Leupolds CDS Optics

[capitol]

I've read a lot about Leupolds CDS optics and the concept seems great, most users like it, but I wonder why other scope mfg's don't do the same thing?

I guess I know the pros and want to know the cons.

[Merc1138]

I've read a lot about Leupolds CDS optics and the concept seems great, most users like it, but I wonder why other scope mfg's don't do the same thing?

I guess I know the pros and want to know the cons.

Some other manufacturers have at times. Problem is, tweak your load or environmental conditions enough and your bdc dials are now useless. There's at least one company who makes cheaper stickers with your load data for a few bucks.

edit: Now that I'm not on my phone, I'll give a better answer.

Reasons the CDS becomes useless:
1. Changing your load. Might mean changing from one type of factory ammo to another, might mean you changed projectiles for your reloads, or possibly powder because your brand became scarce. Heck, maybe even the manufacturer tweaked their retail ammo and now it doesn't match what it used to.

2. Moving the scope to a different rifle.

3. Selling the scope. Your CDS isn't going to do many other people much good.

4. Rebarreling the rifle, or anything that might change it's performance(like cutting the barrel down and adding a muzzle device).

5. Having the CDS setup for shooting in the southern CA desert, and then traveling up into the mountains. Even a large enough temperature swing at the same elevation can make a difference.\

Like I mentioned, Leupold isn't the only company to let you send your dope and have them etch a dial for you. Then of course you have your generic BDC reticles and dials that some manufacturers sell.

A much cheaper (and more versatile) option would be something like this: http://customturretsystems.com/product-info/pricing/

Even better(and cheaper) would be to get your dope you need, organize it into a small chart, print it, and then tape it to the side of the stock or maybe inside the scope cap) and then just check that to see your adjustments in mils or moa. If you change something, it's simple enough to update and it'll be with the rifle(unless your scope cap breaks...). In fact, you don't even need to make it complicated.

100 .38
150 .20
200 -.21
250 -.8
300 -1.6

Print something as simple as that in maybe a half inch wide by 1 inch high piece of paper(I say print, so you can get the text nice and clear... my handwriting sucks) and put a piece of clear packing tape over it, bam now you've got a drop chart for 100-300 yards in mils. Windage? Add an extra column.

[capitol]

Some other manufacturers have at times. Problem is, tweak your load or environmental conditions enough and your bdc dials are now useless. There's at least one company who makes cheaper stickers with your load data for a few bucks.

edit: Now that I'm not on my phone, I'll give a better answer.

Reasons the CDS becomes useless:
1. Changing your load. Might mean changing from one type of factory ammo to another, might mean you changed projectiles for your reloads, or possibly powder because your brand became scarce. Heck, maybe even the manufacturer tweaked their retail ammo and now it doesn't match what it used to.

2. Moving the scope to a different rifle.

3. Selling the scope. Your CDS isn't going to do many other people much good.

4. Rebarreling the rifle, or anything that might change it's performance(like cutting the barrel down and adding a muzzle device).

5. Having the CDS setup for shooting in the southern CA desert, and then traveling up into the mountains. Even a large enough temperature swing at the same elevation can make a difference.\

Like I mentioned, Leupold isn't the only company to let you send your dope and have them etch a dial for you. Then of course you have your generic BDC reticles and dials that some manufacturers sell.

A much cheaper (and more versatile) option would be something like this: http://customturretsystems.com/product-info/pricing/

Even better(and cheaper) would be to get your dope you need, organize it into a small chart, print it, and then tape it to the side of the stock or maybe inside the scope cap) and then just check that to see your adjustments in mils or moa. If you change something, it's simple enough to update and it'll be with the rifle(unless your scope cap breaks...). In fact, you don't even need to make it complicated.

100 .38
150 .20
200 -.21
250 -.8
300 -1.6

Print something as simple as that in maybe a half inch wide by 1 inch high piece of paper(I say print, so you can get the text nice and clear... my handwriting sucks) and put a piece of clear packing tape over it, bam now you've got a drop chart for 100-300 yards in mils. Windage? Add an extra column.

How much does environmental conditions effect a bullet out to a 1000, 500 or 300 yards? I guess it depends on the conditions.

But with normal weather, wind and air temp how much does altitude effect a bullet at certain distances?

Ok, I'm getting it now. The question above will depend on fps, bullet weight, ballistic coefficients, blaa blaa bla

[Merc1138]

How much does environmental conditions effect a bullet out to a 1000 yards?

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

Pick a projectile, velocity, the basics. Scroll down a little, leave the temperature and humidity at the default. Open it again in another tab, use the same settings, except this time play with the temperature, humidity, pressure, altitude. Hit calculate again. The difference will be pretty clear.

edit: btw, keep in mind that the calculator isn't going to be a 100% substitute for actual dope, but it'll be pretty close and you'll still be able to see the obvious differences when you start messing with the environmental conditions. Just because you may not plan on hunting out in CO, doesn't mean you won't be at the range one day in the winter when it's 55 degrees, and another in the summer when it's 105.

[capitol]

It seems the big issue with the Leupold CDS is the atmospheric conditions.

If so, how do the long range shooters with mil dot scopes shoot without knowing the atmospheric conditions?

They must shoot in different areas.... Oh wait, maybe they dont.

[JonS]

I was lookin into this a bit. I believe you can buy extra dials for 60 bucks or so it's not so bad if you ever change something.

[Merc1138]

It seems the big issue with the Leupold CDS is the atmospheric conditions.

If so, how do the long range shooters with mil dot scopes shoot without knowing the atmospheric conditions?

They must shoot in different areas.... Oh wait, maybe they dont.

Umm, they do pay attention, lol. What do you think these are for?


Or at least close enough, you can get the weather on your phone, and then there's logging all of your shots so you can see how you were shooting and what the conditions were at different points in time. Then of course there's a rifle dope book:


Here's an example of a storm tactical book and some of the pre-printed stuff you can get

There are various formats, but you can see that the point is to log information... so it can be used.

[capitol]

why is there dirt on his fingers?

[Merc1138]

why is there dirt on his fingers?

[Whiterabbit]

my CDS dial is marked in MOA. so it's still universal.

[Merc1138]

my CDS dial is marked in MOA. so it's still universal.

Huskemaw also does that,

but again there isn't much of a point in paying for it when you can have accurate data with you that cost next to nothing to have ,and you can easily make sure it stays relevant.

[Whiterabbit]

sure, and so does vortex, and nightforce, and barska, and any number of mfg's. But I'm still happy with my leupold dial.

[ExtremeX]

why is there dirt on his fingers?

lol OP... there was some good educational info there, and that's what you came up with?

+1 haha

[yankee-pete]

Can't wait to get my freebee that comes with my new VX6.

[PolishMike]

It is ok for the average guy that will sit at a range and plink at 100 yds and post his "great" 3" groups (used to be me).

When you start taking advanced long range classes you quickly realize that BDCs and ballistic calculators are pretty much useless when compared to actual DOPE.

Even having DOPE on your rifle is an approximation to get you close the next day.