Anyone own / use a Leuopold scope with the CDS turrets?

[AlBeight]

I own dozens of riflescopes, from expensive Nightforce and Vortex models to cheap Simmons and Bushnell tubes. I’ve always respected and even admired Leuopold scopes but never purchased one. I’m researching one now, for a new (completely un-needed) impulse purchased hunting rig. I’ve just watched a few videos on the CDS turret system, and really like the idea for a hunting application. I’m no stranger to dialing for distance on long range rigs, but these CDS turrets seem like a cool option for a no fuss-type hunting rifle.

The videos focused on the zero stop setting and how to order the custom CDS turrets. In all of the videos they set the original factory turrets to zero at their 100 yard sight-in zero. One video the guy had his custom turrets installed and went on to describe how for a 200 yard shot, just dial to “2”, 300 dial to “3”, etc... One guy in the comments asked the very same question I asked myself while watching the video, why don’t you dial to “1” for 100 yards, but “0” is your 100 yard setting, so what is “.5” & “1” and all the clicks in between “0” & “2” for? He said he set his “zero” stop for the # 1 on his dial, that actually makes perfect sense to me but his comment wasn’t well understood or received by the internet masses. If I go this route, I think I’d do exactly as this guy did.

What say you, those here that have this setup? Just curious, before I go down this rabbit hole.

 

[traveller]

Unless you hunt Kolibris 0-100 is going to be the same POI for hunting purposes.

 

[Clay]

They work great. You can pick your 0 in point (the 1 on the dial). I chose 100- made the most sense. Here where you input the data https://www.leupold.com/custom-dial-system
All that info goes on the dial

 

[JB62]

Have one on my Henry 450 bushmaster. Have only gone out to 200 as close to top of hunting range with that round and works great. Takes a lot of guesswork out when you see that big spread of white you are looking for. Have found the dial to be very accurate.

 

[AlBeight]

They work great. You can pick your 0 in point (the 1 on the dial). I chose 100- made the most sense. Here where you input the data https://www.leupold.com/custom-dial-system
All that info goes on the dial

Yeah, makes sense to me too. Those YouTube videos they guys kept setting zero stop at their 100 yard zeros, which seemed wrong to me. I think I’d set my 100 yard zero stop to 100 yards, or “1” on the dial. Traveller makes a good point too, 0-100 would be an inperceptible point of impact shift anyway, especially as I’m considering this for a 300 Win Mag rifle. I guess setting to “0” wouldn’t be a huge problem in that regard, just have to remember not to dial until 200 yards or more.

I’m just surprised that only one guy in the comments section, me, and obviously you have picked up on that dial setting inconsistency. Big deal - no, but when you’re posting a tutorial video on YouTube for everyone to see and follow (acting as a defacto “expert”), this was something that raised my eyebrow immediately, you’d think someone that posts those types of videos would’ve thought it thru a little better.

 

[Park ranger]

Meh, learn your clicks. We've done this for ever with irons and optics. For example, my match rifle zeros are:

0= 100 yards
1.5= 200 yards
5= 300 yards
=15.5= 600 yards.

The above is moa

 

[E.Shell]

Meh, learn your clicks. We've done this for ever with irons and optics. For example, my match rifle zeros are:

Same.

Worst case, stick a cheat sheet up in your flip-up scope cover. Avery makes small round stickers and software to print to them. Hunting corrections are typically small anyway if your firearm is appropriately zeroed.

 

[AlBeight]

Much agreed, like I said earlier, dialing moa the old-fashioned way (including cheat sheet) isn’t a problem. I was just referring to following the directions to using the Leopold CDS turrets as designed by the manufacturer. The (non-factory made) video explanations of the process struck me as odd and possibly incorrect. The zero stop and sight-in zero didn’t seem to coincide properly as I understood them to be.

I don’t rifle hunt anywhere where I’d have a shot longer than 200 to 250 yards anyway, but I would still want to set the equipment up properly. I also wouldn’t blindly trust that “3” was 300, and so forth. I’d only trust that after verifying on the range. If “3” was really 275, then fine it’s 275 and I’d record that. It’s just that if “0” is 100, then 16 clicks up to # ”2” at 1/4 minute per click will not be 200 yards.

My question was of curiosity regarding how actual CDS users here on the site setup their “zero-stop” in relation to their sight-in zero. I don’t own this scope yet, only doing preliminary research for now, and the actual Leopold instructions may guide you properly, despite what the several 3rd party YouTube video “experts” show. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t thinking about that setup incorrectly, and now I believe my skepticism on the videos was warranted.

Thanks for all the advice from everyone. I still want a Leopold scope, but now maybe the CDS turret feature is far less important to me than it was earlier this morning.

 

[AlBeight]

I just watched a video posted by Leupold themselves, and my suspicions were correct. If you zero (sight-in) @ 100 yards, you place the new turret in its zero lock position at # 1. Makes much more sense. YouTube “experts” can pound sand.