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Anyone load test with a lead sled?

What are you testing? Testing a load you should shoot the gun exactly the way it is going to be used. Any thing that touches the gun changes the test results.
Larry
 
There is a reason the benchrest and F-class competitors like more-or-less free recoil when they shoot. I find the Lead Sled gives more vertical issues slamming against a solid backstop than ones shoulder (or nothing).
Needless to say I do not enjoy load testing with my 7.5 Ib. 300 Weatherby all that much - but it shoots great!
 
I have thought of getting one , I have a bad shoulder rotator cuff, I'm thinking it should be good to get the human element out , kind of the same or close how they test loads for pistol on a machine thing ,can't remember the name of it
 
savagedasher said:
What are you testing? Testing a load you should shoot the gun exactly the way it is going to be used. Any thing that touches the gun changes the test results.
Larry

Exactly. The key is that the bullet is still in the barrel in the beginning stages of recoil. Ammo manufacturers test using a machine rest which does allow the gun to slide in early recoil stage. Led Sleds break things, they work best at the bottom of a lake - as a boat anchor.
 
Whatever happened to the sissy bag that Warren Page & others used for heavy recoiling guns - enough pounds of lead shot in a stout bag held against the shoulder by those bitch kicking light magnum hunting rifles to take them up to a recoil-acceptable weight.
 
Forgot, Score High (Score-Hi?) makes a sled that recoils using pnuematic rams. Somewhere in the $250 range but to save your shoulder might be worth it. Plus totally repeatable.
 
Works great for me. Use it for load development for multiple rifles to take out the human factor and also to make sure that the gun does not move and shoot the chrony. Tuned round still shoots just as great when I shoot it prone.
 
I use the DFT Lead Sled to sight in a pair of deer hunting rifles. I have a 6 lb. 1oz .284 and a 6 lb. 3 oz. .270 (scopes included) and the DFT tames the recoil quite a bit with no effects on accuracy when compared to a typical front & rear rest set up. On the negative side, I have heard some stories of wood stocks splitting when using the Sled.
 
I have used a lead sled for a number of years. It has taken the misery out of bench sessions with my 7 mags. I have put hundreds, if not thousands, of rounds over mine from several different rifles. I have not had one bit of any kinds of rifle damage by using it, in contrast to what I keep reading on forums. The sled is not locked down. The recoil is tamed, but it still moves every time. It is no different as far as results, than using sand bags or any other kind of rest. The only difference is the recoil.

The one problem-if you can call it a problem-is that it is very sensitive to your consistency in gripping and holding the rifle, especially if it is a light rifle. If you are consistent, then it is amazing and you can wring the total accuracy from a round. My 7 mags shoot 1/2 minute if I do my part and my other rifles are nearly as good.

They are an excellent way to get a kid or woman some range time, without developing the flinch associated with shooting rifles over sand bags. If you believe that it will change things, then use it to develop the load, or get some trigger time and then shoot a few rounds over sand bags, tripod, or whatever.

I have shot .243, 6mm Rem, .308, 30-06 and 7 mag over the sled and I will never be without one. I am not recoil sensitive, but I had lots of bruised shoulders over the years before the sled. It is a good product and has been a real plus for me.
 
MTM said:
Forgot, Score High (Score-Hi?) makes a sled that recoils using pnuematic rams. Somewhere in the $250 range but to save your shoulder might be worth it. Plus totally repeatable.

This device sort of turns your rifle into a "rail gun" and if I ever felt the need to use anything other that front rest/bipod with rear bag/monopod, this would definitely be my choice.

Most people I know that have purchased Lead Sled's have put them up for sale sooner or later as the sit around gathering dust.
 
I actually don’t use mine in any sense to tame recoil. I only shoot .223/.308/6.5 and none of these to me have any recoil that needs taming. I don’t put any lead on the lead sled and yes, the recoil does move it.

