Leupold CDS

[Kotaman]

So you guys have pretty much scared me out of any more CDS scopes. In fact, I'm thinking of getting rid of the one's I have! I have a VX3 Varmegedon that can be spot on at 100 yards and 8 inches high when dialed to 200! I don't even know how that is possible...

 

[Brodie]

But Jim Shockey trusts his life to his leupolds and we can too!!


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[mtmuley]

So you guys have pretty much scared me out of any more CDS scopes. In fact, I'm thinking of getting rid of the one's I have! I have a VX3 Varmegedon that can be spot on at 100 yards and 8 inches high when dialed to 200! I don't even know how that is possible...

PM me if you liquidate your Leupolds. mtmuley

 

[luke moffat]

So you guys have pretty much scared me out of any more CDS scopes. In fact, I'm thinking of getting rid of the one's I have! I have a VX3 Varmegedon that can be spot on at 100 yards and 8 inches high when dialed to 200! I don't even know how that is possible...

HAHA...thats where I am at...only have two left to sell now....anyone wanna buy a VX-2 3-9x40 w/CDS, and a VX-2 3-9X33 ultralight w/CDS?

 

[luke moffat]

Not according to luke's tracking test on the long range forum

Did ya miss the part where the $800 Mark 4 had twice as much error as the next worst scope in the test.

I should have brought my $299 VX-2 CDS along as well, but didn't have it mounted in pic rings at the time so didn't bother. Would be interesting to see though for certain how it does to 50 MOA and back...of course that would bit its entire travel as well. More likely would need to just test it to 30 MOA and back like the Vortex 3-15 we did test.

 

[Brodie]

I think given this discussion a person has to realize their use and expectations of their equipment. Consider the cost, weight, and robustness of your scope.
I'll stick with leupolds on my hunting guns. They are light, quality glass that are tougher in my experience than many of the similarly priced options. I'm also not going to be dialing it constantly.
My f class setup wears a nightforce because I know it is bombproof and I can dial shots all day....but it is a heavy sob. If you hunt with a heavy long range rig than you likely don't care about adding another pound to it for the best glass.
Just my 2 cents.


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[orionthehunter1]

Luke I was referring to the swfa having issues

 

[ADQHunter]

I have a Ruger M77 .338 win w/Leupold VX-5 CDS Boone & Crockett reticle. I just returned from an 8 day hunt on Kodiak using this setup. I was in some nasty country, bush whacking thru alders and thick brush. I had my rifle slung over the aluminum frame of my Barney’s pack. Every time I would check my rifle, my CDS had turned no less than 4 clicks, up to 7 clicks. I do not find the CDS to be very trustworthy if it is being used in thick brush. For bench shooting, it is probably fine but for alder bashing on Kodiak Island, I would say stick with a VX-3i with caps.


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[bluetick78]

I have a Vx-3i on a .280 rem and one on a Tikka. 223. On the .280 I have used it extensively at 400-600 yds with no issues, probably around 400 rounds over 3 years. The one on the Tikka has been mostly good. I get an unexplained miss occasionally, but for now I'm chalking those up to variations in wind at the target that varies from my shooting position because the gun will shoot "on" again with no adjustments.
Overall, I'm very happy with the Leupold CDS system given the price range and competitors quality within that price range. I'm no long range expert by any means, I mostly hunt with a bow, but I do love shooting coyotes and rockchucks at long range.

 

[rickjames80]

Leupolds- all Leupold models- suffer from incorrect tracking, inconsistent adjustments, failure to return to zero, and POI shifts.

Do any of these people send their scope in for warranty? I'm curious what Leupold does with the tracking issues... I will admit I don't shoot my CDS more than a couple hundred rounds a year, but when I start to have tracking problems and lose RTZ it will get sent in

 

[Formidilosus]

Do any of these people send their scope in for warranty? I'm curious what Leupold does with the tracking issues... I will admit I don't shoot my CDS more than a couple hundred rounds a year, but when I start to have tracking problems and lose RTZ it will get sent in

Of course. What you get back is a sheet that says "replaced erector".

