Anyone use a Lead Sled?

jheitertusa · December 7, 2008, 03:34 PM

I was looking for a good shooting rest for my 12 gauge slug gun and my muzzleloader.

I was wondering if anyone had experience with the Lead Sled, pros/cons?

Was it durable?

Big Caliber · December 7, 2008, 11:05 PM

A buddy of mine has one. But he uses it on the smaller rifle calibers such as 223, 22-250, and 243. He let me try it...a VERY steady rest that is easy to adjust for both windage and elevation. I'm thinking of getting one for load development though I have seen write-ups that claim, in effect, a given load may group differently shot from the rest as opposed to shooting from a bag because the rest may affect recoil. But I don't know. Just my $0.02.

sholling · December 7, 2008, 11:48 PM

I use mine for sighting in scopes. Especially with magnum calibers.

HAMMER1DOWN · December 8, 2008, 12:00 AM

Yeah they are a great rest, my folks got me one for christmas last year and now i don't even think about going to the range without it. they are even better if you add about 40 pounds to it, my buddies 300 win. mag doesn't even make it twitch.
for sure spend the money on one...

indy245 · December 8, 2008, 01:18 PM

I borrowed one from a friend to sight in my .300 WM. It really reduced recoil, I sighted in my gun and thought since I had it I might as well sight in my .338 WM. This was after last years hunting season. At the start of this year I checked zero and both my guns shot to the left by three inches. I find it kinda odd that they both were out by the same amount. With the lead sled I was spot on.

I'm not sure why it worked out the way it did or what I did wrong. I was shooting at 100 yards from a spot level with the target.

The one I used seem to be built good. The up/down adjustment screw was weak, I'm not sure how much abuse the sled had seen but that seemed to be the weak part, which would be an easy fix.

Indy.

UniversalFrost · December 8, 2008, 04:28 PM

the lead sleds work well, but you do not want to use them continuously with your firearms. The recoil of your gun is meant to travel through the stock and be dispersed into you the shooter. if your stock/gun is forced to absord the recoil continuously then things like cracks in the stock will develop. also the issue with your scope being off is related to you the shooter and how you flinch. each person shoots differently and when you zero a scope for one person it may not be zero for another even though it is on the same gun shooting the same loads.

your lead sled just takes the shooter out of the equation.

I have one of the origianl models and love it for load work up on my ultra mags and my 416 rigby. only problem I had was when I tried to put my surgeon in .338 lapua in the rig it would not fit, but this was due to the design of the buttstock being too wide. my rem 700 in .338 lapua with a mcmillan a5 stock fits fine as do all my other guns.

JOE

jheitertusa · December 8, 2008, 04:33 PM

I wonder if I would be better off with something like this?

http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm...TOKEN=21678385

or this?

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...698&t=11082005

I'm guessing they might be easier to carry to the range and a bit more versatile... I don't shoot anything bigger than a 12 gauge with slugs and my muzzleloader.

wpcexpert · December 8, 2008, 05:14 PM

I got a cheap knock-off from Sportsmans Guide. It does a good job with recoil but still allows the rifle to move, but just not so hard into my shoulder. It has been good. Now it is not near as fancy and frendly as Coldwell's but is very practical. I recommend it.

http://shop.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=359174

Big Caliber · December 12, 2008, 01:16 AM

Maybe try: Dog Gone Good.com, for an alternative rest.

December 7, 2008, 03:34 PM	#1
jheitertusa Senior Member Join Date: March 19, 2002 Location: Indiana Posts: 119	Anyone use a Lead Sled? I was looking for a good shooting rest for my 12 gauge slug gun and my muzzleloader. I was wondering if anyone had experience with the Lead Sled, pros/cons? Was it durable?

