Caldwell Lead Sled

[youp50]

I have been contemplating the purchase of a Lead Sled. Only to find out there are 4 different models. I sure would appreciate any pros or cons you may have regarding them. Thanks.

Ben,

I will use the sled with my 10 ML. Honest.

[bigmoose]

Unless you are shooting a cannon, or only using it to sight in a hard kicker, IMHO its a bad idea. You gain nothing using it, after sighting in use hunting positions in shooting, if your old, [like me] use shooting sticks for offhand practise

[mountainam]

I'd have to agree with Bigmoose. I see no advantage to one and I work up a lot of loads for other guys with rifles that are too big for the game that they pursue. If you really think that you need one perhaps you should re-think your caliber choice for one that shoots smoother. Because you're not going to trick your brain about the recoil when shooting a bruiser less the Lead-Sled. I think it will make you flinch more when shooting without it. I have to admit that they sell a lot of them,but that gimmick will never take the place of honing your skills on the bench. Spend your money on more shooting supplies for more practice. Good Shooting!

[KerryB]

I have to tell you that i have tried all of the models of Lead Sleds that my buddies own and i just don't care for any of them! Some aren't adjustable enough (no windage) and the models that are adjustable seem high priced for what you get. They are designed for lead shot bags and i saw one of those tear open on the bench one day and dump about 10lbs of shot on the bench and ground. No fun to clean up......... Yes, they do absorb recoil, but i found what i consider a better device. It is built by Shooters Ridge and it's called the Zero Kick Rifle Rest. It uses a weight.......same as the Lead Sled, but this one isn't lead shot........it uses a barbell weight. They sell weights at Wal-Mart fairly inexpensively and those weights have handles molded in which makes them easy to transport, or you can just leave it on the rest. There is a large locking wheel to hold the weight on making it easy to transport in one piece. The feet on the rest are all four screw adjustable for leveling on the bench. Both the front and rear of the rest are elevation adjustable with mariner wheels and both have large locking T-handles for holding your adjustments securely. The front of the rest is windage adjustable and both the front and the rear of the rest come supplied with bags. The rest has rubber feet to prevent slippage on the bench. This rest is very well built and is very attractively powder coated for durability. If you ever look at one of these in person and then look at a Lead Sled, you'll never consider a Lead Sled again! It is a pleasure to shoot high recoilinig rifles all day long on this rest and you know as well as i, you don't feel recoil when you shoot at game anyway. No i don't work for Shooters Ridge.......i just know how good this rest is! And now the good part! This rest is dirt cheap for what you get............$118. Here is a link: trophys.dealerease.net/catalog/product.asp?ret_id=806356&pid=62598
www.shootersridge.com/products/shootingrests/tabletoprests/zerokickshootingrest.aspx

[boarhog]

I like my Lead Sled DFT model.

[rangeball]

Apr 14, 2010 8:16:53 GMT -5 boarhog said:

I like my Lead Sled DFT model.

Me too. For load development it really lets you ignore recoil and focus on accuracy. The vertical elevation works fine, but the horizontal is a bit weak, as it rotates the platform instead of moving it side to side. This can put uneven pressure on the forearm.

Another thing I like about the DFT model is the adjustable front rest, so you can fine tune the pressure point on the forearm. I have mine set to match my shooting sticks I use in the field, and it maintains the same poi. Also, the DFT model weighs a bit over 20# by itself so I don't even bother with adding lead bags or weight and it still does a great job of reducing recoil.

[Guessed]

{Harley Weather, State Park, Morel Hunting}
Like the Dime Dimpler sez, it's a bad idea that will actually ruin your hunting form. And to look at it from a winning perspective; If the overweight contraption was the end all of accurate rifle shooting, they'd be using them in competition. A Wichita/Hart/Sinclair w/windage top and a few Protektors would be a better investment in your rifle shouldering consistency. I personally use a 3 lb. Benchmaster with the rifle butt against my hard shoulder. 'nam gives about the most perfect advise from the perspective of recoil and practice. To become above average, your priority should be practice over play toys until practice makes you consistent enough that your equipment starts limiting your ability.

[bigmoose]

Dime Dimpler??Dime Holer......me

[Guessed]

{Respectfully}
Good Morning, Marty. You penny punching nickle notching currency criminal. It just seems to turn a phrase better when the words start with the same letter, I dun'no why.

[northny]

If you are going for alliteration, then I vote for Dime Driller.

[youp50]

More like Dime Wrecker.

Its too windy for the range today. Night shift eating me up anyway. But these 490 grain bullets and reading about the times that Mr B. Moose and Richard have had with their bodies got me curios.

