe the Minox ZP5 is the closest thing to fit my needs so far with maybe a Leica PSR or Zeiss in the mix.

 

[wind gypsy]

Mine is not a fuzzy or double reticle issue. The reticle can get sharp without problem- it’s getting both the target and the reticle in focus at the same time that is the problem. Im any case, it is not pleasing to look through.

That was my largest gripe with a 3-24x52 as well. The depth of focus was so shallow that getting the focus right was a PITA and by the time you got that, the reticle was rarely sharp when you got there. They tried to tell me and others we just didn't know how to adjust a diopter..

Paid $3k and think i sold it for a hair over $2k and put on a LRHS that had no such issues. So the functionally better scope that replaced it cost about as much as I lost on the March in less than a year. Besides that the customer service was garbage.

 

[wind gypsy]

Just read the update to the actual review. Who is managing the warranty for March in the US these days?

 

[SDHNTR]

Just read the update to the actual review. Who is managing the warranty for March in the US these days?

Absolutely no one. And that’s a problem. $150 to ship to Japan and a month wait. That said, the March people in Japan were incredibly helpful, professional and responsive. Its just logistically challenging process.

 

[wind gypsy]

Absolutely no one. And that’s a problem. $150 to ship to Japan and a month wait. That said, the March people in Japan were incredibly helpful, professional and responsive. Its just logistically challenging process.

Huh. I believe it was bullets central [edit: bullets.com, shiraz] back when I had one and the response to concerns was basically that I could send it in but there is never anything wrong with them.

 

[Marshfly]

Those two posts are reason enough to not spend money on a March, even if it passed the test.

 

[Formidilosus]

Updated.

 

[Formidilosus]

Updated.

 

[Formidilosus]

Updated.

 

[Formidilosus]

Updated.

 

[Dos XX]

Huh. I believe it was bullets central back when I had one and the response to concerns was basically that I could send it in but there is never anything wrong with them.

It was bullets.com, not Bullet Central. Bullets.com is gone. Itwas owned by the same guy that owns Grizzly Tools or Machinery or whatever it is called.

 

[roosiebull]

Haha. I believe March could make the best scope on earth…. If they would make it with a 4x erector.

I don’t understand the attraction to big mag range hunting scopes, it’s completely unnecessary to me, and just seems to add inherent fussiness to a scope, and also more expensive for no gain.

Even if they were as user friendly as a scope with a 3-5x erector, I wouldn’t want to pay for the larger mag range… I don’t want or need it

I have always been curious about March scopes but would never buy one for that fact alone. Glad it has done pretty well so far, but I would like to see a line of their scopes with a 4-5x erector

 

[SDHNTR]

I don’t understand the attraction to big mag range hunting scopes, it’s completely unnecessary to me, and just seems to add inherent fussiness to a scope, and also more expensive for no gain.

Even if they were as user friendly as a scope with a 3-5x erector, I wouldn’t want to pay for the larger mag range… I don’t want or need it

I have always been curious about March scopes but would never buy one for that fact alone. Glad it has done pretty well so far, but I would like to see a line of their scopes with a 4-5x erector

It’s because when it comes to March, they aren’t hunting scopes. They are some type of shootIng nerd scopes. I don’t get it.

 

[Formidilosus]

Update.

 

[DJL2]

Did you end up swapping the rings out?

 

[Formidilosus]

Did you end up swapping the rings out?

No sir.

 

[Formidilosus]

Update.

First zero shift. I have been uncomfortable with the behavior since the beginning, and my supposition is that it is the rings. They will be switched.

 

[SDHNTR]

What makes you question the rings?

 

[Formidilosus]

What makes you question the rings?

Because the scope is exhibiting random vertical shifts, and then comes back. Also, during the initial eval there were odd things that seemed as if the erector was being bound up.

It couldn’t be, however the behavior points to a ring/erector issue.