Here's How To Install A CDS On A Leupold VX5 Rifle Scope

Here's How to Install a CDS On a Leupold VX5 Rifle Scope

Leupold provides a free Custom Dial System (CDS) when you purchase a VX-5 scope. Here are step by step instructions on how to install the CDS on your rifle.

The Custom Dial System ZeroLock (CDS-ZL2 or just CDS for short) is one of the coolest features on Leupold's higher end VX-5 and VX-6 rifle scopes. In short, the CDS is designed to assist hunters with making elevation adjustments on the fly.

Just send Leupold the specific cartridge, bullet model, bullet weight, ballistic coefficient, muzzle velocity of your favorite hunting load along with the average temperature, elevation above sea level, height of the scope, and desired sight-in distance, and they'll build a CDS to your specifications.

The folks at Ochocos Outdoors recently sent me a new Leupold VX-5 scope that I mounted on my Ruger Hawkeye FTW Hunter in .300 Win Mag. My hunting load of choice is the 165 grain Barnes TTSX (courtesy of Ammo to Go), so I had Leupold build my Custom Dial System for that specific rifle and load.

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Watch the video to see me install the CDS on my scope and test it out at the range.

Pretty cool right?

The Leupold VX-5 HD is a really nice scope and the CDS is a great bonus feature that helps take a lot of the guess work out of longer range shooting. The Custom Dial System won't necessarily make you a better shooter and it doesn't help with making wind corrections, but it's still a welcome addition to my gear list.

For that reason, I highly recommend taking the time to get your CDS if you own an eligible Leupold scope.

Like what you see here? You can read more great articles by John McAdams on The Big Game Hunting Blog. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, & Instagram.

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