Editors’ Picks 2019: Leupold Freedom RDS

Leupold’s Freedom RDS is the embodiment of rugged reliability. A 1X 34 mm tubular red-dot sight, the Leupold DNA is obvious in the optic’s aesthetics—including the gold ring—and more importantly in its durability. A friend at Leupold made no bones about the fact that the Freedom RDS is so tough that the company’s heavy-recoil testing apparatus, nicknamed “The Punisher,” would likely break down before the red-dot if the two were paired in an endurance duel to the death. The scope comes ready for use in a robust rail mount that would be equally at home atop an AR rifle platform or a big-bore revolver. It features a 1-m.o.a. red, illuminated-dot reticle with eight brightness settings—controlled by the left-side activation button—and 1/4-m.o.a. adjustments for windage and elevation are facilitated by a capped turret and exposed, target-style dial, respectively. Leupold will also offer the Freedom RDS with a custom bullet-drop elevation dial calibrated for the .223 Rem. cartridge. The RDS is powered by a 2032 battery, and energy is conserved with Leupold’s proven motion-sensor technology which automatically turns the dot on and off based on movement. Best of all, the base model for this do-anything red-dot has a suggested price of just $299. leupold.com