Leupold CDS

I have a Leupold Vx ii. Hoping to go on a antelope hunt in 2020. I believe that I can order a CDS for this scope to go with my Savage 30-06. Just looking for some information of what I need to do to get the dial and what suggestions y'all have. If like to use it for all long range shooting. I usually shoot 150 grain for whitetail and hear you can use the same for pronghorn. But elk in the future would be a different story, would probably just need to order a second CDS specific to a larger load for elk in the future.

Ideally you need chronometer data from your specific rifle and specific load. From there you obtain ballistic coefficients on your bullet, tell them average elevation, temperature, humidity, and they print your dial. I did this on my 30-06 and it was reasonably accurate out to 550 yards which is all I can shoot.

Or just stick with the moa or mil turret that’s on it and download a free ballistic app and have exactly the dope you need for any temp, elevation, humidity.

Neither option works without knowing the velocity

Until your credit card gets hit for the tag you ain't gonna know the elevation. To me, that's the biggest barrier. The rest I can figure out. That factor alone has kept me on the moa turret.

You don't need a turret for shooting out to 300 yards, or even more if you have a place to put in the practice.

Dialing with Leupold is about as unpredictable as Trump’s Tweets.

Goodluck but no way I’d even consider that on an out of state hunt.

To me the benefit of the CDS system is the foolproof simplicity of the process. You want to zero at 200 yards and feel like you can hold at various points to 350 cuz you’ve been practicing? Go for it. You have time to dial the yardage, great, just turn the dial. No interpretation or misjudgment under a pressure situation.

Downside is the specificity of the dial to your load and environment. Once you get elevation and temp at least in the ballpark, it’s not that big of a deal IMO. I think large impact differences could be observed between sea level and 12,000 feet when out at long range, but if you are at least in the ballpark it’s still dead deer/elk. I’ve heard a rule of thumb of 5000 ft making a noticeable difference.

To me hunting is so dang expensive that the cost of a couple dials aren’t that big of a deal. At least as long as you have time to plan and you know what your rifle likes. I’m not a dang sniper and I value simplicity under pressure. If I am ever able to get back out west to hunt I’ll have a dial-by-yardage type turret.

6-7 inches at 100 yards for 4500 ft elevation change with 300 wsm makes it unusable, unless you know for certainty where that tag is gonna be. Just my experience. I find it better to spend an extra day on the front end of the hunt and figure out your ballistics when you know how that rifle is gonna shoot where you are. In other words, go to 7200 feet at 42 degrees and shoot 15-20 rounds. You can try to back into with moa data, but it just isn't the same IMHO.

The fallacy of what your saying is you are assuming that the CDS system on a Leupold scope is foolproof. Plenty of evidence to the contrary on that one, especially on a VX 2 model like the OP is using. If you are looking for foolproof turret dialing, there are MUCH better options.

I haven't experienced those issues with my scope, but if they are common, thanks for throwing it out there. I'd appreciate a link to folks discussing the problem. I don't think CDS is without drawbacks, but I like the "dial by yardage' approach.


6 inches @ 100yds is a massive difference, yes. I'm not familiar with that large of a change in 4000-5000 ft, but I have not shot it to see for myself. So, good input if that's the case.

My boss missed 4 antelopes under 150yds this week in WY. His CDS was set for 660’ elevation said aw it’ll be fine. Up there it mattered

I put one on my muzzle loader and I love it. Sighted it in at 100, dialed it in to 200 and it printed a 2" group right on the dot.

Fully aware, just making op aware of the benefits of leaving the original dial on vs the cds

Your boss can’t blame those on the CDS. If it were zero’d at 100 or 200 yards in Al there’s no way the elevation made a “minute of prairie goat” difference.

Did he not confirm zero in WY prior to hunting? Shouldn’t have had to touch a dial at under 150.

Lmao he took 7 bullets with him. So no. He didn’t shoot when he landed. When he called me I lmao at him

🤦🏼‍♂️😂 That sounds like something my dad would do!

