Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Leupold CDS Turret

M1 elevation only is a big step in the right direction. they still fit my TrailMax scabbard and don't spin like the CDS.

So what you are saying, if a turret had a cover with a cut away piece facing the shooter so they could still turn it ...

You heard it here first.

Or a lock down thing on to of it.

You've never had the CDS move inadvertently?

Same here.

Probably,...though I don't specifically remember as much.

Dials are DESIGNED to move. If it does so inadvertantly, I'll turn it right back to zero, or whatever distance I intend to shoot. I can zero it without even looking at it, which is the true beauty of the CDS/zero stop. The notion that it takes "too much time" is utter nonsense.

The notion that it would move inadvertently, and not be deemed a major issue, is nonsense.

One of mine moved inadvertently somehow last week. It took all of 1 second to move it back to zero stop, in pitch dark.

I've noticed the guys extolling the virtues of the CDS often don't have much experience with other turrets (there are exceptions, of course). When you've spent some time with a turret that works correctly, it's quite easy to see the design flaws in the CDS.

One second spent checking your turret is one second you often don't have. For example, when hunting coyotes (legally, not on public roadways), I figure 3 seconds is usually how much time a person has between stopping the vehicle, and when the coyote starts moving. In that time, one has to get the gun out the window, load a round, get on target, and fire. Any extra time spent twisting turrets back to zero, because your dog twisted an extra four MOA into the scope when it jumped in the back seat, is time wasted.

Yep with the zero stop non-issue. While it is not a issue, I am not a fan of the CDS, in fact I am not a fan of any of the single turn knobs out there.

I'm using a Leupold with turrets and have had no problems so far. I've been carrying the scope set at 250yds, but in low light conditions it's was hard to verify it had not somehow moved. So, I put a dab/dot of white paint on top of the turret at the 250yd mark. Problem solved.

I'm one with no experience with other dials. I like the low profile of the CDS, but truth be known if I did not spin dials of any sort that would be fine. I killed my first 30+ mule deer bucks no telling how many cull aoudad, whitetails, etc without 'em.

That works. The foolproof way IMO is the set POI zero at MPBR, which is probably 3" high @ 100, which is the way I hunted before a yardage/MOA dial was ever even though of. In my case for one of the 7mags zero at 260, out to 340 I"m on hair, therefore I don't have to screw around with spinning a turret unless I have plenty of time, just want to shoot a hog,'yote, rock, or whatever way out there.

JG, you have a good point. None of the animals I have taken since I had the turret installed required that I spin dials and in most cases there wasn't enough time anyway. But I'm ready.

Like you, I like being ready. If I get into a situation I'm confident in, I have no doubt I could kill something a ways out there. That's what got me interested in the CDS in the first place. I like 'em, a lot.

+1

Uuhhh...you got me there? I don't road-hunt so I'll have to rely on your experiences.

Are they also problematic with spot-lights?

You act like they spin with the lightest touch. I have used every type dial out there. People who shoot a bunch of long range train themselves to check those knobs before every shot. I cannot say that I have ever had an issue with a cds inadvertently turning.

I used that example to demonstrate that for some folks, a rifle is a constant companion, with them all year long. It needs to work everyday, and doesn't get babied. It may be cleaned once every 5 years, and live in a pickup when it's not being carried.....exposed to extremes of hot and cold, with kids and dogs climbing over it, food spilled on it, gear dumped on it, and basically be treated like a tool. If it randomly re-zeroes itself without warning, it's useless.

shooting coyotes on your own property to prevent stock loss, and for profit on their hides is not "road hunting". It's an essential part of ranch life, and something that happens hundreds of times everyday across the West.

Here's another example for those who may only use their rifles two weeks out of the year:

You're sneaking up through the junipers to get to the top of a ridge. Suddenly, a 30" Mule Deer busts out of the brush in front of you. He stops at the top of the ridge 200 yards off, just long enough for you to unsling your rifle, drop into a kneeling position, and fire. Oops, somewhere along the way, the brush turned your CDS turret. You miss the deer, and he's gone forever.

Of course, you could have reached back and checked your turret every five steps to make sure it's still on....but a better idea is to have a reliable turret.

As for spot-lights, in Montana they are a worthwhile, perfectly legal means of non-game predator control.