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Leupold Vari-X III Power Ring

RCrosby
There must be a simple answer to this question, but it's sure eluded me.
I have a Vari-X III, 1.75 to 6 X scope.
The forward edge of the power adjustment ring is marked, left to right,
6x, 5x, 4x, and 1.75x. That part I understand.
But on the rear of the ring it's marked "YDS/M" which I would guess stands for yards and meters, and then, roughly in line with the numbers on the forward edge of the ring, are the numbers 6, 5, 4 and 2, followed by the YDS/M again.
What's the meaning or function of this separate set of numbers?
Thanks,
Have written to Leupold. Will let you know what I find out.
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Comments

3 comments

Date Votes
  • ern98
    Over the years I have read more then a few articles on how to use your scope as a range finder. Most of the articles never named brands but used arcane phrases to describe the lens and mag setup. In a nutshell the idea was to use the standard duplex style reticle and get a feel for how many inches it was accross from where the cross hairs necked down to thin over to where they fattened back out at a given range. This measurement was supposed to be similar to the depth of a bucks chest or some such and if you practiced you could bracket a buck in the field with you scope and then look to see what approximate range the buck was at. With the advent of range finders that theory went the way of the dodo. I'd guess that the markings on your scope go back to that school of thought......
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  • Ambrose
    ern98 has it right. You might contact Leupold for specifics if you have lost your instructions for the scope.
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  • tsr1965
    This coincides with the subtension of the reticle. Any Duplex reticle can be used to find distance...or estimate it, if you know the distance from the croshair intersection to the junction of the thick/thin portion of the cross hair, the size of your target, and the power setting of which they coincide.

    Example is that if I remember correctly, the distance between the intersection and thick/thin junction is 18 inches or the depth of a mature whitetail's chest from brisket to back...turn the power ring untill the deer's chest fills that distance, then look at your dial, and that is the distance the deer is from you...theoretically. This is for the Leupold VX-III. I have one in 2 1/2-8x.

    Most manufacturers lits in the specifications, the subtensions for their reticles at the lower, and upper power settings of the scopes. Knowing that, and that most standard modestly priced scopes have 1st focal plane reticles that grow with added power, and some reverse engineering(actually simple mathematics), one can use the scope to estimate distance. If you do not know the subtension of the reticle thick/thin junction to thick/thin junction of the verticle crosshair, you can measure it with a yardstick placed at 100 yards.

    an example of this is if your subtension of a 3-12x power scope is 24 inches on 3 power, and 6 inches on 12 power, at 400 yards on 12 power that distance will be 24 inches, and 48 inches on 6 power. One can sit down and make a little chart to use untill he is really familiar, and competant is using this in conjunction with the trajectory curve of the cartridge/load they are using.

    I know it was long winded, but I hope it helped. If you need further explanation, e-mail me, and I will give you a phone number to call me.

    Best
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