My CDS is dead on from 100-400 yards and I love it..

Ya'll know I agree about the Leupold scopes unreliability on dialing. That's why these jokers named me "Leupold pro staff". I think Leupolds are fine for most hunting but I wouldn't dial with one.

Take your scope and dial it from it's current setting to max and back both ways about a dozen times and see it it comes back to your zero every time. I don't doubt a CDS Leupold would dial from 100 to 400 and back a few times but it's the constant back and forth that it won't hold up to and you won't know how many times it will actually work before it fails. It will dial in a pinch but it doesn't have strong enough internals to be durable in it's dialing.

While I agree the basic hunting line isn't buit for repeated dialing, you think their scopes that are designed for such use can't hold up either?

Thanks for the input. I plan on using the dial for only this hunt. And will call the outfitter prior to ordering to get an elevation and load recommendation. For the one time use I think it will really help. Especially since most my shots are less than 100 now and the ability to just dial and hold would help me out. I disagree with the idea that Leupold is a low quality scope. Sorry not spending 2000 on a Zeiss or other higher end brand. But I will do my homework and then shoot at those distances first day we arrive to be sure I can make the best shot on the animal.

Leupold makes great scopes. However they are proven to be less than perfect in regards to dialing for distance. WAY better options out there for dialing in the SAME price range.

My vxr has the CDS but i don't use it, i have my Nightforce scopes for that job

It is until it isn’t and then you won’t😉

I have a friend who tests scopes for the military who tells me that there is really no difference in the internals of a VX2 and one of their higher end scopes. Even Leupolds top end military stuff has a much higher failure rate than Nightforce according to my friend who tests with tens of thousands of rounds dialed every year.

Actually Zeiss and Swaro aren't any better though except for the newest models designed especially for dialing.

Here is the list of “reliable” scopes for twisting turrets complied by a guy that’s involved with shooting about 500K rounds a yr.

One of the scopes cost about $250 so deep pockets aren’t a prerequisite for a reliable scope.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...of-tested-and-proven-scopes#Post14224464

And this is why you don’t risk and out of state hunt with a CDS.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/12610974/1

Never had a minutes trouble out of my Leupold cds scopes or their non cds scopes.

Surely you gest!!!

Buddy here dropped one out past 700yds with his VX6 with CDS, and he's no long range shooter. With the price point difference with Leopold's mil discount it's hard to beat. I just ordered a VX3 with the dial and will be fine< I'm probably only shooting 400 or so max I would think. Plus, I'm spending my cash on archery goodies lol since I like it more than gun hunting.

That dial may or may not be on if you just go with a recommendation and what's on the box. Shoot through a chrono and do as they recommend. Friend of mine did and he was popping plates right outta the box with his dial at 600. I thought it was pretty cool.

That's weird because it's a 4000 foot spread from the info you give them. If I order with 2000ft listed its supposed to be good from 0-4000. I'm guessing he choked

I’m gonna find out tomorrow.

Nightforce.

Dialed my $500 SWFA 3-9x42 for my elk a couple weeks ago. Zero chance I’d trust a Loopy to do that on a hunt that is prepared for all year long where you have one shot or bust.

It’s not that elevation makes a big change, elevation actually makes no change. It’s air pressure. But anyway, changing environmental factors move your window of error up or down. On a target at a range with a perfect trigger pull and conditions, he probably wouldn’t see much change at all, even out to a few hundred yards. To make it simple, let’s say he’s 4” higher at 10k feet than he is it at 500 feet at 300 yards. That’s minute of deer, or whatever. But let’s say he also pulls the shot 6” high. Which is a very small glitch in the trigger pull or setup. That is now a miss at 300 yards, when at 500’ he’d still spine it. Just a vague generalization.

How many dialed yardage shots? What ranges?

About a couple hundred a year. I go out to around 400 yds.