CDS or Hold over Dots?

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CDS or Hold over Dots?

Postby 2500 HD » Sat Mar 19, 2016 5:20 am

Anyone using the Leupold custom dial scopes on there 450's? I see alot of topics referring to the Ultislam scopes which I have on my TC Omega and really like. Curious how the CDS would be while hunting. The reticle would be simple, if set right you wouldn't really adjust it out to 150 yd shot, I would think at longer distance you would have time to range and adjust the turret. Especially since the animal should be stationary and broad side for an ethical shot.
Anyone try them? Or what's your opinion. It take away drop estimation at longer distance.
Thanks Ken.
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Re: CDS or Hold over Dots?

Postby Jim in Houston » Sat Mar 19, 2016 10:36 am

I have not used the CDS scope. I considered it when I purchased my Leupold VX-R with the FireDot Ballsitic reticle, but my take on the 450BM is this. I would not take a shot at over 300 yards due to the extreme drop (18" with a 200 yd zero) at that distance and much, much more beyond. My preference would be to shoot under 200 yards, with 100 yards being about 4" high with a 200 yd zero. With the firedot, this means holding the dot on the target at 200 yards, the top of the circle around the dot on the target at 100 yards, and the second horizontal below the dot on the target at 300 yards.

These adjustments are easily made in the field and don't require turning any knobs on the scope. I have limited experience hunting (I've tried, Lord knows, I've tried), but in one case the animal was walking very slowly through brush. I saw it about 30 seconds before it moved through a gap in the brush and a couple of seconds to get my shot off as it hit the gap. Knowing the holdover at the range I needed (150 yds) was the quickest way to set up for this shot.
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Re: CDS or Hold over Dots?

Postby plant_one » Tue Mar 22, 2016 2:21 pm

there's only two places on our property that even offer shots over 200 yds. the longest shot i've ever taken on a deer was 125-130 yds and i've made kills as close as 50 yds. so while not specifically related to the 450 i've never adjusted a scope turret while hunting for deer. Point, squeeze, game over.

personally i'm NOT a fan of mildots. their size precludes the type of accuracy i'm used to being able to squeeze out of my crosshairs.

most folks will say "dial for elevation, hold for wind". i have recently taken a shine to the 'varmint' type reticles though, and if i needed a in-field solution that would be my go to. they're fun on the bench to not have to click for making quick adjustments between known distance targets when i'm out shooting with my buddies. i dont shoot it far enough to utilized the dots (i'm just not that good off-hand! :| )



i have a vx1 with the leupold LR reticle and the dots are smaller than a typical "mil" dot so its easier, but i'm still not a huge fan. i put this on my 204 originally. these days i've got it on my 16" 223 upper that i'm using to train myself to be a better off hand shooter since its only a 3-9x40.

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i'm a fan of the vortex dead hold "bdc" reticle . its not too busy to be distracting and once you calculate your holds it should allow for respectable accuracy
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the leupold varmint hunters reticle is kind of the same idea, except the cross hashes are a bit wider. i've not had the pleasure of shooting behind one of these, but looking through them at the store gives me the same "not overly busy" feel as the vortex bdc above

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i cant get myself past the "holes" in the nikon BDC 600 reticle. this is what i mean by TOO busy.
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and their Coyote "special" sure is special. LIke "special Ed" special. to me this is probably one of the WORST bdc type reticles on the shelves today.
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Re: CDS or Hold over Dots?

Postby 2500 HD » Sat Mar 26, 2016 6:44 am

I don't disagree with any of the above. But I ordered a VX3i 3.5-10x40 CDS with wind plex. I'm curious and I mostly box blind Hunt over field edges where shots vary from 50-350 yrds. Gonna see how it works. I've got a back up gun it can go on if I'm not satisfied.
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Re: CDS or Hold over Dots?

