Lead sled worth it?

[Moparnut]

I was curious about a Caldwell Lead sled/rifle rest. Talked to a fellow at my rifle range and was surprised that he was not a fan of them. He said that in his opinion they were not worth the money.

So I am turning to you for your opinions, is a Lead sled worth the investment? Let me know the types you have used and your thoughts. Thx

 

[doubleh]

I agree with the fellow at your range. If it kicks so hard that I can not handle it unaided I have no need or interest in it and I certainly don't see one as a good shooting rest.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I don't like my led sled either. I find it awkward to use. If it wasn't a gift from my son. I would sell it.

 

[red rick]

IMO , it is hard on your rifle and especially one with a wood stock . Your rifle is getting all the recoil .

 

[Hugger-4641]

It has it's place, but I find I'm much more accurate using bags or a bipod and rear bag. I do use my lead sled for chrono testing and load development because it's convenient and it can compensate for elevation easier.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

Led sled is a good gun vice too.

 

[Hugger-4641]

Led sled is a good gun vice too.

Yep, I forgot to mention I use it when cleaning rifles or mounting scopes, etc.

 

[Varminterror]

Lead sled = garbage. Elicits bad habits, bad form, and comes with potential consequence of rifle and/or scope damage… As a gunvise, it costs ~3-4 times more than an equivalently featured gunvise… all downside…

 

[JeffG]

A lot of reports of wood stocks breaking with Lead Sled type rifle holders.

 

[Seedy Character]

I have used mine doing ladder tests for load development and as a gun vise for cleaning or scope mounting.

If I didn't have it, I wouldn't buy another.

 

[Nature Boy]

At the risk of getting 15 yards for piling on, a led sled is not worth it. You’ll do better building a supported shooting position using bags

I have one. It’s good for taking up space and collecting dust

 

[Legionnaire]

Nope. Bought one, used it a couple of times, it sat in the garage for a couple of years, happy to sell it at a loss. Don't bother.

ETA: I wear a recoil shield if I'm trying to tame recoil.

 

[FL-NC]

The only application I use one for (not mine- it is at my gun club for member use) is to pattern shotguns with turkey loads- which for me is a miserable experience.

 

[hdbiker]

I bought mine because of shoulder surgery and still use it after healing. I put extra padding in the rear, and mounted it on hockey pucks so it can move some when firing. it takes the heartbeat out of aiming

 

[jonc]

I like them for testing loads and sighting in rifles. I prefer the sleds with interchangeable bags at the front and not a fixed rubber cradle. Also, I don't strap down the front of my rifles so they can still recoil up independently from the sled.

 

[The Glockodile]

I was curious about a Caldwell Lead sled/rifle rest. Talked to a fellow at my rifle range and was surprised that he was not a fan of them. He said that in his opinion they were not worth the money. So I am turning to you for your opinions, is a Lead sled worth the investment? Let me know the types you have used and your thoughts. Thx

If you're new to rifles, they do help somewhat, in the context of low - recoiling rounds.

Once you get more experienced with your rifles, you don't really use it any more.

You'd probably end up using a front bag / bipod + rear bag.

Led sled is a good gun vice too.

That being said, something along the lines of the CTK P3 Ultimate Shooting Rest / Vise IS a great aid in load testing / sighting rifles in...

The thing you have to remember is - your rifle does need that "give" when it fires to live a long and healthy life...

...otherwise, all that energy gets transferred to the scope / chassis / stock.

Kinda like dry firing a bow.

 

[Hugger-4641]

I like them for testing loads and sighting in rifles. I prefer the sleds with interchangeable bags at the front and not a fixed rubber cradle. Also, I don't strap down the front of my rifles so they can still recoil up independently from the sled.

This is what I do also. Mine has the separate adjustment for the rear arm as well as the adjustable front cradle.

 

[The Glockodile]

I have this one - but later on, only the front half was being brought to the range.

 

[berettaprofessor]

I wish all of you were around when I bought the one I've never liked and only used a couple of times.......

 

[cdb1]

I have a Caldwell Fire Control Rest that I find very useful for sighting in a rifle. It does not mitigate recoil.

 

[d2wing]

I thought about one but I use a Past shoulder pad and sometimes I drape the gun case over my shoulder. I have broken my shoulder and tore my rotator several times.

 

[redneck2]

I’ve found they’re not good for sighting in, as the point of impact is different when fired the shoulder

Reminds me of my ex wife......one of those “seems like a good idea” but isn’t.

 

[Hugger-4641]

I’ve found they’re not good for sighting in, as the point of impact is different when fired the shoulder

Reminds me of my ex wife......one of those “seems like a good idea” but isn’t.

I think it depends on you and skill level. For a person with certain physical conditions or a new shooter with low skill and no one to mentor, they can be usefull tool for sighting in, testing ammo, and developing your skill. Once your skill gets to a point and you start shooting well offhand or with bags, you'll realize the sled can actually make you worse if you let it.

 

[Bronco72]

I have one!
I bought it to find the most accurate load's ( 4 different bullet weights) in a hard kicking 50-110 with a good recoil pad. A rifle you do not want to shoot sitting or prone, painful. Recoil is up there with the lower end of a 458 Win. Mag. After that was done I have not used it very much! I then zeroed the rifle standing with shooting sticks. I read that rifles were getting cracked because people were adding to much weight to them to remove almost all the recoil, like a 100#'s. I added a 25# bag of shot to take some of the recoil away and did not have any issues. They have their place but not very many for me!

 

[Hugger-4641]

Yes, when I do use mine, no added weight and gun not strapped down. Free to move and muzzle jump if it wants.