Leupold VX-3 4.5 x 14 x 40 CDS Dial Help

[SeatoSummit88]

Does anyone else have this scope with the CDS dial mounted?

I am wondering if I did my ballistics calculations correctly. Won't be able to shoot until another week or so, but would like to make sure that the numbers I used were accurate.

Drop (inches) Divided by MOA Times 4  = closes whole number for # of clicks (1/4 inch per click)

My example: altitude set 500 feet. Avg temp 50. wind 5-10. 
shooting 180 grn Federal Premium trophy bonded tips. 2960 muzzle velos.   .474 coefficient
100 yds sight in.

Says that 200 yards: Drop= -3.1
                               MOA= -1.5
3.1 / 1.5 = 2.06 (round to 2) Multiply by 4 = 8..    So 8 clicks Up would get me dialed at 200 yards.


Did I do this correctly.

[headshot5]

Something is off with your calculation.


Here is how i do the math...  It's a little easier with a sketch, but bear with me. 

I always take my drop at distance and change it from inches to inches per hundred yards and then factor in that one click at 100 yards is 1/4" (depending on the scope).

Example...

so similar numbers to yours assumed at 500 yards gives you something like 46.5" of drop.

So take that and divide it to make inches per 100 yards.  So at 500 yards is 5, 100 yard increments  So in this case it would be

46.5 inches/5 = 9.3" per 100 yards. 

Take that 9.3" at 100 yards and multiply it by 4 as there are 4 clicks to an inch at 100 yards.

That gives you 37.2 clicks.   So 37 clicks is what you dial at 500 yards.  You can check your math with the following....  At 500 yards each click is 1.25" (that is .25" multiplied by 5) so 37 clicks * 1.25" gives you 46.25".     


In your 200 yard example it would be as follows.

   
3.1"/2 = 1.55 inches/hundred yards.   1.55 X 4 = 6.2 clicks.   so 6 clicks.   If you consider that a click at 200 yards is twice as big as it is at 100 yards and you dial 6 clicks  X .5" per click gives you 3 inches at 200 yards which is your drop. 

Let me know if that is confusing.  without a sketch the math is a little hard to explain.

[SeatoSummit88]

I got a F****'n  D in Math...So you could be easily explaining it to me, but you are correct...If I don't see it physically I am slow to learn...

I feel like I am close... I watched a youtube video from a guy who was dialing in the same scope, but, diff ballistics due to using noslers...

Maybe we can touch base separately from here and you could send me a photo of your chart?

I went on Leupold's site, loaded my data and it provided drop in inches (for 100 yd sight in).. MOA.... MIL... and other info.

The guy online said you want to take  your Drop Divide it by MOA and  then take that number and multiply it by 4, because of the 1/4 inch click rule. (my Leupold scope carries that rule, 1 click is 1/4 inch)

 

[spoonman]

Is the muzzle velocity  verified or is that the stated velocity on the ammo box? If you are going off the box you are most likely going to off from the get go.

[SeatoSummit88]

dang it. Yeah it's from the box. But what's interesting is that Leupold didn't ask me that, however that number ended up on my return email with the general info.

[spoonman]

So not sure what round you are shooting or what rifle and what length barrel but that all makes a difference and no two rifles shoot the same velocity so verifying the velocity is crucial when it come to the CDS dials or dialing a regular dial for that matter.

[X-Force]

Is this an in graved CDS with your ballistics or the turret that comes with the scope?

As spoonman stated if you use box ballistics your going to be off.

Personally I would zero at 200 then your 100 would be a negligible difference.

Lots of guys on here with better expertise than me.

Correct answer to your question is 6. MOA increases as distance increases roughly 100=1/4” 200 1/2” 300 3/4” 400 1”.

[SeatoSummit88]

Oh man! I'm kind of freaking out right now. I need this to shoot straight for me come late season. What do I need to do? Spoonman or anyone else. Willing to pay or throw beer or whatever you need to help me out so I can learn the correct way. I have been doing this all myself, as I don't have anyone I know that uses dials and usually hunting solo...

