Helpful info. How are they with impact/drop tests and zero retention? Looking at the compact models, 2.5-25x52 for example. How are they able to keep the weight down so much, yet still retain absolute durability? Anything else comparable is 6+ ounces more.
Also, as a hunter, a lot of what they offer is of zero interest to me. They need to expand their hunting offerings. Hunters really don't need 10X as the loss of FOV/exit pupil and eye box just isn't worth it. A compact version in the 6X range, like 3-18x52, would be ideal, provide all the magnification ever needed for hunting, and would do away with a lot of the complaints. Keep it at 23 oz and they'd sell a ton of em.
That is a very astute question about the weight. I actually asked that same question of the head designer at Deon and he explained that they engineer the innards to make them as light, yet as strong as possible. Of course, they do all the various tests and you can read about that at their website. They build their scopes from durability and long life. Their zero retention and tracking are legendary over at accurateshooter.com.
My first March was a March-X 5-50X56, which I bought 10 years ago. It replaced a Nightforce NXS 12-42X56 on my F-TR match rifle. Over the next 8 years, that rifle/scope combo participated in well over 100 local monthly matches, 16 multi-day state matches, a pair or multi-day regionals, 8 week-long Nationals and 2 World competitions. It traveled all over the continent and went into a countless hotel rooms and trunks or cargo spaces. It rode on carts and so on. It saw over 20,000 full power F-TR loads. It never wavered and always had great tracking. I dialed it a lot. After all this, it looks pristine. The finish March uses seems to be impervious to the elements. The knobs show a little bit of wear on the knurling. I wonder why? :-)
My NXS showed some wear after just two years of similar regimen. The Nightforces are simply not as solid and well-built as the Marches.
