Medium range optic for moose hunting

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Shep546

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I'm looking at a medium range optic for moose hunting. I am throwing it on a Tikka t3 Lite in .300wsm.

As some of you know sometimes the moose are close in the scrub and sometimes they are way across a bog... so I need something that will work well close up and out to 400 yards.

I would like to keep the price around $600-$800 if possible... what is the best bang for its buck? I'm probably looking at something with 16x mag tops.

Cheers
 
A scope somewhere in the 3-9 magnification range will be plenty to get you out to 400 yards but still give you a decent sight picture at close range to harvest your swamp donkey.
 
3-9 Zeiss Terra or Bushnell Elite 4500 would be my choice in that price range. I would probably lean towards the Bushnell as I find they have a better FOV than the Zeiss.
 
I have a fixed 3x Leupold on my 9.3mm. Very rugged scope and I never have to worry about it being on the wrong power. Field of view is open enough for close shots, but still with enough magnification to hit a large-ish target at long-ish range. I once took out a coyote with it at 200 yds.
 
For a compact lightweight variable power scope with good clarity and brightness, maybe consider the Leupold VX-3 1.5-5x20mm -

9.3x74R%20Ruger%20No.1-S_zpso8r7ep1l.jpg

9.3x74R Ruger No.1-S

Maybe not as pretty and elegant as the VX-3, but the Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 1.75-5x32mm has proven to be a surprisingly decent scope so far for about one-third the price, and when set on 5x it should be brighter than the VX-3 at 5x because it has a wider objective. Eye relief is more generous too. However, parallax is set for 75 yards.

45-70_No1_Bushnell_1.75-5x20mm_zpswjmh89sz.jpg

.45-70 Ruger No.1-S
 
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Shep546 said:
I'm looking at a medium range optic for moose hunting. I am throwing it on a Tikka t3 Lite in .300wsm.

As some of you know sometimes the moose are close in the scrub and sometimes they are way across a bog... so I need something that will work well close up and out to 400 yards.

I would like to keep the price around $600-$800 if possible... what is the best bang for its buck? I'm probably looking at something with 16x mag tops.

Cheers
Click to expand...

2.5-8x Leupold is your best bet.
 
For what it's worth I am no longer living out east and am very far north.

I would like to get something with a little more magnification in case I go after caribou on the tundra or something across the lakes in the winter.

I think I am going with the Zeiss HD5 Conquest 2-10x42... on sale right now for $1000 and Zeiss is offering a $200 rebate.
 
Shep546 said:
For what it's worth I am no longer living out east and am very far north.

I would like to get something with a little more magnification in case I go after caribou on the tundra or something across the lakes in the winter.

I think I am going with the Zeiss HD5 Conquest 2-10x42... on sale right now for $1000 and Zeiss is offering a $200 rebate.
Click to expand...

42mm scopes suck. Too high and too awkward. Go ahead, its a good scope, but it's not necessary.
 
VX3 in 3.5-10 x 40. B&C reticle. Its very hard to find a hunting situation that this won't work in and not be a first class choice. You could save an ounce and get a little trimmer scope with a 2.5-8 or a few bucks by going to a 3-9 VX2. What you're trying to do isn't all that complicated, you just need a solid general purpose scope that isn't broken at the end of the day.

I like a 15ish power scope just as much as the next guy and have many of them. I've come to accept that scopes at these power ranges really should have adjustable objectives, which is fine with me because I've been playing with this stuff for so long that it is second nature. Just ask yourself if you're the kind of guy who would rather just go hunting or play with your scope? If the latter, the VX3 LR 4.5-14 is very good. I've actually got one on my own .300 WSM. Any advantage it has is more for playing at the range than anything else, but playing at the range is pretty much what I do.
 
I like good glass and am willing to pay for it. However, after years of field testing I settled on the Leupold Vari-XIII 2.5-8X and later VX3 2.5-8X for my moose and woodland caribou rifles. Great quality glass, good light gathering, very robust, without unneeded extra bulk and weight. Over the years, I found that most of the time my variable power scopes were left at 3-4X 90% of the time. Therefore, all that extra weight and power that comes with a high power variable scope was unnecessary. When an occasional longer range shot presented, the 8X sufficed. If I wasn't 100% comfortable taking the shot I passed and tried to get closer. Best of luck! :)
 
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