The Best Scope for Moose Hunting

Click here to see the Best Scopes for Moose Hunting in 2017!

moose hunting scopeWhile many hunters want to travel to chase whitetails and elk, the moose is certainly right up there as a common animal to hunt. If you want to be a great moose hunter, you should know all the tips and tricks into bagging a quality bull, including what sort of scope you should use for effective moose hunting.

It’s hard to narrow down the best scope for moose hunting, but here are some eight popular candidates you should definitely try out. With the right scope in your arsenal, not only will you find and see more moose, you’ll also get closer to them and, in the right circumstances, harvest a moose of a lifetime.

Reviews for the Best Scopes for Moose Hunting 

  1. Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x40mm Duplex, Matte

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars from over 6 customers. Click the image for prices and reviews!

    Leupold VX-3 3.5-10×40 mm Rifle Scope: The Leupold VX-3 3.5-10×40 mm Rifle Scope most certainly falls within the ideal specs for hunting and long-range sniping, with its 3.5x to 10x magnification (usually the average is 3x to 9x, but a little leeway and extra magnification doesn’t hurt, especially if it allows you to aim better).

Aside from getting the best scope for hunting moose possible, you should also call the moose in close before making your shot since these four-legged antlered animals can run away quite fast.

At 3.5x, it’s a decent close-range magnification for scouting rifle use that’s not affected by excessive upper-level magnification. 

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  1. UTG 3-9x32 Compact CQB Bug Buster AO RGB Scope with Med. Picatinny Rings, 2" Sunshade

    Rated 4.3 out of 5 stars from over 403 customers. Click the image for prices and reviews!

    Leapers UTG 3-9×32 Compact CQB Bug Buster Rifle Scope w/ Rings & Sunshade: You will notice a lot of either 1x to 3x scout riflescopes and 3x to 9x average scopes on this list because excessive magnification in scopes tend to make its lower magnifications out of focus.

Around 9x is enough for the best moose hunting scope around, like the Leapers UTG 3-9×32 Compact CQB Bug Buster Rifle Scope, which even comes complete with sunshade to protect it from glare and rings to make it easier to mount.

You should also remember that drive-by shooting isn’t the way to bag yourself a moose. Hunt like the hunter that you are.

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  1. Burris 200437 MTAC 1-4 x 24 Illuminated Scope (Black)

    Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars from over 50 customers. Click the image for prices and reviews!

    Burris MTAC Ballistic CQ Riflescope – 1-4x24mm: You should get out of your car and get a scouting rifle that’s equipped with the likes of the Burris 1-4x24mm 200437 MTAC Ballistic CQ Riflescope.

At 1x to 4x, you’ll be blessed with close-range clarity that keeps you from mistaking brown foliage for moose.

A scouting scope is the best moose hunting rifle scope because it enables you to get up close and personal with the moose and shoot it efficiently without giving it the chance to run away.

To increase your chances of bagging a real beaut that you can hang on your wall, go hunt where the moose live.

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  1. Leupold VX-3 2.5-8x36mm Duplex, Matte

    Rated 4.6 out 5 stars from 4 customers. Click the image for prices and reviews!

    Leupold VX-3 2.5-8x36mm Riflescope: Here’s another scope that has a decent 2.5x to 8x range that’s pretty close to the average 3x to 9x range.

This is perfect for hunting moose at long range to hurt them enough to not be able to run away, or short range and even pointblank range to give them their coup de grace.

This is a best scope for moose candidate because it’s a universal-usage kind of scope with a decently sized 36-millimeter objective (since it has a slightly lowered range compared to 3x to 9x scopes) and you can shoot far and maintain accuracy with up to 8x magnification.

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  1. Acog 3.5 X 35 Scope Dual Illuminated Chevron .223 Ballistic Reticle, Red

    Rated 4.2 out of 5 stars from 7 customers. Click the image for prices and reviews!

    Trijicon ACOG 3.5×35 Rifle Scope – Chevron BAC .223 Flattop Reticle with Flat Top AdapterAn ACOG from Trijicon is always an excellent choice because these Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight scopes are military-grade tools that’s a perfect fit for your hunting needs.

And it even comes with a free Gerber Suspension Multi-Plier (an open-frame multi-tool with spring-loaded pliers) for mounting and dismantling. Just remember that moose usually live away from human traffic when you’re hunting it with this 3.5x fixed magnification and 35-millimeter ACOG scope that’s great for close-range, super-accurate engagement. read-full-review-button

  1. Leupold VX-2 3-9x40mm Rifle Scope, Matte Black, Duplex Reticle 110797

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars from over 32 customers. Click the image for prices and reviews!

    Leupold VX-2 3-9x40mm Rifle Scope: This version of the Leupold VX-2 is more general use than specialized like the typical 1x to 4x scope with a 20-millimeter objective lens.

The beauty of this variant compared to the Leupold VX-2 1-4x20mm Rifle Scope is the fact that you can do much more with this in case the moose attempts to flee if you’ve missed your close-range shot.

When hunting for moose, you should concentrate on one area so that when they run, you know where they’re headed and you can finish them off with your up to 9x magnification Leupold scope and rifle.

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  1. Nikon ProStaff 3-9 x 40 Black Matte Riflescope (BDC)

    Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars from over 325 customers. Click the image for prices and reviews!

    Nikon 3-9×40 Prostaff Rifle Scope w/ BDC Reticle: This is probably one of the best, cost-effective, and all-around hunting scopes that could even double as a long-range sniping rifle thanks to its reliability and its multicoated lenses that are well-known for their light maximization capabilities.

Since hunting moose requires you to take wind to your advantage, use the built-in Nikon Prostaff windage indicator to detect the direction of the air flow to make your every shot count despite wind resistance interrupting the flow of your bullet, making it fall off the mark.

Thanks to its moisture-protection, you can also hunt with it near lakes and ponds during breeding season. 

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  1. Bushnell AR Optics FFP Illuminated BTR-1 BDC Reticle AR-223 Riflescope with Target Turrets

    Rated 4.4 out of 5 stars from over 195 customers. Click the image for prices and reviews!

    Bushnell AR Optics 1-4x24mm Riflescope w/ Throw Down PCL: Because moose go near water and sources of food, you should have optics as advanced as the Bushnell AR Optics 1-4x24mm Riflescope w/ Throw Down PCL to make sure your scope is protected from moisture and is clear enough to spot potential grazing fields that moose tend to frequent.

This scouting rifle optic is also ideal when you’re hunting alone, away from traffic and roads as well as other hunters due to its Throw Down PCL that allows for lightning quick changes and accurate holdovers out to 500 yards with this dependable scope.

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The Verdict

While getting the right scope—either a mid-range to long-range 3x-9x scope or a close-range 1x-4x scouting riflescope—is essential for moose-hunting success, the cliché saying of “It’s not how big (good) it is, it’s how you use it!” applies here as well.

You should know all the tips when it comes to moose hunting to make full effective use of your guns and optics, like the fact that you shouldn’t setup camp near a moose population since your noise and smell can chase away your prey. Use common sense and research the full capabilities of your scope before going hunting for moose.

Click here to see the Best Scopes for Deer Hunting in 2017!