Leupold CDS Dials..Your experience???

[MDGrand]

Just ordered a Leupold VX R 4-12x40 with the CDS Dials..

What is your experience with the CDS dials? Accurate? Dependable?

[landcbeitner]

I would steer guys away from and drop compensating turret (one exception would be varmint hunting when speed is more important than a perfectly placed shot). They are calibrated for a given load at a given altitude and given atmospheric condition. In their advertising they say it's based on your "average" temp, "average" elevation, etc. If we're just "averaging" all these important factors, we can just as easily "average" ourselves into an all out miss or at least a poorly placed shot.

I will develop a load for my rifle and run that same load through, until I've literally ruined the barrel. I use drop charts... and just like a custom knob my chart is calibrated for a given conditon/elevation/temp etc.... well over the life of that rifle I will print myself probably over 50 different drop charts for different hunting trips, or shooting matches etc. I would say that unless you want to order 50 different knobs.... stick with standard MOA or Mil turrets and print yourself CONFIRMED drop charts for your various outings with your rifle. Many barrels will increase muzzle velocity around 150 rounds and MV's can fall off some as throat erosion changes the pressure curve.... again you would have to get new knobs (turrets/dials). If you are simply after an "easy" way to shoot long range and don't care to go through the work involved in testing and calibrating your charts to match actual drops, you probably shouldn't shoot far enough that you would have to hold over or dial a knob anyway. JMHO

[JohnVH]

CDS is awesome, I know 5 people with them, and my dial will be here any day (for my VX3L), so far up to 800 yards they are dead on.

[Firing Pin]

I was sceptical at first, but kept researching and pulled the trigger on one 3 months ago.  I ordered the custom turret and received it 3 weeks later.  I verified my sight in POI and replaced the turret cap an started my testing.  I was VERY surprised with the results, my POI was at 100yds and I checked at 200yds using the CDS and it was spot on, I then turned it up to the max allowed 650yds and then turned it back to 100yds.  I did this 6 -8 times, then shot to check my POI at 100yds to see if the scope would hold the POI.  Sure enough the holes in the target were within MOA of the initial shots.  Now they are custom to the bullet and specifics that you provide Leupold, bullet type, coeffiency, velocity, average temp, and average altitude.  But they figure in a range for the temps and altitude which work for my hunting scenarios.  If you change loads or bullets it will cost you $50.00 to get another for each differant load.  I am very happy with mine and will my hunting partners that have the Boone & Crockett system are jealous with the ease and accuracy of the CDS.

[MDGrand]

Thanks for the info landcbeitner!

Well, it sounds like you have the access to shoot long range quite often. I wish I did!

I totally hear what you are saying, and I appreciate your advice.

I think that the dials actually will be a pretty good fit for me though. I do not go through nearly as many rounds as you do, and for the most part, hunt in the same spots. Investing in about 3-4 dials to compensate for elevation should be good enough. Besides the intial info you supply Leupold does have elevation and temp in the equation. Most of my hunts consist of being around the 2K foot mark and at the same time of year which makes temp pretty predictable.

And for me, I am really looking for a reliable 600 yard system and no more. According to most ballistic charts I have seen.. out to 600 yards the difference in POI drop in inches is miminal from around sea leavel to 2K feet.. Over 600 yards and above 3K feet... it changes pretty dramatically... and in those circumstances I would not mind investing in a couple more dials, I guess.

Now.. if I was shooting in matches than you are absolutely right.. but for hunting purposes, a little error is allowed for a clean effective kill at least out to the ranges and elevations I am accustomed to shooting at.

We will see.. hopefully it works out. So far, I have not been satisified with cross referencing ballistic data with hold over marks offered in reticles such as the Nikon BDC or Leupold B&C, etc.

[BULLBLASTER]

+1 landc. I will also.agree with the last post about "good enough for hunting to 500-600 yards. I have a 7mag with a Kenton knob on a Burris scope and am very confident to 500 in different weather and.elevations. but I know how many clicks to.add or subtract. I am keeping a moa knob on my ultra because of.the differences of.elevation and weather. And use a ballistic calculator in my phone that is confirmed to 800+

[Fl0und3rz]

This is pretty handy for rough trajectories useful for hunting without CDS, if you just want some averages for a particular load. There are other more sophisticated utilities there, too.  This is nice because it has a library of bullets from which you can select your chosen bullet.

http://www.jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmtraj-5.1.cgi

[landcbeitner]

I'm sure Leupold uses an excellent ballistic program to calibrate the knobs so I wouldn't worry about that too much, just confirm (good info in = good info out)... If you practice enough you'll be fine to moderate ranges like you mentioned. I'm a huge Leupold Mk IV fan and I would guess they are similar or possibly the same internals?? Just practice, practice, practice.... I know of a good place you can get some good longer range practice that's about 2500 feet above sea level (send PM for specifics).

[Huntbear]

Brother put one on his .338 this year.  Did the sighting in, then ran it out to 550 yds. according to the rangefinder, and dialed the scope to same distance.  Two shots within 6 in. of each other on the horizontal.... both within 1 in. of center on the vertical...  Pretty darn good if you ask me.

[JohnVH]

custom turrett for my VX-3L just arrived 

[sirmissalot]

I would steer guys away from and drop compensating turret (one exception would be varmint hunting when speed is more important than a perfectly placed shot). They are calibrated for a given load at a given altitude and given atmospheric condition. In their advertising they say it's based on your "average" temp, "average" elevation, etc. If we're just "averaging" all these important factors, we can just as easily "average" ourselves into an all out miss or at least a poorly placed shot.

I will develop a load for my rifle and run that same load through, until I've literally ruined the barrel. I use drop charts... and just like a custom knob my chart is calibrated for a given conditon/elevation/temp etc.... well over the life of that rifle I will print myself probably over 50 different drop charts for different hunting trips, or shooting matches etc. I would say that unless you want to order 50 different knobs.... stick with standard MOA or Mil turrets and print yourself CONFIRMED drop charts for your various outings with your rifle. Many barrels will increase muzzle velocity around 150 rounds and MV's can fall off some as throat erosion changes the pressure curve.... again you would have to get new knobs (turrets/dials). If you are simply after an "easy" way to shoot long range and don't care to go through the work involved in testing and calibrating your charts to match actual drops, you probably shouldn't shoot far enough that you would have to hold over or dial a knob anyway. JMHO

Well said. People underestimate how complicated things get when you're shooting long range. TV shows like Best of the West aren't helping. Shooting 1,000 yards at a live animal isn't easy, I don't care if you have a Huskemaw scope and a 1/2 MOA rifle.

[deleted BGS]

How would you sight your gun in? You sight it in before you get the cds dial? Do the dials screw on to the elevation dial? Can you take it off to sight it in?

[JohnVH]

you can sight it in before or after, doesnt matter, it just has yardage on it that you tell them to start at.  Its just a dial calibrated to your load.

[JPhelps]

Its just a dial calibrated to your load.

At a certain elevation, certain temperature, humidity and  pressure.

[JohnVH]

yep, so figure out the average of the places you go to, and order it that way. works great!