December 7, 2008, 11:48 PM	#3
sholling Senior Member Join Date: May 18, 1999 Location: Hemet (middle of nowhere) California Posts: 4,261	I use mine for sighting in scopes. Especially with magnum calibers. __________________ Proud Life Member: National Rifle Association, California Rifle & Pistol Association, and the Second Amendment Foundation. Annual Member: Revolutionary War Veterans Association (Project Appleseed) and the Madison Society.

December 8, 2008, 01:18 PM	#5
indy245 Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2006 Location: Woking, Alberta (Rural) Posts: 112	I borrowed one from a friend to sight in my .300 WM. It really reduced recoil, I sighted in my gun and thought since I had it I might as well sight in my .338 WM. This was after last years hunting season. At the start of this year I checked zero and both my guns shot to the left by three inches. I find it kinda odd that they both were out by the same amount. With the lead sled I was spot on. I'm not sure why it worked out the way it did or what I did wrong. I was shooting at 100 yards from a spot level with the target. The one I used seem to be built good. The up/down adjustment screw was weak, I'm not sure how much abuse the sled had seen but that seemed to be the weak part, which would be an easy fix. Indy. __________________ Don't Squat with your Spurs on Last edited by indy245; December 8, 2008 at 01:27 PM.

December 8, 2008, 04:28 PM	#6
UniversalFrost Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 2,300	the lead sleds work well, but you do not want to use them continuously with your firearms. The recoil of your gun is meant to travel through the stock and be dispersed into you the shooter. if your stock/gun is forced to absord the recoil continuously then things like cracks in the stock will develop. also the issue with your scope being off is related to you the shooter and how you flinch. each person shoots differently and when you zero a scope for one person it may not be zero for another even though it is on the same gun shooting the same loads. your lead sled just takes the shooter out of the equation. I have one of the origianl models and love it for load work up on my ultra mags and my 416 rigby. only problem I had was when I tried to put my surgeon in .338 lapua in the rig it would not fit, but this was due to the design of the buttstock being too wide. my rem 700 in .338 lapua with a mcmillan a5 stock fits fine as do all my other guns. JOE __________________ Lifetime member VFW and NRA "Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (when all else fails play dead) -Red Green

December 8, 2008, 05:14 PM	#8
wpcexpert Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2008 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 791	I got a cheap knock-off from Sportsmans Guide. It does a good job with recoil but still allows the rifle to move, but just not so hard into my shoulder. It has been good. Now it is not near as fancy and frendly as Coldwell's but is very practical. I recommend it. http://shop.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=359174 __________________ When once a republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil. - Thomas Jefferson

December 7, 2008, 11:05 PM	#2
Big Caliber Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2006 Location: S. CA Posts: 421	A buddy of mine has one. But he uses it on the smaller rifle calibers such as 223, 22-250, and 243. He let me try it...a VERY steady rest that is easy to adjust for both windage and elevation. I'm thinking of getting one for load development though I have seen write-ups that claim, in effect, a given load may group differently shot from the rest as opposed to shooting from a bag because the rest may affect recoil. But I don't know. Just my $0.02.

December 8, 2008, 12:00 AM	#4
HAMMER1DOWN Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2008 Location: Close Enough to Canada to say "EH!!"... MT Posts: 418	Yeah they are a great rest, my folks got me one for christmas last year and now i don't even think about going to the range without it. they are even better if you add about 40 pounds to it, my buddies 300 win. mag doesn't even make it twitch. for sure spend the money on one...

December 8, 2008, 04:33 PM	#7
jheitertusa Senior Member Join Date: March 19, 2002 Location: Indiana Posts: 119	I wonder if I would be better off with something like this? http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm...TOKEN=21678385 or this? http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...698&t=11082005 I'm guessing they might be easier to carry to the range and a bit more versatile... I don't shoot anything bigger than a 12 gauge with slugs and my muzzleloader.

December 12, 2008, 01:16 AM	#9
Big Caliber Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2006 Location: S. CA Posts: 421	Maybe try: Dog Gone Good.com, for an alternative rest.