I think I may be too old and too lousy of a shot to have a mechanical device make anything worse. I do not want to develop the ability to clap with my shoulder blades.

[Guessed]

{Almost riding time}
Driller alliterates it much better. Thank you, ny. It was early and my mind just locked in on the first three letters and phrased it from there. I'm going to get up from the computer and go outdoors to practice my balance on the highway now.

[bigmoose]

I wish I'd get this much attention, when I say something, in my home. Best I can hope for is "what another silly target, game animal or fish, when you've seen one you have seen them all....stop wasting film.
Isn't time you grow up....or act your age.....AIN'T LOVE WONDERFUL

[Richard]

Youp50.......................BS! I am a benchrest shooter and know the value of a good rest such as was mentioned. In competition, I shoot a Bald Eagle rest set up on a heavy steel plate and a large Edgewood Gator rear bag. There is a BIG difference between shooting a 17 lb.bench gun pushing a 105 gr. bullet and a 10 lb. ML pushing a 300 gr. bullet at 2500 fps! I NEVER thought I would like a Lead Sled. However upon having shoulder surgery, I borrowed a DFT Lead Sled and subsequently bought one from one of our members..........."Thanks Jon!" There is no need to beat yourself to death testing the number of loads I shoot every week. They plain out work! I thought they would induce a lot of vertical??? With the set up I now have (check back in the equipment list - I have pictures), it allows the sled to slightly recoil on a controlled surface - I even put grease on the bottom of the rubber feet so it slides instead of jumping. All the groups I have been posting are shot from a lead sled DFT. As far as shot bags breaking? I sewed up a nice leather one with 16 lbs of shot. I even sewed on a leather handle so moving it is easy. IT AIN'T GONNA BREAK!
You can always put in a range session prior to hunting season and shoot of your "sticks" or whatever just to check things out!
If you can't find the pictures and want them, just PM me.
Richard

[deadon]

I have two cast iron 25 lb bar bell weights on mine, They fit perfect and are locked down with the set screw. For testing loads they are great. After I find a group I like I then shoot across my bags. The bullets print in a little different spot, so i zero my rifle and am ready to hunt

[rangeball]

Scott, back when I was contemplating my purchase, I asked here and received lots of love from guys who like theirs.

You can probably search for those posts, good info on the positives in them.

[jims]

I use the DFT model. I like it off the bench. I do not feel recoil when hunting, sometimes I do not even recall the sound when shooting at game but off the bench is another story. I would not shoot off the bench with big calibers without some type of recoil reduction system.

[12ptdroptine]

I also have a leadsled dft.........And I love it.I am very careful with my bags Arent we all? I intend to make a couple bag cover's out of old blue jean leg's..Or better yet I like Richards idea about leather. I am a flincher....therefore I use the sled when sighting in I guess it just helps me remove some of the question "was it me". The one's that use solid weight. I wonder if those would be as forgiving on equipment. I akin the shot to working more like a dead blow hammer. But to each his own. Drop

[deadon]

Drop, Good point about the solid weights

[deadon]

Youp, The only thing I could add is, One model has two bars coming back to where the stock butt rest. That may solve the problem I have with mine. When I get down and weld my cheek the sled does not slide right but the sled seems to give. I think the next one will have the two bars

[Richard]

Youp50...........Here is the link to my lead sled DFT
Richard
dougsmessageboards.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=gear&action=display&thread=2257

[dougedwards]

Kerry B got it right! I had the original Lead Sled but it does not hold a candle to the Shooters Ridge Zero Kick rifle rest. Great stability, functionality and adjustability. Far superior to the original Lead Sled in my opinion but I haven't tried the upgraded version of the Sled.

These devices are not supposed to improve your hunting form. They are for bench rest shooting and for the proper sighting in of a rifle. You can't make adjustments until you know exactly where your rifle is shooting. Then you can work on your hunting form.

Doug

[Hawkeye]

Apr 14, 2010 21:29:36 GMT -5 dougedwards said:

Kerry B got it right! I had the original Lead Sled but it does not hold a candle to the Shooters Ridge Zero Kick rifle rest. Great stability, functionality and adjustability. Far superior to the original Lead Sled in my opinion but I haven't tried the upgraded version of the Sled.

These devices are not supposed to improve your hunting form. They are for bench rest shooting and for the proper sighting in of a rifle. You can't make adjustments until you know exactly where your rifle is shooting. Then you can work on your hunting form.

Doug

+1, Amen and ditto!

youp50, at least check these out prior to making your decision.
For the money, it's the best thing out there, bar none. You
cannot go wrong with one of them.

