Shooting sled

[abunaitoo]

Anyone use a shooting sled????
Most of my shooting is playing with loads for old rifles.
Testing different powders, boolets, what ever.
The quest for the top load for the rifle.
I shoot off a bench with an adjustable front stand.
I was thinking a sled would take another variable out of play.
Does a sled make that much of a difference????

[TheDoctor]

I have a lead sled. Great for long sessions with hard kicking guns. But, it is a lot more stress on the stock. As far as accuracy, I actually am able to do better with good bags. You can't really snuggle up to the gun right with a lead sled.

[tdoyka]

i had bulls bag for 20+ years and i really liked it. i bought a cadwell lead sled plus and this week or the next, i will try it out. people say it really does a good job... reducing recoil, holding the gun more steady and more important, making better accuracy. i don't know if it works, but for a $100 or so, i/ll take the chance.

[Skipper]

i had bulls bag for 20+ years and i really liked it. i bought a cadwell lead sled plus and this week or the next, i will try it out. people say it really does a good job... reducing recoil, holding the gun more steady and more important, making better accuracy. i don't know if it works, but for a $100 or so, i/ll take the chance.

I just bought the one that Cabelas has on sale for 59 bucks....works great for 60 plus year old shoulders.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/BLACKHAWKreg-Sportster8482-Titan-R2-Rapid-Rail-Rifle-Rest/1977853.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch%2F%3FN%3D5100222%26 Ne%3D5100222%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3DBlackhawk %26Ntx%3Dmode%252Bmatchallpartial%26WTz_l%3DHeader %253BSearch-All%2BProducts%26WTz_st%3DSearchRefinements%26form _state%3DsearchForm%26search%3DBlackhawk%26searchT ypeByFilter%3DAllProducts%26x%3D10%26y%3D6&Ntt=Blackhawk&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

[tdoyka]

i bought this one from fleabay. supposedly it will work great too, with my disabled arm.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/726246/caldwell-lead-sled-plus-rifle-shooting-rest

[Omega]

I got a Caldwell lead sled which I used to zero my hunting rifles with when they got new scopes. I was short on time and at a paid range, got zeroed within 3 rounds with 3 more for confirmation. It really takes the human element out of it, but for plinking I still use bags.

[abunaitoo]

I was looking at this one.
http://www.btibrands.com/product/the-steady-rest-nxt/
Light weight. Easy to carry. Cheap.

[Jevyod]

I don't know if this is true or not, but my friend had one, and he said often a lead sled will change poi slightly. He said if you sight in with a lead sled, when you shoot without, it will be about 2 inches high. I tried it only 1 time...used a sled to sight in a 308 before a Georgia hog hunt. Got there, and shot it, and it was about 2 inches high. Now I don't know if the reason was because of the sled, or getting bumped somehow.... anyway, I have been a bit hesitant to purchase one.

[texaswoodworker]

I don't know if this is true or not, but my friend had one, and he said often a lead sled will change poi slightly. He said if you sight in with a lead sled, when you shoot without, it will be about 2 inches high. I tried it only 1 time...used a sled to sight in a 308 before a Georgia hog hunt. Got there, and shot it, and it was about 2 inches high. Now I don't know if the reason was because of the sled, or getting bumped somehow.... anyway, I have been a bit hesitant to purchase one.

Any pressure on the barrel will have some kind of effect on POI. This is why free floated barrels are a good thing.

[popper]

Gave my Led Sled Solo to the SIL. It's supposed to be for lever guns and AR but I do much better with the good front stand and rear bag. The rubber stock holder doesn't fit well.

[Rhou45]

I have a lead sled. Great for long sessions with hard kicking guns. But, it is a lot more stress on the stock. As far as accuracy, I actually am able to do better with good bags. You can't really snuggle up to the gun right with a lead sled.

+1 I find the sled easy enough to stabilize the rifle and remove most of the human (my) error form zeroing, but I can never quite get the same stock weld and shoulder fit with the sled in the way. I use mine as a preliminary zeroing tool, and then fine tune my zero afterwards without the sled.

[lefty o]

imo, they arent worth it. locking a gun down does affect point of impact. so sighting in a hunting rifle with one really requires resighting one in off the shoulder. secondly without the human body acting as a shock absorber, the bedding of the rifle takes a beating.

[leadman]

I have no choice but to shoot with a Leadsled due to spine issues. I am able to shoot some very good groups with it(less than 1/2") but there are a few things that need to be done to do this.
If it is a heavy recoiling gun then a piece of foam rubber helps behind the buttstock. Make sure the buttstock is pulled back into the foam before shooting. For lighter recoiling guns the need to pull the buttstock back into device still stands.
If you are shooting guns with sling swivels on them make sure they do not interfere with the buttstock seating into the device.

If you are using the sled to stabilize the device only and can still absorb some recoil leave the weights off. If shooting on a concrete bench a piece of carpet under the sled helps it slide back more consistently.
Do hold the foreend so the gun does not jump up when fired.
A gun with a good recoil pad on the stock seems to shoot more consistently on the sled and closer to poa when off the sled.

I have the Leadsled FCX with the joystick to move the front rest but if I have to buy another I will get one with a fixed front rest.

[C.F.Plinker]

I don't add enough weight to keep the sled from moving under recoil. This keeps from having the stock absorb all of the energy of the recoil.

Then I will spot where the hole in the target is, adjust the sled so I have the original point of aim back again, then without moving the rifle, adjust the scope until the crosshairs are on the hole. Now adjust the sled so the point of aim is centered on the target and fire the second shot. Repeat as necessary.