Postby Cutright » Tue Dec 20, 2016 1:32 pm

Do you guys think that the fire dot is worth the extra money? Due to the accuracy of this round I was thinking of a higher magnification scope (3-15, 4-20). But I could get a 3-9 or 4-12x scope with the illuminated reticle for the same amount. I have a 2-7x Leupold ML scope on it now and would like more magnification for bench shooting
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Re: CDS or Hold over Dots?

Postby Jim in Houston » Wed Dec 21, 2016 4:56 pm

My accuracy improves, when I use the illuminated FireDot vs when I shoot with it turned off.

Because you will usually be shooting under 300 yards (and preferably under 200 to take advantage of the 450's accuracy and energy), I think a 3x9 scope is fine.

My suggestion would be to buy the lower magnification with the FireDot.
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Re: CDS or Hold over Dots?

Postby bpenrod » Thu Jan 12, 2017 1:21 pm

SABR Firedot.jpg
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I went with the 3-9 S.A.B.R Firedot for my setup. When I did the math the 3 pellet setting is just about dead on for the 450. When sighted at 100 yards and on the 3 pellet setting the bottom of the ring is .09" low at 150, the next dot is .6" low at 200, next is 1" low at 250 and the top of the post is 1.8" low at 300 yards. I don't hunt where I will get a 300 yard shot and going by the math the other aim points are well within my shooting limits! Just got it all put together, now to take it out and test my math!
Last edited by bpenrod on Wed Jan 18, 2017 1:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: CDS or Hold over Dots?

Postby Jim in Houston » Mon Jan 16, 2017 6:14 pm

bpenrod wrote:
I went with the 3-9 S.A.B.R Firedot for my setup. When I did the math the 3 pellet setting is just about dead on for the 450. When sighted at 100 yards and on the 3 pellet setting the bottom of the ring is .09" low at 150, the next dot is .6" low at 200, next is 1" low at 250 and the top of the post is 1.8" low at 300 yards. I don't hunt where I will get a 300 yard shot and going by the math the other aim points are well within my shooting limits! Just got is all put together, now to take it out and test my math!


I use the same reticle on my Leupold VRX 3x9. I sighted in at 200 yards, hold the top of the circle on at 100 (hold under) and the bottom dot on the bull at 300.
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Re: CDS or Hold over Dots?

Postby scalian » Sat Dec 09, 2017 12:44 am

I have a 4.5-14 vx3 CDS on my 450. Its probably more power than needed but its what i had laying around to use. I orders a custom tape from http://customturretsystems.com. I prefer dialing to hold overs but that is just personal preference and I'm more comfortable with just holding wind and dialing for distance. My buddy uses a pro-staff with the bdc and he has no problems using it out to 300 yards. Biggest thing for me is with a CDS dial i can range and dial in seconds and know things are ready to go. With the BDC it only works if its on a specific power, usually max so that's just another variable you have to check.
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Re: CDS or Hold over Dots?

Postby BobbyJ » Wed Nov 07, 2018 8:15 am

I love milldots because they can be used with any gun any load etc.

Recently I purchased a Leupold with the CDS dial just to try it. So far I don't trust it, but I think that has more to do with the mounts settling than the dial.

The issue with the CDS is you have to trust the dial, trust it to actually move the cross hairs the proper amount. If its cold maybe it hangs up a little and only moves them less than expected.

With Milldots or BDC reticles you are not messing with mechanical moving parts. Once you have your zero dialed in and it holds you are good. You just use the hold over dots and they don't change since they are etched in to the reticle. I my opinon there is far less to go wrong with milldots or BDC because fewer moving parts. If I am 200 yards away with a 100 yard zero I know my bullet is going to drop 9" and will either shoot 9" higher using the deers body as reference (top of back aim) or use the milldot for that range. Some say there is thinking involved here, yes there is but not much.

With CDS I am going to leave it zeroed at 100 yards then hold dead on for any shot up to 140 yards. If the deer is past that I will have the time to turn the dial because I'm not going to take a shot at a running deer 200 yards away, chances are he will be still and I will have time to turn to the dial to 200 yard setting and hold dead on.
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