Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Cartridge options for a CDS scope?

I've just purchased a Custom Dial System (CDS) 10X scope. Now I have to pick the rifle and cartridge to order the proper dial for, and put it on!

I hunt deer and elk in places where shot opportunities can range from 50-500 yards. Honestly, I've never shot an animal at more than 350 yards. I also have good range-finding binocs.

I have a number of big game rifles, chambered from 25/06 to .375 HH (but not a single hot magnum) and generally use highest BC Barnes bullets.

Should I mount this CDS scope atop my "flattest shooting" rifle, or almost counter-intuitively, the rifle chambered in a cartridge/bullet with the most drop? I'm thinking it would be nice to hunt timber where sighted for a nearby animal, then emerging from the trees and dialing my scope to confidently fire at a 500 yd. bull or buck on the next hill over.

Opinions?

confidently?

You can wait. Don't have to choose right now.

It does not work that way... Leupold will build a dial or multiple dials (if you want) for whatever you need

You just need enter the data in their tool ... if you shoot factory ammo, the data should be on the box (assuming you think its accurate enough for you) otherwise a crono will be needed

check out this page

https://www.leupold.com/custom-dial-system

A scope with dials on it doesn't need to shoot flat. Use it on whatever you want. If you're only going to 500 yards any typical cartridge including 6.5CM, 308, 7-08, 270, 30-06 etc would be fine.

I didn't have a custom dial made. I ran the numbers through a ballistics program and printed a cheat sheet. You can tape it to the stock if you wish. A custom dial locks you into a specific rifle, cartridge, and load. If I want to shoot 150's and 180's in my 308 then I can use the same scope with a different cheat sheet.

Mundellm, you must not understand what I wrote, because I understand Leupold's CDS system perfectly. My question is what cartridge does their system give me the greatest benefit from, a flat shooting cartridge or a rainbow load?

Let me ask the question more simply... in a 30-06 should I ask for a custom dial for a 150gr. pill or a 200gr. bullet?

People who practice at a 500 yard range can be lethal at it (esp. in a animal with vitals as large as an elk's). Right. Confident.

There is no so-called real benefit from a "flat-shooting" cartridge using an optic with an CDS feature, mil/MOA/IPHY or any other dial adjustment or reticle graduations. It's simply a matter of hold over values relative to your velocity and trajectory. The only real advantage of an higher velocity cartridge is possible less wind deflection via (TOF) time of flight.

The bullet weight is totally your choice and you can get multiple dials. I'm personally an heavy for caliber fan and would go 200gr for my 30-06 but if your using today's new mono bullets you could choose your 150gr and have less recoil. Those are the choices you'll have to consider. The flat shooting part really isn't all that important at 500yds and inside that distance other than TOF. As long as the energy is sufficient at 500yd for an projectile to expand you'll do just fine, pick your load and practice in Montana in the type of terrain you'll hunt in.

Huh? I don’t understand your question and you lost me at CDS. The scope doesn’t care what your bullets do.

If you’re open to suggestions, scrap the CDS idea altogether and buy something else (a more reliable scope) with a mil or moa dial and be happy.

Yeah, an mil/mil moa/moa setup is far more precise. I agree.

The other upshot is one doesn't need CDS dials to specific rifles or loads with an "real" rifle optic.

I can’t wait to hear Big Sticks comments on this!!

You left out atmospheres.

IME, BDC reticles and custom dials are more cumbersome than just running a measuring system, which will work equally well for any bullet at any speed in any atmosphere.

I still like using flat shooting cartridges with high BC bullets for long range. Increases the margin for error in distance and wind.

We already know. He'll want everyone to just get a Leupold or an Vortex Viper and end it with an bunch of "bless your hearts".

Still I look forward to his pronounced mastery and diction over the English language and never get tired of deciphering it.

How many shots beyond 500 yds have you made on game?

I have one on my 270 and 06. About to make a dial for my boys vx3i on his 6.5 creed
The 270 has 3-9 vx2 and shoots 140 sst about the same as 130 ttsx (both hand loads)
The 06 vx3 3.5-10 and is made for 168 ttsx. But also seems to work moa of deer with 180 game kings
Once in a while after going to 400,500,600 and back to 0 at 200 the 270 shoots about 1” high.
Maybe I need to start tapping the dials?
Lol

This.

Not that many. 3 that I can recall. And they weren't far beyond 500. Several more over 4 hundred. Don't run into situations in which I can't get closer to game just too often.

I pull the trigger a lot; however, obviously the vast majority of my shots at or beyond 500 are for practice or enjoyment at the range or on public ground at non live targets. Don't really do more than friendly competition among friends, either.

Does that relegate my opinion and experiences with the subject matter to irrelevance?

With the ability to adjust for drop/distance with the CDS, I'd focus more on the rifle/load I have with the least amount of wind drift. IMO, that's a larger/harder variable. The least amount of wind drift, which you won't as easily be able to account for with a CDS scope, will probably be your best long(er) range set up.

I think I'll put the CDS scope on my 338-06.

It shoots bug holes with a Barnes 210 TSX (BC .471) at 2700 fps muzzle. With a 2" high 100yd. zero, charts say it will drop ~50 inches at 500 yds. That seems a best use of the scope for elk hunting to that range.