Leupold Freedom RDS---Why Aren't You Guys Excited About This?

[Dr. Bullseye]

I am not a red dot person but after seeing an ad and checking this out, I am wondering why nobody is interested?


https://www.leupold.com/scopes/red-d...ght-rds-1x34mm

This is a large sight, 34 mm, and Leupold claims it is superior in low light. It is a 1 MOA dot. It passed the Leupold torture test just like military quality optics do. It's glass is said to be the clearest red dot (in video review). But the interesting feature is a built in bullet drop compensater for the red dot. It has a dial on top for distance, you dial in the distance and the dot adjusts automatically to that distance (this is for the more expensive model). The cheap model is $299.00 and the expensive model with the drop compensater is $399.00.

Well, $399.00 is expensive for my blood but nothing compared to an Aimpoint. This drop down thing seems to be the only innovation in red dots in a long time. If I were getting a red dot, I would seriously consider this Leupold. Am I wrong???

[lsllc]

It’s heavy, battery life is terrible, and in general, Leupold hasn’t had a history of excellence in the red dot market. Aimpoint PRO is the dot which you seek.


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[RHINOWSO]

Why? 300 hours minimum Battery life is a joke. Heavier than an Aimpoint Pro with that crappy Aimpoint mount. BDC dial out to 400 for a RDS?

Out to 200, I don't need to holdover at all (I zero everything at 100). Hold a foot high at 300. 2 feet high at 400. I'm sure I can manually holdover faster that you can estimate range, dial in that range, reacquire the target, and fire. I hit steel silhouettes from 100-350 all day with Aimpoints and Trijicon RMR without trying. Then there is the risk of forgetting to dial back to your 'zero' after using the BDC thingy. No thanks.

[gaijin]

^^ Sums it up nicely.

[Todd.K]

So not a prismatic + firedot + better reticle?

[maximus83]

It’s heavy, battery life is terrible, and in general, Leupold hasn’t had a history of excellence in the red dot market.

Spot on. You could MAYBE forgive the 12oz weight with mount, IF the sight had some extraordinary feature that made the weight worth it. Looking at the description, I don't see anything beyond an ordinary red dot you could get anywhere else. And the battery life, in this day and age? 300 hours is just unforgivable, laughable even.

[titsonritz]

I am wondering why nobody is interested?

It costs more than $69, which given it's performance seems high.

[Outlander Systems]

Because there’s only so many ways to stuff an LED inside an aluminum tube before it becomes played the **** out.

I am wondering why nobody is interested?

[RHINOWSO]

Besides the Mark 5, 6, and 8 series a lot of what Leupold does has me scratching my head.

I know they don't cater exclusively to the tactical crowd, but even some of their hunting reticle seem like holdovers from decades ago.

They just seem to lack a unified vision of their product lines and have yet to embrace a mid-tier tactical line that makes any sense. Even their VX-6HD lineup is infected with stupid wind-hold plex reticles which you have to dial elevation and no simple MIL / MOA reticle option even offered.

Their RDS attempts have been meh, with the LCO priced at $1K initially. I don't care how cool your RDS is, unless it has an integrated laser range finder and automatically calculating dot of death which accounts for range, wind, and target movement, and able to display it into your NODS, it isn't worth $1K.

I see where they were going with the D-EVO but the weight and wonky setup (not to mention price) made it flounder. Not to mention them taking the advertising people too literally and branding LEUPOLD in neon flashing white on EVERY available surface.

Quality RDS seem to have settled in the $300-700 range. You can go cool / bombproof and dive to 150 feet on the high end, or just average hardcore joe it with products at the lower end. You can budget dive to $100-200 and still get 50K hours of run time with a product that will likely work just fine for 90% of users. You may get a lemon but they'll send you a new on for free. Part of dumpster diving.

This is just another 'swing and a miss' from Leupold. If you want one, wait 1-3 years and they'll be on clearance for $125 or less. Just look at the VX-R Patrol and Mark AR lineup at Midway and Natchez. Cheap cheap cheap.

[Tokarev]

This is just another 'swing and a miss' from Leupold. Just look at the VX-R Patrol...

Supposed to be some type of VX-R Patrol update in the works. Will whatever it is be launched by SHOT?

I have a 1.25-4 Patrol. It is okay. But nobody's dialing windage and elevation on a patrol carbine. Or darned few anyway. I guess maybe I'd crank my elevation if I was shooting 300 BLK and swapping between supers and subs? I'm also not a fan of the brightness control. It would be much better as a rheostat and not the funky push button deal. Overall I think the idea was there but then ??? happened.

I see this red dot as sort of the same deal. Leupold wanted to make a red dot that could compete in the market with the other middle priced stuff. They could do it and it would sell but they need to look at what the competition is doing. Rival what sells rather than chopping the objective and ocular off an existing scope and calling it good.


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