Shooting Tikka T3 Lite.  In 300 Win Mag.  Blued Barrel. Muzzle Break.
              Federal Premium: Trophy Bonded Tip  180 Grain Round.
Leupold VX3 4.5 14 40

Dial was etched with round, elevation, temp, etc.

Dial starts with 1 and highest is 6.  hashes inbetween.

My cell is 360 591 5004, if there is anyone willing to help straighten me out, man I'd be grateful.
I live right down the road from Kenmore Gun Range.

Matt

[BULLBLASTER]

When you get to shoot zero at 100 yards. Then work out to 400-500 watching for elevation of impacts. Use the dial markers as a starting point then correct as neccesary. If its off a bit just sight in at the furthest range you can. It will be off a bit closer but less than of it was zeroed closer.

Its easier to just think in moa instead of inches but that isnt so easy without an moa reticle

[Harleysboss]

Matt, good luck. Hope our phone conversation cleared things up for you. Aim small miss small!!

[Stein]

You shouldn't have had the dial made until you verified your velocity and drop.  But, you did so I would work with that.  The numbers on your dial are the yardages from 100 to 600.

I would take it to the range, dial it to 1 and then zero that in at 100.  Then, dial to 200 and shoot at 200 to make sure it's on.  Then, go to 300....until you run out of room at the range.

If you gave them the velocity off the box and the correct bullet info you should be close, but how close is unknown until you check it out.  Leupold makes them based on the info you give them so if you give them good info they will send you a dial with good numbers.

Also keep in mind the dial is for a particular elevation, temperature, bullet and muzzle velocity.  If you change any of those the dial won't be on.  Them more you change the more it will be off.

[SeatoSummit88]

Appreciate everyone's feedback! Brett, I appreciate you giving me a call. I feel way more confident now. The best thing I can go do is sight in. Kenmore is 100 yard max, so ill have to find a place that stretches out to 300 yds or more..If anyone has suggestions of places/ logging roads/ fs roads that are within 45 min or so of the Bothell area, please let me know!

[highside74]

Good thing is they can always make you a new dial just not for free. A 200 yard zero would be much more appropriate for a 300 and knowing the actual velocity of your gun before ordering the dial will be way more accurate.  Good luck

[SeatoSummit88]

Thanks highside for the advice as well. I have heard a couple of people mention my Zero @ 200, rather than 100. You are correct, worse case scenario is that I have Leupold make me another dial. I might need to do that, maybe after this season. I'll put some rounds down range and see what happens beforehand

[Stein]

For a stock dial that has a zero stop, I would zero at 100.  You can easily dial to 200 yards, but if you zero at 200 yards you can't dial to anything less.  So, if you have a zero at 200 and the animal is at 100 you have to mentally know where to aim as you can't dial anything under 200.

With a CDS dial, there really isn't a "zero" as there is no zero on the turret like there traditionally is with a normal dial.  You dial for whatever yardage you want to shoot.  The first number is usually "1" and that is where the stop is set, so you can go up but not down.

[jkononen]

Do you still have the original MOA dial? I'd put that on, re zero your dial to your loads. Take 100fps off your dope to account for the box fps is always high. Then download strelok on your phone to get a drop chart and just use MOA for this year.

[Pathfinder101]

Headshot is correct with his math.  HOWEVER... as was also said, you never know what your actual "clicks" are on YOUR rifle until you start shooting.  The guys who are super good at math can probably get everything correct mathematically before they start shooting.  I never can.  I even use a ballistics app, and my "clicks" are never exactly the same as the app.  I start with my fuzzy-math as a starting point, but then make adjustments to my dope at each yardage.  For instance, my ballistics app tells me that I should be 12 clicks up at 300 yards.  I put on 12 clicks and shoot.  Nope, shooting high.  Click down 2 clicks.  Dead on.  I make a note that my rifle shoots 10 clicks at 300 yards.  Now I move on to the 400...

