The March Tactical 8-80x56mm is a state-of-the-art riflescope that offers a crystal clear image and unmatched magnification range.
March Sport Optics
March optics are manufactured by the company DEON Optical Design. The company was established in 2004 and is headquartered in Central Japan. March has a lot of technical know-how and works closely with the target audience. The efforts certainly paid off handsomely over the years. This 8-80×56 model was released 12 years ago, yet it remains one of the highest-magnification riflescopes on the market.
March X Scopes
March’s X series scopes are one-of-a-kind due to their production process – all parts including the lenses, having been crafted solely in Japan. The ED lenses of this particular scope add an extra layer of excellence as they are constructed with extra-low dispersion glass which provides superior image quality. With its long history in field target and air rifle competitions, March’s X Series continues to be both renowned and celebrated for its exceptional performance.
Models in the March X Series:
Physical Properties
With March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP, you can rest assured that it is shockproof for all calibers – including .50 BMG. Plus, the entire housing is argon purged. This means that no matter how cold your environment gets, the internals will not fog up. The scope is totally waterproof down to 4 meters of depth! So don’t let any weather or terrain stop you from having a great experience with this rifle scope. Truly the ultimate choice when you need reliable optics in extreme conditions.
Rugged Construction
March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP is wholly made out of metal. There are no rubber parts anywhere on this riflescope. What’s special about the construction of March scopes is that the optical tube has reinforced walls that are 4mm thick. So there is a lot of material padded throughout the entire scope for increased durability or protection.
The main tube measures 34 millimeters in diameter. We mounted this scope with a premium quality 34mm Audere Adversus Monoblock Mount, which complements the overall design.
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Model Measurements
March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP is quite long. It has 407 millimeters and 845 grams, so it is more on the heavy side. The objective lens diameter is 56 millimeters, and the outside diameter of the objective is 64 millimeters.
Locking Eyepiece
The eyepiece has a great design and is finely adjustable, so you can perfectly fit this riflescope to your eyes. Another great feature is the ocular locking ring.
Once you adjust the March Tactical 8-80×56 eyepiece to your eyes, tighten the locking ring to secure the setting into place. With the locking ring the ocular is completely fixed in position, so there is no possibility of changing the fit during transportation or active use.
Magnification Ring
Let’s move on to the magnification properties of this March model. The maximal magnification is 80x and the minimal magnification possible is 8x. This makes March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP a true 10x zoom riflescope while the tube remains a pretty standard 34mm. This is a testament to March’s craftsmanship. Even with inclination, you’ll have no trouble finding the right scope mount for you.
MArch-X Throw Lever
The magnification ring has a typical knurled design. There is a two-piece throw lever included. It is nicely designed, with the March brand name engraved on the side. But the throw lever is also made completely out of plastic, which does not fit the quality of the riflescope. On the positive, the lever is easy to install. It fits perfectly on the magnification ring, and there is no wobbling whatsoever when you mount the lever.
Adjustable Side Parallax
Now, let’s take a look at the oversized March turrets. First, we have the side focus turret on the left side of the scope. This turret also houses the illumination dial.
The parallax setting of the March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP scope can be adjusted from 10 meters to infinity. It’s a big point in March’s favor that the distances begin that low. Too many expensive scopes with an adjustable parallax start at 20 or 50 meters, which doesn’t leave much room for close engagements.
The shooter can make an almost complete 360° degree rotation of the parallax turret when gliding through the entire adjustment range. So you can finetune the parallax perfectly to your target. This is especially valuable when taking part in field target and air rifle competitions where you have to measure your distance to the target using the parallax only.
March Large Focus Wheel
For added ease of use, we recommend March Large Focus Wheel in size 8.89cm (3.5 inches).
It attaches to the parallax knob with a zip tie—this is not the best solution in our opinion. The cable tie comes around the main tube.
What does this parallax wheel do? On the wheel, the shooter can write down the distances. From a shooter’s POV behind the scope, it’s easier to see the marks on the focus wheel than on the parallax dial itself. So with the help of this accessory, you can make a secure guess of the distance to your target when the target is in focus.
Get the Distance to Target Fast & Easy!
1/4 MOA or 1/8 MOA Clicks
The scope is available in 2 turret designs and 2 click values – 1/8 MOA or 1/4 MOA and with tactical or sport turrets. The 1/8 MOA version primarily caters to sport shooters who prefer low and capped turrets. To adjust the reticle position, you have to remove the screw-in caps. This is the model version we conducted most of out tests on for the review.