[Omega]

This is the one I have:
http://www.btibrands.com/product/lead-sled-plus/

I experienced no shift in POI, I took a doe in the neck at roughly 110 yards, racked another and took another in the heart at about 100 yards. I took two others earlier in the season the same way at about the same distance but that distance would be an educated guess. The later two just happen to be where my 100 yard marker was placed earlier to use as a range later.

The barrel does not touch the rest and the lead bags absorb the recoil without making the rifle stock take the shock. I haven't conducted any tests past that but it seems to of worked real well with my .270. I have to rezero my .308 because I sent it in for the trigger recall, I'll repeat my procedure and see if there is any shift on paper in a few weeks.

[xs11jack]

I saw one some time ago that had the butt stock cup mounted on a piece of square tubing that had rubber tubing wrapped from the frame around the cup and back to the frame. This would simulate the movement of the shoulder under recoil. This would take some of the strain off the stock.
I can't remember the brand name, but I think I saw it in a Midway advertizement.
Ole Jack

[easy ed]

Watch out for vertical stringing I have found it hard to place the forearm at the same place each shot.

[Ed Barrett]

I bought a Lead Sled 2 years ago tried it several times. Most of the time I use cast loads so I don't have to worry about recoil. If you really want to compare accuracy of method you are using now versus the Lead Sled. I did this I have a bull barrel match 22rf that will make ragged holes at 50 yards with a front rest and bags, when I tried it with the Lead Sled the groups opened up. That is why it's sitting in the garage. If anyone has a .577 double rifle, I'll load it up to go to the range.

[higgins]

I've seen people using various mechanical rest devices get so removed from grasping the rifle and looking through the scope or sights consistently that it just looked uncomfortable and unnatural; in those cases I'm sure accuracy was not improved. I watched one guy using one to the extent that he was leaning over the rifle and looking through the scope and trying to "remotely" pull the trigger with his trigger finger. Significant recoil reduction can be achieved with a PAST pad or placing a half-filled sand bag between the butt and shoulder.

[abunaitoo]

Maybe I'll just get another sandbag rest for the stock.

[tdoyka]

the bulls bag is a very good rest. i would have gotten another one, but i have a stroke and i got the lead sled. it makes it easier for me. my hunting loads i have a bipod and tripod that i use. but for shooting off the bench i use the lead sled 2.

http://www.bullsbag.com/product_p/16022.htm?gclid=CjwKEAjwuoOpBRCSy6yQm66J1g8SJABrXW 48sWgzHKpOSRDC_-uiFzec-8lfczEC3LQRcptAXZwsMxoCkYrw_wcB

[snuffy]

I bought the #2 sled back about 3-4 years ago. It was to be used to soak up recoil of the shotgun slug/sabot loads I was working on. BPI sabots and 50 cal. J-words.

Anybody knows shooting slugs from a 12 ga is pure torture. Even with a Past magnum pad and a soft sorbathane recoil pad. The shotgun only hunt I was working on the loads for never came about, so I gave up on the loads. I never got to use that sled.

I hesitate to try it now because of the stories about it causing more stress on stocks. I could see how an 870 stock could be cracked by NOT letting the shotgun recoil normally. Same with the recoil of a magnum bolt rifle stressing the area around the recoil lug of a wood stock.

I have one of the caldwell front tripod rests and one of their rear rests that work just great for sighting in and testing loads. I'm not recoil sensitive until it starts hurting. Some people think the lead sled is a cure all for lousy bench technique, even front and back sandbags are usually enough to see if a load shoots, or to check sights before a hunting trip.

[tdoyka]

I bought the #2 sled back about 3-4 years ago. It was to be used to soak up recoil of the shotgun slug/sabot loads I was working on. BPI sabots and 50 cal. J-words.

Anybody knows shooting slugs from a 12 ga is pure torture. Even with a Past magnum pad and a soft sorbathane recoil pad. The shotgun only hunt I was working on the loads for never came about, so I gave up on the loads. I never got to use that sled.

I hesitate to try it now because of the stories about it causing more stress on stocks. I could see how an 870 stock could be cracked by NOT letting the shotgun recoil normally. Same with the recoil of a magnum bolt rifle stressing the area around the recoil lug of a wood stock.

I have one of the caldwell front tripod rests and one of their rear rests that work just great for sighting in and testing loads. I'm not recoil sensitive until it starts hurting. Some people think the lead sled is a cure all for lousy bench technique, even front and back sandbags are usually enough to see if a load shoots, or to check sights before a hunting trip.

ouch!!! those 12ga slugs/sabot are real torture!!!

i am using a 444 marlin with 265gr j-words at 2000 fps. it kicks about as hard as an '06 with 165gr j-words. my 30-40 krag doesn't kick at all using 165gr ranch dogs(1800fps), well more like a 243 win. and my handi-rifle which is 45-70 using 405gr fbfn that goes 1400fps doesn't kick much either. all of these where used on a bulls bag. since my stroke, i have alot of time on my hands[smilie=l:. i don't think the lead sled 2 will hurt my stocks at all. esp when using cast boolits. the 444 is about to go on another great trip, it will be a 280gr ranch dog that goes around 1800-1900fps:bigsmyl2:. but when it comes time for shooting at any game animal, it gets zeroed in on my bipod or tripod with a PAST recoil pad.

my shoulder is really starting to hurt. ooooo 12ga slugs:evil::holysheep i remember those days!!!:groner: