"Lead Sled" or Sand Bags?

Mount Sweetness

Mount Sweetness

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I have always used a little cheap plastic gun vise to sight in my rifles......I'd like to move up and buy something a little more steady.

What do you guys prefer in a rifle rest and what make/model?

Does anyone prefer sand bags over a rifle rest?
 
I recently discovered a nice solid rest that is very similar to the lead sled, but less than half the cost. It's made by Stoney point and it only set me back about $80 at Sail. It's nice heavy steel, includes a bag to rest the front of the stock and has a detachable tray that you can load with weight for additional recoil control.
 
I have seen two stocks cracked by using heavier recoiling rifles on lead sleds that were loaded up with weight. I prefer a separate front rest , and rear bag.
 
Seen alot of messed up scopes from the sled as well as stocks personally I wanted one till I kept seeing them mess up guns.
 
The trick with a lead sled is to weight it according to the rifle weight and recoil. Also, bags of shot work a lot better than solid weights to absorb some of the shock/recoil.

I use a lead sled DFT, but I actually prefer a good front rest and rear bag, I just can't find a front rest that I like since the model I wanted was discontinued.
 
Johnny_Zanni said:
I got a leadsled to use, I don't put weight in it though just use it to be a little more steady.
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I guess that is what I should do as well. I bought the one that takes 2, 25lb barbell weights and sighted in my 300 win mag with it. I worked perfect and there was no recoil at all.

I should have realized that the shock loading has to go somewhere. Guess the stock and the scope are the ones to suffer. Thanks for pointing this out, guys.....
 
Sask_Hunter said:
A lead sled is a good tool for breaking a rifle.
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I've often wondered about that. I have a buddy that doesn't reload but everytime he goes to the range he shoots off the lead sled. 300 win, 375 HH, 45-70, 338 Lap. As far as I know he hasn't broke anything yet. I don't know why he likes shooting this way, If I'm not testing a rifle or working on load development I always shoot from field positions. It's just more fun imo.
 
Unloaded lead sleds are fine for the most part since they still move around, especially with synthetic guns. I've only personally seen problems when a wood stock had to absorb all the recoil energy of a heavy kicker because the shooter loaded up with 30 pounds of shot. Was only a .338, too.

I prefer bags myself over bipods or sleds of any sort so the gun can move around with recoil.
 
I have both set ups and the Lead Sled has caused us some grief.
Now if I use it, it will not have any weight in it.
I am starting to notice I go back to the three legged front and
sand bag rear.
That Lead Sled rear stop doesn't sit right with me on the shoulder.
A fellow nutters has a home made one that looks like it would be
way nicer to shoot from.
It stands it bit taller, so no slouching over.
I have a notion to make one.
 
Sask_Hunter said:
A lead sled is a good tool for breaking a rifle.
Click to expand...

I thought long and hard about that after buying one this winter, i had it to the range once, didn't plan to weight it down but I just coudn't get around the thing, couldn't get confortabe or see through the scope properly, maybe it was the range bench causing my problems. i didn't fire a shot with it or waste anymore time dealing with it. I'll take it back again sometime and give it another try. At my old age now that .300 win mag and the .300 wby about knock my brains out, what few I have let!
 
I prefer bags to sight in a rifle or test new loads, but there is less chance of human error or scope eye with my lead sled.
As someone else posted, it's good to try all sorts of rests and positions to simulate real situations.
 
bush1 said:
I should have realized that the shock loading has to go somewhere. Guess the stock and the scope are the ones to suffer.
Click to expand...

Yep, I've seen pics of Lead Sleds loaded with weight and the rifle cargo strapped to it. I like shooting from the sled but use it to reduce recoil, not to try to eliminate it. I have an old divers weight belt I lay across the bottom of the sled and just rest the rifle in place with my shoulder behind the rear stock pad. The sled shifts a bit between shots but resetting is no ordeal and nothing breaks,, my shoulder included :D. My hi cal rifles have recoil pads on em too which helps.
 
I have the Lead Sled DFT and used a 30 lbs weight. I too had problems with getting it into my shoulder. Then I blew a scope. Then I blew a brand new scope. Then I started researching. Using the weighted rest means all the recoil has nowhere to go so more recoil is absorbed by the scope.

I switched to a Caldwell front rest and a medium rear bag. It's almost as good as the lead sled in holding the rifle and keeping it steady but it's better for getting the butt stock seated in the shoulder, scope / eye alignment / distance is better, and recoil is aborbed by the shooter not the scope. For some reason, recoil seems slightly reduced in this set up.

383774-large.jpg
 
I, too, have seen stocks and scopes broken by the "Lead Sled"
I'm sure it would be hard to break a synthetic, but wood stocks are vulnerable
because of the lack of "give" when the LS is weighed down heavily.
I prefer a GOOD front rest and a rear sandbag for all sighting in.
Then comes practice [lots of practice] in field positions.
Regards, Eagleye
 
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I use a lead sled a lot. I also use a heavy solid adjustable tripod rest for the fore end and a bunny bag for the butt.

Most people use a lead sled without using their heads. They use it as they bought it.

The butt pad on the sled isn't very forgiving. It needs a bit of help. I use a high durometer piece of foam. It isn't something that you can just pick up anywhere. It should be just flexible enough to squeeze slightly with your hands.

The above posters are correct. When the sleds are to heavy and there isn't enough recoil compensating material in the butt socket, all sorts of nasty things happen to the rifles and their accessories.

Split stocks, screwed up scopes etc.

The rifles aren't intended to be fired with their butts against an unmovable object. The scopes aren't meant to be mounted on non forgiving rifles. Especially the cheaper lines.

Go ahead and use a lead sled, just use some common sense.

Lead sleds, like bunny bags and bipods, have a learning curve to use them properly.
 
I use the lead sled, best rest I have used. I put 2 bags of lead shot in the tray and when shooting the bigger magnums the recoil is very low. I am not recoil sensitive but find it easier to shoot more rounds without any problems. It is also a great rest to shoot from. As stated earlier you can put some foam at the butt pad to soak up some of the recoil within the firearm.
 
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