March turrets are known to have nice, audible clicks and this tactical scope is no exception. In one turret revolution, you get exactly 10 MOA of travel for easy calculations.
Here’s an interesting thing about March 8-80×56 turrets. While the clicks of your preferred model can be in 1/8 MOA or 1/4 MOA, the lines inscribed on the turret are always 1/4 MOA. With this design choice, March made sure that there are not too many lines packed close together. The dashes are wide enough that you can see the 1/8 MOA clicks placed between the 1/4 MOA lines. It’s an elegant solution and one that makes it easier for shooters to achieve great on-target accuracy.
Elevation Turret
The March 8-80×56 elevation turret is a multiturn turret to the max. You have 60 MOA of travel or 6 entire revolutions. The clicks feel great. They are very audible and tactile, giving you just enough of resistance. There is no click-skipping with this March turret.
There’s a downside to the multiturn design, though. There is unfortunately no mechanical turn indicator. When the turret is almost wholly pulled out, thin gold lines show at the base of the elevation turret. But this visible cue is hard to read. You can get lost between turret revolutions quite easily.
The elevation turret has a zero set function, which is a thin ring below the elevation turret that you can unscrew and move upward. When you’re on the range, simply align the zero set ring with your zero and retighten the screws.
Zeroing the turrets is an easy process. To begin, simply unscrew the middle part of the turret and carefully remove it. Then position your zero so that it faces in line with the ocular. When you are satisfied with the zero placement, re-insert the center portion of the turret back into its original compartment and screw both pieces together.
Windage Turret
Let’s take a closer look at the March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP windage turret. The clicks are very tactile and audible. The entire windage travel is 40 MOA. So if your zero is in the middle, you have 20 MOA of adjustment left and right.
This turret has a multi-turn design. You can move the windage turret 9 clicks left and 9 clicks right. When rotating left, you need to look at bigger digits that are printed in the middle. For right rotation, the numbers to follow have a smaller size and are inscribed closer to the turret knurls.
The turret has a visual turn indicator, that is, thin white lines perpendicular to click dashes. Pretty similar to the elevation turret. Again, March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP visual indicators are not the best guide. It’s not easy to see which turret turn you are in.
This windage turret is easy to zero. It is the same process as on the elevation turret. You just have to unscrew the middle part, make that the zero is facing towards the ocular, and screw all parts back in.
Optical Properties
The remarkable optical performance of the March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP riflescope is simply incredible, even at 80x magnification. While some clarity may be lost compared to a 60x enlargement, its maximum magnified image quality remains extraordinarily sharp and clear.
Magnification
With its 8x to 80x magnification, the March Optics tactical scope offers an astounding 10x zoom factor, a superior feature that has remained a marker of great technical excellence. There is no other riflescope of similar quality and specifications available on the market today, even 12 years after its release. March 8-80x-56 remains a lone wonder.
Eye Relief and the Eyebox
The eye relief is between 80 and 97 millimeters. This is enough room if you want to use March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP on high-recoiling rifles. So there is a lot of eye relief for your safety.
The eyebox is very comfortable at the smallest magnification, but also surprisingly good at 80x. No matter the magnification, you won’t experience any difficulty staying on target.
Field of View
The field of view of this scope at the base, 8x magnification is 4.36m/100. The minimal FOV at 80x magnification is 0.44m/100m.
Modifier Disc
When the user opens the product box, they will find a thin modifier disc included that easily screws into March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP objective thread.
The March modifier disc is an aluminum ring that reduces reflective light by 40% when a scope is used in bright sunlight. This same tool increases your depth of focus for enhanced accuracy and cuts down on the occurrence of mirages, making it an ideal accessory when the competition takes place in blazing heat under the sun.
The modifier disc is super lightweight and it does not have any lens inside. Since it weighs mere 7 grams, you won’t feel any difference in the scope. When the ambient light is getting scarce, remove the modifier disc. This is the only time you’ll notice that it darkens the view-through.
Reticle
March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP scope has the reticle positioned in the second focal plane. The reticle has the same proportions on all magnifications.
There are 6 illuminated reticles and 11 designs without illumination. This is a lot. There are not many rifle scopes manufacturers that offer such a wide selection of reticles in a single product.