[highside74]

Not to thread jack from his original questions but for hunting scenarios 200 all day.

With a 200-yard zero the .300 Winchester’s bullet will be about 3 inches below the line of sight at 250 yards. So from zero to 250 yards the bullet is never more than 1.86 inches above or 3 inches below the line of sight. On big game this means you can hold on the center of the chest and you will hit the kill zone if you do your job. Even at 300 yards the bullet is only 7.3 inches below the line of sight. If you hold slightly high, but still on the critter—on hair not air—you will hit vitals.

[Pathfinder101]

Also, I have the 50mm version of this same scope on one of my 7mm's.  My ballistics turret "starts" with a 200 yard zero (I think...this may be me not totally understanding the numbers on the dial...).  You may have better luck with a 200 yard zero than with a 100 yard zero 

[jkononen]

I'd like to put a disclaimer and say I wouldn't go past 4-500 yards with what I just recommended

[Stein]

Not to thread jack from his original questions but for hunting scenarios 200 all day.

With a 200-yard zero the .300 Winchester’s bullet will be about 3 inches below the line of sight at 250 yards. So from zero to 250 yards the bullet is never more than 1.86 inches above or 3 inches below the line of sight. On big game this means you can hold on the center of the chest and you will hit the kill zone if you do your job. Even at 300 yards the bullet is only 7.3 inches below the line of sight. If you hold slightly high, but still on the critter—on hair not air—you will hit vitals.

That is a proven method for sure, find the yardage you are comfortable with "missing" at and not touch the dials.  It isn't completely accurate the way many think though.   At 300 yards in the example, the point of aim is 7.3 inches off, the point of impact is 7.3 plus whatever deviation is due to the shooter and bullet consistency.  So, if you and your gun/bullet are capable of 1 MOA, at 300 yards in the scenario you mentioned, you might be 10.3 inches off.  Essentially, whatever group you shoot is offset 7.3 inches but there is still the group which means the actual impact might be high or low of that.

I virtually always dial because it's one less thing for my mind to process.  At X yards, is my actual impact high or low?  Under the scope's zero it isn't always common sense depending on the load and zero.  I want to be 100% at ease when I pull the trigger and not worrying about whether I need to aim high or low or it doesn't matter.  I want to be totally focused on making my shot fall within as small of an MOA group as I can.

That said, tons of animals are killed by guys who never touch the turret or don't have field adjustable turrets.  Either way can work, it just makes sense to understand the system and it's strengths and weaknesses.

[headshot5]

Headshot is correct with his math.  HOWEVER... as was also said, you never know what your actual "clicks" are on YOUR rifle until you start shooting.  The guys who are super good at math can probably get everything correct mathematically before they start shooting.  I never can.  I even use a ballistics app, and my "clicks" are never exactly the same as the app.  I start with my fuzzy-math as a starting point, but then make adjustments to my dope at each yardage.  For instance, my ballistics app tells me that I should be 12 clicks up at 300 yards.  I put on 12 clicks and shoot.  Nope, shooting high.  Click down 2 clicks.  Dead on.  I make a note that my rifle shoots 10 clicks at 300 yards.  Now I move on to the 400...

Yeah I always do the math and then verify by shooting to tweak my drop charts.   I would always recommend doing all of that before having a custom dial built.   The math is a just a quick way to get in the ball park.

Personally in the OP's situation.  I would run the math for his load out to 600 yards or whatever the 15 MOA on the dial will get him too (Personally I would use a 200 yard  zero).  Put the MOA dial back on the scope.  Make a drop chart that gets you out to one revolution.   Shoot to verify it's correct and make any changes as needed to the drop chart. 

Add a zero stop to your MOA dial doing something similar to this https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/7925259/re-leupold-cds-moa-zero-stop-how-to      

Call it a day.  Note you will have to keep a copy of your drop chart with you.  Or taped to your gun.

Or spend the money to get a new dial built once you verify your drop chart.   

[SeatoSummit88]

What does Leupold charge to have another dial made?  Nice they include a complimentary one with your scope purchase at first haha (but there I went making one with potentially the wrong info, lol).

