CDS Turrets

[pontoon]

So I have a Leupold scope which uses the CDS turrets. Basically I can get these custom made by specifying to them:

Cartridge & Caliber
Bullet Weight
Bullet Make/Brand
Bullet Type
Ballistic Coefficient
Muzzle Velocity
Average Elevation
Average Temperature

What I'm wondering is: is "average" elevation and "average" temperature really good enough? If not, am I supposed to buy one for every occasion? They aren't super cheap, so the cost will add up! Example: elevation of 1,000 vs 10,000 might be about 50 inches difference in trajectory. Similar difference in trajectory going from 30 to 90 degrees. If I used the CDS for elevation 1,000 when I'm actually at 10,000 ft will it be off by a ton (50 inches using the example above)?

I have a Leupold RX-1200i TBR w/ DNA rangefinder if that matters. It has features which give me a "true ballistic range" that, when combined with a CDS, supposedly makes accurate shots.

 

[rcoody]

So I have a Leupold scope which uses the CDS turrets. Basically I can get these custom made by specifying to them:

Cartridge & Caliber
Bullet Weight
Bullet Make/Brand
Bullet Type
Ballistic Coefficient
Muzzle Velocity
Average Elevation
Average Temperature

What I'm wondering is: is "average" elevation and "average" temperature really good enough? If not, am I supposed to buy one for every occasion? They aren't super cheap, so the cost will add up! Example: elevation of 1,000 vs 10,000 might be about 50 inches difference in trajectory. Similar difference in trajectory going from 30 to 90 degrees. If I used the CDS for elevation 1,000 when I'm actually at 10,000 ft will it be off by a ton (50 inches using the example above)?

I have a Leupold RX-1200i TBR w/ DNA rangefinder if that matters. It has features which give me a "true ballistic range" that, when combined with a CDS, supposedly makes accurate shots.

yep

those dials are made for specific conditions

Now with the G7 you can input the conditions your dial is made for and it will compensate for the actual conditions you are shooting in. It is made for working with ballistic dials. Just gives you a corrected yardage to dial in.

I believe the kestrel/bushnell 1mille combo can give you corrected yardage too.

 

[PGJPJ]

I have CDS turrets, but I'm not sending them in. Just keeping the stock MOA dials, and I'll make my own drop cards for the conditions I'm hunting.

 

[horsefor4]

What I did build a drop card say for 6000' elev. and one for say 8000' elev. their is very little difference. So no you don't have to have one for every condition I have been using them for 20 years made by a different company. Don't know what caliber but your turret will only be good for 700 to 800 yards.

 

[pontoon]

So basically what you're saying is that my rangefinder doesn't account for the conditions I'm shooting in, so the MOA output it gives will not be correct at 1000 yards? I'm assuming what I really want is for the rangefinder to give me either "true ballistic range" and then I use a drop chart and the dial I already have.

I don't really understand these turrets well enough. So basically there are 21,600 MOA in a 360 degree circle. If I get a CDS dial and the dial has MOA inscribed on it, yet it's somehow different than the standard dial, is this now "fake MOA?" Where based on this new dial maybe there is more or less than 21,600 MOA in a circle?

Or am I better off getting the CDS dial? If I punch some stuff into a calculator and it says dial 20 MOA, is the CDS put to 20 more accurate or is the standard dial more accurate?

 

[horsefor4]

Put it this way I built a dail for my 7 wsm 160 gr. Bullet which my range is tops 700 yards that's my preference got all the temp pressure all that looked at the difference between 6000' and 10000' so I had the dail built for 7000' l have hunted at those elevations since 2007 with great accuracy

 

[pontoon]

Is the sole purpose of the CDS dial to put yardage on the dial? And then the MOA remains on the dial but is unchanged?

If so I'm guessing the CDS is good for up to maybe 600 yards after which point a ballistics calculator and MOA is probably a good idea?

 

[rcoody]

Is the sole purpose of the CDS dial to put yardage on the dial? And then the MOA remains on the dial but is unchanged?

If so I'm guessing the CDS is good for up to maybe 600 yards after which point a ballistics calculator and MOA is probably a good idea?

my leupold CDS only has yardage on it. It is set up for the ballistic information you gave them.

I believe they are accurate for elevation. I sighted in at a 100 yrds and dialed in 200 and hit the center of the bull. They are only as accurate as the information you give them.

In a hunting situation I feel they are the way to go. Much faster. Range and set your yardage. In hunting you are not trying to shoot tiny groups.

On the range I use a kestrel and range finder and dial. Time is not a factor.

 

[Plinker147]

CDS dials work as long as the area/conditions you hunt in remain constant. The advantage is you don't have to figure yards from your range finder to MOA. The dial is in yards for your specs so you just dial to the yardage. Its fast and a good system as long as you realize it wont be accurate for all conditions.

If you do get one made I advise go shoot out to at least 600 and get your real/hard data of MOA to send and work all the ballistic parameters off of that. You will get a more accurate dial back.

What I have found out over time is once I got use to dialing and thinking in MOA terms a CDS dial didn't offer me any advantage so I no longer use them.

 

[geo4061]

Keep the moa turret and save your money. Go to G7 and print you out a drop chart in moa. You can also get AB on your phone or in my case I have a Kestrel 4500 AB. Enter the range and angle if any and it gives you a firing and wind solution in moa.

 

[pontoon]

Thanks I'll stick with my MOA dial.