Leupold VX-III 4.5-14x40 CDS
10-26-2017, 04:00 PM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: SW Montana
Posts: 550
Leupold VX-III 4.5-14x40 CDS
Last winter I used my Cabela's points to buy a Leupold VX-III 4.5-14x40 scope with their CDS reticle. I was hoping to use this scope on a Dagestan Tur hunt in Azerbaijan that I had booked for the end of this past August.
Unfortunately I waited too long the send the ballistics information to Leupold for them to make the turret for my particular load for my hunt. I mounted this scope on my .300 Weatherby and I worked up a sub moa load with Barnes 180 grain TTSX bullets at a muzzle velocity of 3248 fps.
On three different days I shot 3 shot groups off the bench at targets set at 100, 200, 300, and 430 yards. They were shot with the zero at 200 yards. Since all targets were shot with the crosshairs on the center of the target, I measured the 100 yard rise and the 300 and 430 yard drops, and supplied Leupold with that information.
When I learned that I wouldn't have my custom CDS turret for my hunt, I set the turret that came with my scope to a 100 yard zero, and put small white paint spots on the top of that turret for the 200, 300, and 430 yard settings.
When I got to Azerbaijan, I verified the 100 and 200 yard turret settings on my scope. I didn't get an opportunity for a shot at a Tur until the sun was setting on the last day of my hunt.
I gave my guide my Nikon Monarch 7i VR rangefinder, and he called the distance to the feeding ram at 328 yards. There was no wind so I adjusted my scopes turret to one mark past my 300 yard dot and I squeezed the trigger. When I came out of the recoil of the shot I saw my Tur tumbling in a cloud of dust down the steep hillside. He tumbled out of sight and for at least 300 yards down the slope. Two of the guides headed off to the fallen Tur and the head guide and I took a less steep route the bottom of the canyon where we all met.
It was pitch black when I got to my Tur, but in my headlamp I could see that my bullet had hit him in the center of his chest, within an inch or so of where I had aimed.
So this past Wednesday morning the custom turret arrived from Leupold. I installed the custom turret on my scope, and Wednesday afternoon I took it to the range.
There was a stiff 10-15 mph crosswind from the left so I set up at one of the benches, and prepared to just shoot the 15" steel gongs that we have at each yardage berm.
I held one windage mark into the wind on the 200 yard gong, and after the shot I could see the copper colored hit from my TTSX bullet in the center of the 200 yard gong.
I then set the CDS turret to 300, held one windage mark into the wind on the 300 yard gong although I couldn't see exactly where, the bullet did hit the gong.
The same thing at 430 yards. Set the CDS turret to 430, held one windage mark into the wind and heard the bullet hit the gong and could see it swinging.
Of course I'll shoot it again on a calm day, but for now, I'm very satisfied with this scope and the CDS turret system.
Unfortunately I waited too long the send the ballistics information to Leupold for them to make the turret for my particular load for my hunt. I mounted this scope on my .300 Weatherby and I worked up a sub moa load with Barnes 180 grain TTSX bullets at a muzzle velocity of 3248 fps.
On three different days I shot 3 shot groups off the bench at targets set at 100, 200, 300, and 430 yards. They were shot with the zero at 200 yards. Since all targets were shot with the crosshairs on the center of the target, I measured the 100 yard rise and the 300 and 430 yard drops, and supplied Leupold with that information.
When I learned that I wouldn't have my custom CDS turret for my hunt, I set the turret that came with my scope to a 100 yard zero, and put small white paint spots on the top of that turret for the 200, 300, and 430 yard settings.
When I got to Azerbaijan, I verified the 100 and 200 yard turret settings on my scope. I didn't get an opportunity for a shot at a Tur until the sun was setting on the last day of my hunt.
I gave my guide my Nikon Monarch 7i VR rangefinder, and he called the distance to the feeding ram at 328 yards. There was no wind so I adjusted my scopes turret to one mark past my 300 yard dot and I squeezed the trigger. When I came out of the recoil of the shot I saw my Tur tumbling in a cloud of dust down the steep hillside. He tumbled out of sight and for at least 300 yards down the slope. Two of the guides headed off to the fallen Tur and the head guide and I took a less steep route the bottom of the canyon where we all met.
It was pitch black when I got to my Tur, but in my headlamp I could see that my bullet had hit him in the center of his chest, within an inch or so of where I had aimed.
So this past Wednesday morning the custom turret arrived from Leupold. I installed the custom turret on my scope, and Wednesday afternoon I took it to the range.
There was a stiff 10-15 mph crosswind from the left so I set up at one of the benches, and prepared to just shoot the 15" steel gongs that we have at each yardage berm.
I held one windage mark into the wind on the 200 yard gong, and after the shot I could see the copper colored hit from my TTSX bullet in the center of the 200 yard gong.
I then set the CDS turret to 300, held one windage mark into the wind on the 300 yard gong although I couldn't see exactly where, the bullet did hit the gong.
The same thing at 430 yards. Set the CDS turret to 430, held one windage mark into the wind and heard the bullet hit the gong and could see it swinging.
Of course I'll shoot it again on a calm day, but for now, I'm very satisfied with this scope and the CDS turret system.
10-30-2017, 06:14 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 2,743
I have a few of these scopes with the CDS turrets and every one has been very accurate for me, with the info I gave them,
some folks balk at these things, and just rather hold over or under,I just don't see the point of doing that when better options exist
MANY many yrs back I had I think of the first like designed scopes, a swarvoski LRS rifle scope, that had a built in laser and turret with setting for yardage, you simply ranged the target, turned dial and boom, you were on target(minus any cross wind adjustments)
was a great scope, and maybe even better range finder, got very accurate readings out past 950 yards, and was great as with the 4-12X lens, you could rally pin point what you were ranging, and not being off a little as you can with a hand held and a 7x lens where your reticle covers a LOT of things !
draw back was the darn scopes were very costly(3500 I think was retail on it( I was an authorized dealer so??)
and they sat super super high on the guns, I ended up building a custom stock with a super high cheap piece to TRY and make it work better!
but a very bright clear optic
they held a patent on this design for yrs and yrs , and then when it finally expired Burris came out with a LIKE version, but it was IMO NO where near the same quality on glass or laser!
but then again it cost a fraction of the original from Swaroviski!
Glad things worked out for you even without the turret too
should add a pic here of your Tur!
congrats on that too!
some folks balk at these things, and just rather hold over or under,I just don't see the point of doing that when better options exist
MANY many yrs back I had I think of the first like designed scopes, a swarvoski LRS rifle scope, that had a built in laser and turret with setting for yardage, you simply ranged the target, turned dial and boom, you were on target(minus any cross wind adjustments)
was a great scope, and maybe even better range finder, got very accurate readings out past 950 yards, and was great as with the 4-12X lens, you could rally pin point what you were ranging, and not being off a little as you can with a hand held and a 7x lens where your reticle covers a LOT of things !
draw back was the darn scopes were very costly(3500 I think was retail on it( I was an authorized dealer so??)
and they sat super super high on the guns, I ended up building a custom stock with a super high cheap piece to TRY and make it work better!
but a very bright clear optic
they held a patent on this design for yrs and yrs , and then when it finally expired Burris came out with a LIKE version, but it was IMO NO where near the same quality on glass or laser!
but then again it cost a fraction of the original from Swaroviski!
Glad things worked out for you even without the turret too
should add a pic here of your Tur!
congrats on that too!
