Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Leupold CDS question

Ok I just got a VX-3 4.5X40mm with CDS. Here is my question. At what distance do I sight my gun in at to make the CDS effective. I have a rough understanding of how the system works but want to make sure that I am 100% correct on how to make this system work correctly.
Thanks for any and all the help .

Sight it in at any distance you want and then set the turret back to zero. From your zero distance then you click up to whatever range you want to.

Dink

so it makes no difference if I sight in at 100 or 200 yards? will it not change my point of impact on long shots if i sight in at 100 vs 200 if i reset to zero?

That is correct CoachG. It seems impossible strange to many folks I know, but it does work I swear.

My 65 year old neighbor came out with me last week and we started at 200 yards, went out to 500 eventually, and then came back to 200 again. To say he was amazed to see the POI return to the same place is an understatement...as well as the ability to accurately and repeatedly hit targets out to 500.

It's a great scope and a handy little feature. Check out the "deer" forum to see what I was able to dial up with this scope yesterday. It's under the "A7" thread.


Dave

Ok im trying to get how this can actually work...my current zero is at 200 and you are saying that if I reset my turret to zero I am good??? Then if my target is at 100 I just click to 1??? 2 for 200...3 for 300 If that works its great but is going to blow my mind. It just seems to me that it would change my point of impact if i sighted at different distances.

No. If you zero is set at 200 yards and you want to shoot at 100 yards it might be 8 clicks (2 moa). The numbers are a reference. It is up to you decide how many clicks are needed at each range.

Dink

When you order the custom turret, Leupold assumes a 100 yard zero and you go up/out from there. I wanted to shoot a little further out so I specified a 200 yard zero. When the turret hits the zero stop it is set for my 200 yard zero. The turret itself is secured by set screws that hold it in place on the turret armature that moves the crosshairs.

If you don't have the custom turret, get it sighted where you want, then loosen the turret and adjust it to zero. Tighten it down good and you are set. Print out a drop chart with your clicks for MOA and get to shooting.

They didn't "assume" a 100 yd. zero when I called...They asked where I'd like to start at...I told them 200 would be fine.
My two dials should be en route any day & I have never used this system before, but I "assume" since I said 200, I'm gonna need to zero at 200....The dials are supposed to be calibrated for the specific velocity, BC, etc. for my specific loads. When I get them I'll let ya'll know how well they are calibrated....

I just got two dials and I had to call back and specify a 200 yard zero. Guy never asked me and I forgot. Said they just use a 100 yard zero unless specified otherwise.

The guy at Leupold never asked me either so I guess they just assumed 100?

Question- why would you NOT want to start with a 100 yd. zero?

I can think of a lot of situations where starting with the 100 yd zero would be ideal (Africa in close-in, brushy country, stillhunting in heavily wooded areas, stand shooting, situations where precision shots at less than 100 yds. at smaller game were in order, etc. etc.)

If the ability to quickly adjust to ranges out to 300 and beyond is available, looks like a system which could make a not so flat shooter a really versatile rifle.

I am so used to shooting a .270 an inch high at 100 that this is a non issue. A 200 yard zero allows for shots on game out to 300 w/o holding off fur. This way I aint dialing for close shots, I just get to jerkin the trigger.

here's what you do ... zero at 100 yards, then reset the turret cap to zero at 100 yards. After that, dial in your 200 yard zero ... or 1" high at 100 yards ... or whatever it is that you wanna do. Now, leave the turret set there, so that your zero is where you want it.

the reason I say this is because the CDS system WILL NOT let you dial down below the "zero" on the knob ... this is due to the zero stop mechanism built into the CDS turret system.

If you zero for 200 yards and then set the turret to zero, you won't be able to dial down to a true 100 yard zero. This may not be an issue for you, and that's fine. Also, if you set your zero to 200 yards, you will be able to get a little more elevation out of the system when you dial the turret all the way up, but it will only be a little bit.

The choice is up to you, but the CDS system is really no different than any other turret system that uses a zero stop that only allows you one turn of the knob - at least from a functional standpoint.

Hmmm...I wonder why they'd assume that??? I'd think common sense would kick in...especially when you give them the caliber & velocity...

the thing about turrets is you can zero at 100 and dial what you want after that, so why not do just that?

provided, of course, that you can get from 100 to your personal maximum range with the 15 moa.

i run the stock moa knobs and zero @ 100 with everything except the custom shop 6x36 LR CDS and the reticle in that one dictates a 200 yard zero.

Recent example on my rifle. 140 grain bullet with .612 bc going 2875. CDS setup for 100 yd zero takes me to 700 yards with custom turret. If I feel like hunting with it on the 200 yd zero mark, I can dial it there and run with it. Had to dial up to 490 fast recently for a shot and everything worked perfectly.

Same can be done with quarter moa turret it comes with but you just need your drops taped on the stock. I'd have leupold set it up with 100 yd zero and rock on.

So how many hash marks will Leupold give you with the CDS?


Seems obvious if they are not limited that a good setup would be zero at 100 yds and marks to 600 yds should do most hunters more than adequate.... Even with the flat shooters like a 257 Wby, etc.

Allen

you get 15 moa with the custom CDS knobs.

F+S or HIE????? laffin.......



George