Leupold & Stevens, Inc., is pleased to announce that the Freedom RDS (Red Dot System) has been named “Optic of the Year” by American Rifleman, an official journal of the National Rifle Association. The award – officially known as a Golden Bullseye – will be presented to Leupold at the 149^th NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Nashville.

In their 18th year, the NRA Publications Golden Bullseye Awards acknowledge the finest products available in the shooting sports. The winners are selected by a committee consisting of editors and veteran NRA Publications staff, representing more than a century of collective experience in the shooting and hunting industry. To qualify for consideration for a Golden Bullseye Award, a product must have been recently introduced to consumers, used/tested by an NRA staff member or regular contributor to the magazine and/or affiliated media, reliable in the field, meeting or exceeding the evaluator’s expectations, innovative in design and function, and styled in a manner befitting the shooting and hunting industry and, perhaps more importantly, its enthusiasts.

“Consumers demanded a value-priced red dot that possessed the rugged reliability and relentless performance required in the field,” said Bruce Pettet, President and Chief Executive Officer of Leupold & Stevens, Inc. “The Freedom RDS delivers on that and more, all in a package that is designed, machined, and assembled in our factory in Beaverton, Oregon. We’re proud that the staff of NRA Publications – comprised of some of the most experienced and respected media members in the shooting and outdoor community – have recognized it as the class-leading optic it is.”

A tubular red dot sight built for shooters and hunters alike, the Freedom RDS is available in two distinct models: One features capped precision ¼-MOA click adjustments, the other a precision exposed BDC elevation turret that ships with measurements out to 500 yards for standard 55-grain .223 Rem. ammunition. The RDS is designed to install easily with an included mount that sits at the optimal sight height for use on AR-style rifles. That said, it can also be removed and mounted using any 34mm rings. The scratch-resistant lenses feature Leupold’s Twilight Red Dot System, which delivers standard color consistency and premium lens clarity. Both iterations feature a 1-MOA dot and up to 80 MOA of adjustment in both elevation and windage.

Waterproof, fogproof, and guaranteed to perform for life, the Freedom RDS is designed, machined, and assembled in Leupold’s Beaverton, Ore., factory and backed by the company’s legendary Lifetime Guarantee.