Leupold CDS

[Hydra6]

in this world there are framers and there are finish carpenters. CDS is for framers.

Fair enough.

 

[FLHunter87]

in this world there are framers and there are finish carpenters. CDS is for framers.

Lol. Then move along your majesty.

 

[rookieforever33]

in this world there are framers and there are finish carpenters. CDS is for framers.

True. But most of us can live more comfortably in a house with no trim, than trim with no house.

 

[SDHNTR]

True. But most of us can live more comfortably in a house with no trim, than trim with no house.

That’s a pretty good comeback. Bravo!

 

[SDHNTR]

Serious question(s)…. What do you CDS guys do when you hunt different regions? Climate, altitude, etc? Order multiple turrets? And what do you do when you have to change ammo? Get a new turret cut?

Does saving that split second to not glance at your stock really outweigh the flexibility of a moa/mils turret? Or am I missing some other “advantage”?

I could almost see some small benefit of saving .25 seconds if you never travelled to hunt, and only handloaded so you could control consistency, but in my experience, CDS users usually shoot box ammo. And every one I’ve ever asked these questions of personally, has no answers and just goes deer in the headlights.

 

[rookieforever33]

Nobody that is really versed in ballistics really believes it is the perfect solution. It is just a fast way to get pretty close. No different than guys that say quick drop in mils is close enough out so far.

 

[SDHNTR]

Nobody that is really versed in ballistics really believes it is the perfect solution. It is just a fast way to get pretty close. No different than guys that say quick drop in mils is close enough out so far.

Do they really say that, or do they not know what they don’t know?

 

[Capt.Gene]

It's quite a bit quicker than an app, assuming you have the parameters correct for your conditions correct on the dial. If temps and elevations are changing a lot, it's not great. If large angles are a thing, it's pretty bad.
I used to get dials made, now I use the factory dials and tape a small piece of paper to the stock for that hunt. Costs nothing and is accurate.

How is dialing any different that using a dope paper for altitude and wind, knowing that I always hold for wind? I am in my learning mode, no disrespect intended.

 

[Capt.Gene]

Does your scope also have a BDC reticle that can be used for quick shots out to around 500 yds?
Personally I don't want to be fooling around with an app when trying to put an animal down. I've seen a number of lost opportunities to even send it because guys couldn't get data from their app quick enough.
I have had very good success dialing yardage for quite a few years with my Huskemaw. I currently have a turret showing yardage for quicker shots and moa for more precision at longer distance on my 7PRC. It works great!

I agree with your thoughts here. I enjoy the dope dialing but maybe I loose my opportunity doing it .

 

[Capt.Gene]

Serious question(s)…. What do you CDS guys do when you hunt different regions? Climate, altitude, etc? Order multiple turrets? And what do you do when you have to change ammo? Get a new turret cut?

Does saving that split second to not glance at your stock really outweigh the flexibility of a moa/mils turret? Or am I missing some other “advantage”?

I could almost see some small benefit of saving .25 seconds if you never travelled to hunt, and only handloaded so you could control consistency, but in my experience, CDS users usually shoot box ammo. And every one I’ve ever asked these questions of personally, has no answers and just goes deer in the headlights.

I will be hunting with a dial on a rifle with no real selection options on the ammo.
I think the altitude window for the dial is 4000’ so I personally don’t see an issue, but a cheap solution might be to install printed tape over the CDS.

 

[Hydra6]

Do they really say that, or do they not know what they don’t know?

I shoot PRS. I dial every weekend, run the Kestrel etc. A CDS equipped Leupold VX6 2-12 works great for harvesting deer/antelope from 75 to 350ish yards. If was trying to engage at 600 to 1000, I would use a scope with a MIL based elevation dial and a Kestrel.

It works for what it is designed to do. The guys I hunt with 1) do not shoot competitively, 2) do not understand ballistics well enough to use ballistic apps, 3) will not practice, 4) zero rifle right before season (good enough). Based on my last trip to New Mexico harvesting antelope, that "hunter does not put much effort into shooting skills" seems common.

 

[SDHNTR]

I shoot PRS. I dial every weekend, run the Kestrel etc. A CDS equipped Leupold VX6 2-12 works great for harvesting deer/antelope from 75 to 350ish yards. If was trying to engage at 600 to 1000, I would use a scope with a MIL based elevation dial and a Kestrel.

It works for what it is designed to do. The guys I hunt with 1) do not shoot competitively, 2) do not understand ballistics well enough to use ballistic apps, 3) will not practice, 4) zero rifle right before season (good enough). Based on my last trip to New Mexico harvesting antelope, that "hunter does not put much effort into shooting skills" seems common.

That was a rhetorical question, but I think you nailed it.

 

[SDHNTR]

I agree with your thoughts here. I enjoy the dope dialing but maybe I loose my opportunity doing it .

No one uses an app when hunting.

 

[JGRaider]

If you're changing loads/bullets/etc there's this thing called Custom Turret Systems......tough, inexpensive, and they work as long as you feed in proper data, which is true for whatever system you're using. Not near as big of a deal as some make it out to be. IME, CDS works fine out to 600 or so. I don't dial it much anymore though, as I've gravitated to 7-08, 6.5CM, suppressed.