I think this is what I'm going to do (per Brett's suggestions): Work with what I have right now, close to home, get some answers first: Kenmore Gun Range 100 Yards. Sand bag and Secure my rifle as best as possible. Have my dial lined up on the 1 Hash Mark and hold steady on the bullseye. Put a couple rounds down range and see where i'm at. If I am on at 100, bring out a blank paper target and mark center of the paper about 1 inch above the bottom, this would be my makeshift bullseye for 100. Next click the dial to the 3 Hash, and shoot. How far up am I from my "bullseye" mark? So on and so forth.

I think the easiest way to solve my problem this hunting season is to call the buck under 100 yards and take him. 

[headshot5]

According to the website https://www.leupold.com/dials.   It is $80 for additional CDS dials.  It'll just depend on if that price is worth it to you. 

[7mmfan]

Realistically bud, the chances of taking a 300+ yard shot are pretty minimal on blacktail. Most clearcuts in this area offer about 200 yards max in any direction. With a 300 win mag, you're only dropping about 10" at 300 yards so you're still shooting center of mass and hitting the animal. Just make sure you're on at 100 and make 300 your max. Don't worry about the dial until after the season when you have time to get everything figured out. Thats my 

[SeatoSummit88]

Appreciate it!

$80 to me is not a problem; if it means I have a dial that is accurate and true to specs, I'll have the right tool in the field!

7MM, I also agree. Not planning on shooting an animal over 300 yards...Although my gun is capable, I am not comfortable with that distance yet. This year 300 yards would be the max I need to sight out to.

[HntnFsh]

Wouldnt you be looking at only about an inch or inch and a half going from 200 to 100 yards. Seems like almost a dead hold with no need to dial down to me.

[SeatoSummit88]

I'd like to thank everyone for their opinions and thoughts! I took an hour and some minutes to head over to Kenmore Range this morning. I put 10 rounds down range...Splitting up 5 and 5 on each cease fire to let barrel cool between shots. First few flinched and were off bullseye by about 2 inches.  Settled down and parked 3 within 1/2 inch of each other just on the bottom corner of the bullseye.  Next segment was almost the same... Feeling good with 100 dialed in! Scope CDS was at Hash Mark #1....   I'm contemplating going to Ravensdale and shooting on Cascade Shooting Facilities 200 yard range for their open to public Halloween Opener. I'd like to reach out to 200 and 300 before the opener.  May have to find a forest service road or somewhere that has some distance.  Anyone shot at CSF before?

[h20hunter]

In a perfect world find a member here that can get you on the line down by Everson.....I'm blanking on the range.  Dope your rig out to 550ish and can shoot bench or prone.

Worked for me.

[SeatoSummit88]

H20, appreciate that!  Would love to connect with anyone on here that could have me tag along. May post elsewhere if this thread becomes a quiet corner.

[spin05]

I'd like to thank everyone for their opinions and thoughts! I took an hour and some minutes to head over to Kenmore Range this morning. I put 10 rounds down range...Splitting up 5 and 5 on each cease fire to let barrel cool between shots. First few flinched and were off bullseye by about 2 inches.  Settled down and parked 3 within 1/2 inch of each other just on the bottom corner of the bullseye.  Next segment was almost the same... Feeling good with 100 dialed in! Scope CDS was at Hash Mark #1....   I'm contemplating going to Ravensdale and shooting on Cascade Shooting Facilities 200 yard range for their open to public Halloween Opener. I'd like to reach out to 200 and 300 before the opener.  May have to find a forest service road or somewhere that has some distance.  Anyone shot at CSF before?

Plantation range just south of Bellingham goes to 300 yards.   https://www.whatcomcounty.us/1931/Plantation-Rifle-Range

[Tkales]

Buy the strelok pro app. All your questions will be solved.

[Sakko300wsm]

Buy the strelok pro app. All your questions will be solved.

I definitely second this over dial up - StrelokPro is the way to go