Hunting/Target scope advice

[ltrshooter]

I have a Remington LTR 308 with a McMillan stock and have bedded it, worked the trigger(which incidentally, I don't think the new 40x is easy to work on), put a Tubbs firing pin in it, put McMillan DBM bottom metal on and polished the barrel with Tubbs fire lapping. It shoots around 1/2 moa with several brrands of commercial ammo and I want a new scope for hunting an target shooting. I am currently using a Meopta 3-12x56 and it to me is the cheapest scope for low light hunting other than maybe IOR Valdada or possibly Conquest. What I don't like is it has no target turrets. Most of the target/sniper scopes are pretty big and heavy for this 20 inch barrel rig.
I am about to pull the trigger on a March 2.5-25x42 because it has a much more compact package in terms of size and weight. It appears to have Japanese glass that tickles the area where Europeans have traditionally tread. I am looking at the plex reticle. It is a second focal plane optic. I would love to get the moa reticle lighted but the price difference is drastic. The non-illuminated version is about $1900 compared to around $2700 for illuminated version.
The only other real competitor is the Viper PST but it does not have the 10x range and it is so new I don't know much about it's low light ability. All the others are rather large, heavy, and more expensive like the Schmidt and Bender PM, Zeiss, Razor etc..
Does anyone have a March scope and any advice or any other sugggun)estions? Thanks in advance for your expertise.

 

[ubettcha13]

Here is a good article on your subject
High End Tactical Scopes: East vs West
Sounds like no one can match the weight but the glass is not as clean as the top German glass
They now have a FFP version to consider. Be in a situation that your laser doesn't work and it can save the day imho

 

[ltrshooter]

Thanks for the reply. I have read that article and the author puts out some good info. I wish I could look at the March compared to the Viper PST, Nightforce etc myself. I see other threads with basically similar questions. I desire good low light for hunting but still want long range target ability. All of the options are heavy except the March and Viper which is too new to really find out about. If the Viper PST has at least Meopta ore Conquest low light glass, I think I would get the Viper.

 

[Joaquin B]

I had the same concerns you had when selecting hunting/target rifles. This is what I ended up doing:

For my .260 hunting/silhouette Tikka 595, I went with a Leupold Mark IV 4.5-14X by 40mm. I paid for it new around $700.00 through Bruno's Shooters Supply of Phoenix. I then got a Bulzeye multiplier for another $140. This little adapter screws to the ocular lens and bumps the maginifcation to what I perceive to be 8-25X. This scope/adapter combination gives me the versatility I desire for both hunting and silhouette shooting. The scope base on the rifle is an EGW 20 MOA Picatinny rail and the rings are Leupold QRW.

For my long-range Winchester M-70 in .30-06 and .25-06 Ackley Improved, I went with a Zeiss Conquest 6.5-20X by 50 mm, after doing some reading (There is a good article on scopes in AccurateShooter.com). I paid around $900.00 for it new shopping the internet. The clarity of the glass is superb, the elevation and windage adjustments are precise and the price was right. The mount on the rifle is a Leupold 20 MOA Picatinny rail and the rings are Leupold QRW.

No scope system is perfect for every situation, but these 2 scope systems best serve my hunting and target shooting needs.

Regards,

 

[ltrshooter]

Thank you so much for the advice. Your choices are ones I have looked at and good ones. It seems every choice is a compromise somewhere. I have never had a "high end scope." The best glass I have is Meopta. I would be willing to belly up to the table for a Nightforce or Vortex Razor but for their weight. I have almost pulled the trigger on a March but I think I would need a lighted reticle for low light hunting and it is a little too expensive. The March is lighter, smaller, has a huge magnification range 2.5-25 and bullet proof erector with a large range but I wonder if I could see a standard plex in low light? The March is SFP compared to FFP in the Nightforce and Razor and I lean toward SFP because I have a laser rangefinder and I don't like the expanding reticle size as you increase mgnification in the FFP. I wish someone owning a March could tell me that its reticle is visible in low light or I might lean toward the Razor over the Nightforce. Not many people seem to have March scopes. All the other Euro scopes are more expensive than I think I can afford and tend toward mils instead of MOA which I am more comfortable with.

 

[nitrousmudbogger]

nightforce, shcmidt and benders are heavy but you get what you pay for. Im not saying March is not good(ive never looked through one) but the nightforce and S & B are very heavy duty with the best glass money can buy. I have noticed I can see just as good with a 3-15 nightforce as a 20 power leupold. Just my 2 cents

 

[ltrshooter]

Thanks for the replies. I ended up ordering a March 2.5-25 with a MOA reticle. I can hardly waith the three months it takes for them to make it. This is my first target wothy scope.

 

[Az_speed]

How did the March work out for you? Can you give us a report? Thanks.