 

[boom]

CDS cost me my deer this season..but not how you think.

i usually just sight my rifle in (257 weatherby mag) 2 inch high at 100 and just go out and shoot deer. i dont even bring a rangefinder back in the day. if it was just too far, i crept closer.

this year, i sent my scope back for repairs..while they had it, i had CDS installed. i got into it. did my dope card, wrote it down on Gaffer's tape, and taped it to my stock. i was ready.

hahah..when i saw a deer, it was a total yard sale. i got the yardage on the rangefinder and miss-read my dope card in all the excitement and sent a round..way over the deer. it was funny, when i figured out what i did.

that deer was at a paltry 275 yards..i should have just shot it. CDS was just unfamiliar to me..i didnt practice enough i guess. sprinking in a copious amount of BUCKFEVER and i lost my mind. oh well. if i just did it the old way..i would have chipshot that deer.

 

[excaliber]

I've had the Leupold issues with my VX-3 4.5x14x40 CDS scope. It would not adjust at all once I started to try to zero it. I was shooting high and left and a dozen clicks in each direction made no difference. It went to my local Gunsmith who looked at it bore sigthed it again and sent me back to the range.

It still had issues. Long story short is I had to send it back to Leupold and had to use my old Ruger 30-06 with a VX-2 3x9 for my OIL Elk hunt.
They made some erector adjustments and some other things needed adjusting.

Once I got it back it works very well and adjusts just fine. I can dial to 400 and out to 575, back to 200 and out to 575 with no issues and it returns to 200 yard zero every time so far. Cold bore it will shoot right in the middle of the steel gong at 575 yards( longest gong on the range I shoot at present time)

Do I have perfect confidence that it will always work? No I don't but what do you expect for $400.00?

I've been looking for a scope under 1000.00 that has good glass and will dial better than this scope and doesn't weigh a ton. Do they make such an animal?
For people who like to stay in the $400-500 range Leupold isn't a bad choice.

 

[ENCORE]

Of course. What you get back is a sheet that says "replaced erector".

I sent in a VX6 twice for repairs. It was mounted on a very heavy recoiling muzzleloader. Both times, that's the exact answer on the sheet, "replaced erector". It busted again with less than 100 rounds and I'll give Leupold a ton of credit, they bought the scope back, even paying me my sales tax. I had enough busting Leupold scopes, so the next step was to add a pound and bought a bomb proof Nightforce. Its holding up perfectly, returns to zero and when dialed, its spot on.

 

[gelton]

Yup you cant knock Leupolds service thats for sure. My dad gave me his 30.06 from the mid 70's with a Leupy VariX 3 and the erector wasnt adjusting properly. They replaced it with a new VX3 and even offered to add a custom side adjust (his had one) on a 10x scope that isnt offered on their 10x's, I had them install a CDS instead. If you arent dialing, a Leupy is about the best there is. Good glass and good price.

I do dial though, so I am in the market for another scope - looking hard at the Sig Whiskey but waiting on tracking reports from real world use.

 

[wind gypsy]

Form, have you had much experience with the new razor LH line?

 

[Formidilosus]

Form, have you had much experience with the new razor LH line?

I've got some. What are you looking for?

 

[wind gypsy]

I've got some. What are you looking for?

Have they been any more reliable than leupold?

 

[Formidilosus]

Have they been any more reliable than leupold?

hmmm. Yes and no. In outright failures- yes. I consider an outright failure a loss of zero, or tracking error large enough to cause a miss on an 8" target at 400 yards (2 MOA). In that they're about 50/50. All have had tracking and RTZ errors.

Buddy just had a 1.5-8x LH on a Barret Fieldcraft. Gun averaged almost 2 MOA. Replaced scope, and it's now just over 1 MOA for ten rounds.

 

[stevevan]

Not wanting to steal the thread but I'm looking at replacing a couple Leupold CDS scopes with Swarovski z5 Ballistic Turrets. Any issues with the Swarovski BT's?