Check out ALL March 8x-80x RETICLES!
The March 8-80×56 model we tested most for this review is the one with a 1/16 Dot reticle. The center dot is superfine.
Except for the MTR-5, all MTR reticles have illuminated floating lines in the center. MTR-5 design is different in that it has a dot-only illumination.
Scope Illumination
Moving on to the March 8-80×56 Tactical X-Scope illumination system. There are 6 intensity settings available. The battery compartment on the illuminated model is underneath the parallax turret cap. The illumination can be adjusted with the push of a soft-touch button. You need only one CR2032 battery for illumination.
March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP has an automatic illumination shut-down, which goes off after one hour.
Scope of Delivery
March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP comes with protective plastic covers, which are different from flip-up lens caps (also included in the box). Most likely you’ll only use them once – when transporting the scope still in the original packaging. The two flip-up lens covers are made from hard plastic, but they actually feel pretty nice. You get a sunshade, a hex wrench for adjusting the zero-stop position, and a lens cleaning cloth.
Finally, the user receives an owner’s manual with all the information you need about the scope. Here you’ll find some instructions on how you should mount March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP without causing any damage to the tube or the internals. Within the manual booklet, there’s a data sheet with all the tech specifications about the scope. In particular, we like that the manufacturer includes a detailed section on the reticle substensions.
Last but not least, the warranty slip. If anything happens, you can write down your contacts and a description of the issue. March also provides repairs for out-of-warranty products. Knock on wood, in many years of selling this brand, Optics Trade hasn’t had a single return of a March optic for repairs.
Looking for more March 8-80×56 Tactical accessories?
Pros
What do we like about this scope? A clear advantage of March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP is the magnification. It’s the only competition-oriented riflescope with such a high magnification on the market.
There are so many reticle options available that every user can find the perfect design for their needs. Most shooters will only use this scope during the day, making the reticle illumination a redundant extra feature. That’s why we appreciate that March also makes this scope without the illumination system. A good opportunity to save a few hundred bucks.
The turrets are smartly designed and reliable. Tactile and audible clicks are a must and March excels in this regard as well. The windage and elevation turrets are easy to set to zero and simple to operate. The same goes for the parallax adjustment. It’s pretty intuitive and starts at 10 meters.
We appreciate most needed accessories are supplied in the product box, so you don’t need additional buys to be action ready. Except for the right 34mm scope mount, obviously. But the inclusion of the flip-caps and sunshade goes a long way.
Pros Summary:
- 8-80x magnification
- 10x zoom factor
- 34mm tube with enforced walls
- reliable turrets
- accessories included
See the VIDEO REVIEW of March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP!
Cons
Although March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP is designed for sports shooting and users can easily go to the clicks needed, return to zero then count it back for another distance without issue; a mechanical turn indicator would significantly quicken its use. Unfortunately, however, this feature has not been included in the design of this scope – which is regrettable.
The second thing that left us a bit iffy is the weight. March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP is a pretty heavy scope at 845g grams. If you’re an F-Class shooter limited by weight, we suggest you look elsewhere. This scope in combination with F-Class target rifles will easily tip you over the 8.2kg limit.
Cons Summary:
- no mechanical turn indicator
- plastic throw lever
- on the heavy side
March Warranty
The warranty for this scope is 10 years. Most users will never need to validate the manufacturer’s guarantee because Optics Trade sold a lot of March scopes, and we didn’t get a single customer return in need of a repair.
March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP Price
At the lowest, March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP will cost you €3359. That’s the price for the base model in matte black without the illumination system. It’s available in 1/4 MOA or 1/8 clicks. For an upgraded scope variant with a nickel silver tube (+€120) and light-up reticle (+€240), the price can go up to €3719.
March X-Series riflescopes are produced at DEON Optical facility in Nagano-ken, Japan.
Final Thoughts on March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP
Overall, we are very impressed with the March Tactical 8-80×56 SFP riflescope. It is a well-built piece of equipment that is designed for the serious shooter. The magnification range is impressive, and the reticle options will satisfy even the most demanding user. The turrets are easy to use and reliable, making adjustments quick and simple. Although the weight may be an issue for some shooters, it’s still manageable compared to other scopes on the market. We highly recommend this March scope to anyone looking for a quality product that can handle any shooting situation.
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Photos
