Leupold Freedom Red Dot

WildWeasel · May 30, 2019

https://www.leupold.com/product-series/freedom-red-dot-sight-rds

Has anyone here purchased or handled one of these yet? I know they're fairly new but seem to be have been released without much fanfare aside from SHOT 2019, as I have yet to see any reviews. As a Leopold core member, even the BDC variant is much cheaper than Aimpoints ACO, but I want the superior optic.

Boom Boom · May 30, 2019

Here is about the best review you will find. Discusses the pros and cons. The silver reflective coating is a major con. 24-hour battery life is something to consider, but it does have auto-off.

If it was my money, I would probably get a Vortex Spitfire AR, Vortex Strikefire II, or Aimpoint PRO. Spitfire AR has the advantage of being a true scope with etched reticle, meaning its astigmatism-friendly.

alucard0822 · May 30, 2019

probably nice, but pics of one with a 20mm lens would scare me off till I could handle one. Too many have a nice big tube, but tiny viewable area or put the LED mount in the way.

WildWeasel · May 31, 2019

Boom Boom, thanks for sharing the review. Not sure why it didn't come up when I searched for it... Google must be limiting me... -Tinfoil Hat Brigade

The claimed battery life is VERY short. If it really is 24 hours, that's fine on a safe queen, and my current setup and usage, but take it hunting for a few days and it's done. I have about 2 hours of driving just to and from the rifle range... I think they have a kill flash for it. Not a huge con to me, as I'll probably get one for whichever optic I choose, but a definite downside for some.

I just asked about the battery life to their website and will post the results once I get them. I also got answers to previous questions I had: they confirmed its NV capable, cowitnesses with irons, and functions with magnifiers from the competition (as Leupold currently doesn't have their own).

alucard0822 said:
probably nice, but pics of one with a 20mm lens would scare me off till I could handle one. Too many have a nice big tube, but tiny viewable area or put the LED mount in the way.

Isn't it a 30 or 34 mm tube?

erwos · May 31, 2019

24 hours battery life means this thing is DOA. The market expects at least 10k now, if not 25k-50k. The Holosun RDSes and Aimpoint ACO/PRO just eats their entire market for that reason alone.

WildWeasel · May 31, 2019

erwos said:
24 hours battery life means this thing is DOA. The market expects at least 10k now, if not 25k-50k. The Holosun RDSes and Aimpoint ACO/PRO just eats their entire market for that reason alone.

Not sure where the 24 hours that TDS was using came from. Per the Leupold rep via email;

"The Freedom RDS has a run time of 72 continuous hours on high power, 800 hours on medium and 1200 hours on low."

Still not very competitive especially from Leupold.

woodline · Jun 2, 2019

The sub par battery life would make that a no go for me regardless of any other considerations. Top two affordable red dots I would consider for a work gun would be trijicon MRO and Aimpoint PRO with the QD mount. Heck I'd probably take an EOTech or Sig/Holosun/Primary Arms optic over the Leupold just because the battery life is so bad.

Independence · Jun 4, 2019

WildWeasel said:
Not sure where the 24 hours that TDS was using came from. Per the Leupold rep via email;

"The Freedom RDS has a run time of 72 continuous hours on high power, 800 hours on medium and 1200 hours on low."

Still not very competitive especially from Leupold.

That's not competitive anymore in red dot land. 10 years ago, sure, it's ok.

The market is saturated with red dots, Leopold's offering brings nothing and takes a dump in your front lawn before leaving.

rockstarr · Jun 4, 2019

Independence said:
That's not competitive anymore in red dot land. 10 years ago, sure, it's ok.

The market is saturated with red dots, Leopold's offering brings nothing and takes a dump in your front lawn before leaving.

LMAO, very true.

I would expect more from Leupold

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