[youp50]

I keep looking at these 490 gr bullets and know that I will wait for a recoil reducing rest to arrive.

[bigmoose]

youp50,
Who makes the 490gr. bullet?
What load are you going to use, I'm using 64grs of H4198 with the 400 gr. Buster Bullet, shooting offhand is not a problem...benching another story.
Is the 490 a jacketed or all cooper bullet.
Good Luck
Got any Masterdon's in your neck of the woods.

[KerryB]

Apr 14, 2010 9:35:59 GMT -5 @Guessed said:

{Harley Weather, State Park, Morel Hunting}
Like the Dime Dimpler sez, it's a bad idea that will actually ruin your hunting form. And to look at it from a winning perspective; If the overweight contraption was the end all of accurate rifle shooting, they'd be using them in competition. A Wichita/Hart/Sinclair w/windage top and a few Protektors would be a better investment in your rifle shouldering consistency. I personally use a 3 lb. Benchmaster with the rifle butt against my hard shoulder. 'nam gives about the most perfect advise from the perspective of recoil and practice. To become above average, your priority should be practice over play toys until practice makes you consistent enough that your equipment starts limiting your ability.

WHAT??Target shooting off of a benchrest or in other words, sighting in your rifle and performing load development work will "ruin your hunting form"? That is like saying that you shouldn't drive a car if you are an airplane pilot because it will ruin your form! They are two different things and i believe any normal human being can "handle it"! The benchrest will assist you in finding an accurate load and determining the accuracy capabilities of your rifle and load! You said "If the overweight contraption was the end all of accurate rifle shooting, they'd be using them in competition." WHAT??? The benchrest discipline is HUGE in the shooting world! Where have you been sir? You said "'nam gives about the most perfect advise from the perspective of recoil and practice". Are you suggesting that only veterans of the Vietnam conflict ever learned how to shoot properly? Maybe you are suggesting that we should all be laying prone with a military sling, and that is the only way we should shoot when hunting? I don't know........you lost me on that one. You said "To become above average, your priority should be practice over play toys until practice makes you consistent enough that your equipment starts limiting your ability". If my equipment is limiting my abilities it sure isn't my benchrest which is doing so! My rifle and load may not be as accurate as i require them to be, and if that is the case then i buy/build a rifle that is up to my accuracy expectations. The benchrest simply allows me to confirm the full capabilities of my firearm, and the recoil absorbing rests allow me to do that with high recoiling firearms (Savage 10ML with a heavy load), without punishing my shoulder! You said, "A Wichita/Hart/Sinclair w/windage top and a few Protektors would be a better investment in your rifle shouldering consistency". If you read youp50's posts you will realize that he isn't looking for a rest that will improve his "rifle shouldering consistency". He is looking for a rest that will protect his shoulder from a 490gr, high recoiling load. I certainly hope that youp50 will post his final decision here and also advise us of whether it was the right decision after he gets the new rest. I am certain it will be right........... Nuff said............other than my previous offers...........once again.......why don't you join the forum? ;D ;D

[edge]

IMO, for load development anything that would reduce the wobble area would be good...as long as it does not damage the scope or rifle.

While it may not be fun, an automatic rest with no shooter contact with the rifle would certainly show what a particular rifle and load are capable of. Anything less would be on the shooter.

Fortunately I don't like target shooting, and I am not good at it, so bugholes aren't expected...and not surprisingly not achieved either

edge.

[youp50]

Marty, They are are hard cast BHN15 bullets from Dave Jennings at Montana Bullet works 1 3/8 inch long. Designed by Lyman as a BPCR target load. I bought them for Rex's upcoming 200 yard shoot. 4198 and Varget will be tested using data gleaned from 50 Alaskan and 458 Win Mag. According to the research I did, it requires a barrel twist of 22.85 inches, much closer to the 24 a stock savage has. Dave Jennings reminded me that a hard cast bullet kills by penetration, not upset and shock. I would guess most anything alive could not survive a 457 dia hole penetrating their gizzard. I will have to see if I can duplicate your penetration tests.

[youp50]

Edge,

I recall a ten shot post on the old board that may not have been a bug hole group, but real little birds were impressed. Many were fawning over your shooting ability.

[edge]

Apr 15, 2010 9:07:47 GMT -5 youp50 said:

Edge,

I recall a ten shot post on the old board that may not have been a bug hole group, but real little birds were impressed. Many were fawning over your shooting ability.

That was 10 shots in about 3/4 inch group. IMO, the group pretty much represents my wobble area ON A REST ;D

I am confident that a competent bench shooter would get that much smaller. The group was almost square because I was trying to use the vertical and horizontal lines on the target and actually never aimed for the bull!

edge.