{"id":125877,"date":"2020-04-12T12:38:32","date_gmt":"2020-04-12T16:38:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=125877"},"modified":"2020-04-12T12:38:32","modified_gmt":"2023-09-06T15:37:19","slug":"range-review-leupolds-new-red-dot-sight-rds-optic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/range-review-leupolds-new-red-dot-sight-rds-optic\/","title":{"rendered":"Range Review: Leupold\u2019s New Red Dot Sight (RDS) Optic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I lined up the 1 MOA red dot of my Leupold<\/a> Freedom Red Dot Sight (RDS) just below the head of the tom turkey, squeezed the trigger of my Remington<\/a> 870 DM Predator shotgun, and the #6 pellets lit up the tom\u2019s neck and head. I swung my shotgun onto Tom #2, shot, and then lined up on Tom #3 and fired once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three dead turkeys at 25 yards. Had they been actual turkeys. In fact, they were VisiShot Turkey Targets from Primos Hunting<\/a>, set up at 25 yards as part of my testing for Leupold\u2019s newest red dot, the RDS. With spring on the near horizon, I figured I better get ready for turkey hunting season and the RDS turned out to be a fine choice for the gun and the hunts to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Range
At 25 yards, the new Leupold Red Dot Sight (RDS) helped to put the hurt of three turkey targets. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Leupold\nintroduced the RDS later in 2019 in two versions. Mine featured capped turrets\nand \u00bc-MOA click adjustments. The other RDS model has an exposed BDC elevation turret\nwith measurements out to 500 yards for standard 55-grain .223 Rem. ammunition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Range
The Leupold RDS model McCombie tested featured capped turrets and \u00bc-MOA click adjustments. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Range
A second RDS model has an exposed BDC elevation turret with measurements out to 500 yards for standard 55-grain .223 Rem. ammunition. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Both\nmodels feature 1 MOA dot reticles supported by Leupold\u2019s battery-saving Motion\nSensor Technology (MST), which puts the sight into a battery-saving standby\nmode after five minutes of inactivity. When the MST detects motion, it instantly\nactivates the sight. A manual mode allows the sight to be shut off when not in\nuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nscratch-resistant lenses feature Leupold\u2019s Twilight Red Dot System, which\ndelivers clear and color-correct images. The RDS is 100 percent fog proof and waterproof\nand features 80-MOA of adjustment in both elevation and windage. The 34mm main\ntube measures at under 5.5 inches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initially, I mounted my Freedom RDS onto a Springfield Armory<\/a> Saint AR-15 Pistol 556. RDS arrived already in an AR-style mount (it can be had without a mount too), so installation was simply a matter of setting it on the Saint\u2019s Picatinny rail, making sure it was at the right distance from my eyes, and then tightening the three Torx screws along the bottom of the mount. (I also tightened the mounting ring screws holding the RDS to the mount.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"Range
The RDS mount is easily attached to a Picatinny rail using the mount\u2019s three Torx screws.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At my range,\nI zeroed the Freedom RDS\/Saint rig at 25 yards. The first rounds hit low and\nleft, but were easily and quickly \u201cclicked\u201d to strike right at the bullseye. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, I shot targets at 25 yards, offhand, using Birchwood Casey<\/a> IPSC Practice Targets. The RDS put me on target fast, although my shooting was all over the place for the first two targets. On the third target, though, I was now comfortable with the Saint and the RDS and was able to put eight shots into the center-mass \u201cA\u201d rectangle and five rounds into the smaller \u201chead\u201d area, despite shooting fairly fast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Range
Mounted on the new Springfield Armory Saint AR-15 Pistol, the Leupold RDS got McCombie on target fast and efficiently. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Here and\nwhen using the RDS on the Remington shotgun, images were very clear and I was\nable to quickly adjust the intensity of the 1 MOA red dot as lighting\nconditions shifted during the day, from bright sun to overcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also\nshot the RDS and the Saint at 50 yards from a rest and was able to get two-inch\ngroups, usually with three of the five shots within an inch of each other,\nfiring fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nRDS, it turned out, was a great choice for the Saint AR-15: compact and\nlightweight, easy to get on target and to help make very accurate shots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Range
McCombie found the RDS a fine complement to the Saint AR-15 Pistol. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I then\nswitched over the RDS to my Remington DM Predator. At first, the RDS shot very\nlow and to the left at 25 yards. Many clicks later, the patterns shifted up and\nright, and I had my three \u201cdead\u201d turkeys to prove it. Using Remington 3\u201d Nitro Turkey\nloads with #6 Shot, my best VisiTarget scored 26 pellet hits in the vital zone.\nEven my \u201cworst\u201d target had 22 vital zone hits\u2014pretty good and a nice testament to\nthe shotgun, the shells, and the RDS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The optic\u2019s\n1\/4 MOA clicks moved the center dot very precisely, and I would use the RDS on\nany rifle where I anticipated the shooting at under 150 yards. The RDS itself\nwould likely be accurate at further distances, but my rapidly aging eyes have\ntheir own limitations!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Range
Both the Elevation (shown) and Windage controls on the RDS feature \u00bc MOA clicks and up to 80 MOA of adjustment. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The suggested\nretail price on the RDS I used is $389.00 ($364 without the mounting hardware),\nwith street prices closer to $300.00. The RDS with the BDC reticle and exposed turret\nhas a higher suggested retail at $519.00, with advertised prices on the\nInternet right at $400.00. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The RDS\nis a solid little red dot, able to handle tough hunting conditions. It will\nalso hold its own during more tactical uses including home defense and competition.\nYou really can\u2019t ask for any more in a red dot optic at any price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Range
The Leupold RDS can handle the job for the hunter, as well as the tactical, home defense and recreational shooter. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

SPECS: Leupold\nFreedom Red Dot Sights (RDS) 1-34MM<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Reticle:\n1 MOA Red Dot<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eye\nRelief: Unlimited<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elevation\nAdjustment Range: 80 MOA<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Windage\nAdjustment Range: 80 MOA<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brightness\nSettings: 8<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weight:\n12.6 Oz., with mount<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Length:\n5.3 In.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tube Size:\n34MM<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tube\nMaterial: 6061 Aluminum<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finish:\nMatte Black<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Battery:\nOne CR 2032<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Battery\nLife: 1,000 hours minimum at brightness setting of 4 (of 8)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MSRP:  $389.99<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information visit Leupold website<\/a>.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica!<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The RDS is a solid little red dot, able to handle tough hunting conditions. It will also hold its own during more tactical uses including home defense and competition. You really can\u2019t ask for any more in a red dot optic at any price.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":125883,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_specdata_upc":"","_specdata_placement":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1128,875,109,47,879],"tags":[132,102,1859,704,1783,2091,1615],"featured":[],"hunt365":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-125877","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-brian-mccombie","8":"category-gear-for-rifles","9":"category-gear-reviews","10":"category-gear-optics-sights","11":"category-gear-optics-sights-red-dots","12":"tag-buzz","13":"tag-feature-articles","14":"tag-gear-review","15":"tag-leupold","16":"tag-leupold-optics","17":"tag-optics-review","18":"tag-red-dot-sights"},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/RDS6-150x113.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125877","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=125877"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125877\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":186504,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125877\/revisions\/186504"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/125883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=125877"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=125877"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=125877"},{"taxonomy":"featured","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured?post=125877"},{"taxonomy":"hunt365","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hunt365?post=125877"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}