I won’t say that it is a perfectly steady hold but as other have said, if you practice, it provides a very steady hold for my guns. Pretty much everything shoots sub-1/2 MOA on the sled and as mentioned earlier, it is an excellent way to prevent your rifle from moving when shooting through a chronograph. I use an Ohler 35P which is an expensive and accurate/precise chrono and I really don’t want to shoot it. I even put marks on the bench with a piece of chalk so that I can move the sled back after the recoil. I've shot somewhere around 5.000 rounds with my sled, never broke any stock or scopes but I don’t use junk either so…

The thing is I would not recommend a Lead Sled if you are shooting bench rest but if all you are looking for is something that help you do load development for rounds, it is a very reasonable investment. So don't compare it with a good quality bench rest type setup - its apples and oranges.
 
The lead sled bothers me. If you are shooting a high recoil rifle, which is what the sled is designed for, especially one with a wooden stock I'd expect the stock to split at the wrist. Maybe not right away but eventually. Even a glass stock could easily have the action to stock fit damaged. I have heard of people loading the sled up with 50-100 lbs. of lead. The rifle needs to recoil somewhat freely to avoid damage methinks.
 
sbhooper said:
It is no different as far as results, than using sand bags or any other kind of rest. The only difference is the recoil.
This is blatantly a false statement. What is it you don't understand about the bullet being still in the barrel in the beginning stage of recoil (average of about 1/16" of rearward movement)?
For those who don't shoot a lot, in BR competition ANY deviation in how the rifle is held will result in dropped points or big groups even though the rifle is rested in sand bags that are tightly formed around the stock ( yet slide fore and aft freely). Change your trigger hand thumb pressure or thumb location and it shows up on target-everytime. Like-wise change the shoulder pressure, or even a slight variation in distance from the buttstock to the shoulder in the free-recoil method and you get a shot that moves you out of contention.
So, explain how a rifle whose recoil is drastically restricted will shoot to same POA and with the same degree of accuracy as a rifle that is shouldered be it off-hand or in a typical benchrest or off sand bags from a bench.
If you are talking about simply hitting a 9" pie plate @ 50 yards.....then it probably doesn't matter.
 
LHSmith said:
If you are talking about simply hitting a 9" pie plate @ 50 yards.....then it probably doesn't matter.

Ditto if you're just interested in making a "man sized" piece of steel at longer ranges go "pa-ting".
 
heavy 223's and 6mm Br's wont hurt your shoulder, neck, or back from the bench. I have a break on my 338 for sighting in, never feel it when "buck fever" kicks in.
 
The problem here (like when we are debating endlessly about annealing) is different people are talking about different types of shooting. The lead sled clearly is not the proper tool for ALL types of shooting. The OP only asked about using it for load development (and I assume right or wrong for most common type of shooting), the lead sled is a proper tool.

That does not mean that it is the proper tool for BR or for a fragile rifle shooting a big load and the sled fully loaded with a ton of lead. This is why we as a group frequently gets into circular endless debate going nowhere. I say stay on topic. If one is concern that the OP is going to use it out of its realm of intended use, we can ask the OP to clarify.
 
as the OP :)

I just saw it sitting on my shelf and wondered why I still owned it, and if I was overlooking it as a model for testing.

I normally shoot F-Open with a rest so I just use that config for the testing.

Thanks All
 
LHSmith said:
sbhooper said:
It is no different as far as results, than using sand bags or any other kind of rest. The only difference is the recoil.
This is blatantly a false statement. What is it you don't understand about the bullet being still in the barrel in the beginning stage of recoil (average of about 1/16" of rearward movement)?
For those who don't shoot a lot, in BR competition ANY deviation in how the rifle is held will result in dropped points or big groups even though the rifle is rested in sand bags that are tightly formed around the stock ( yet slide fore and aft freely). Change your trigger hand thumb pressure or thumb location and it shows up on target-everytime. Like-wise change the shoulder pressure, or even a slight variation in distance from the buttstock to the shoulder in the free-recoil method and you get a shot that moves you out of contention.
So, explain how a rifle whose recoil is drastically restricted will shoot to same POA and with the same degree of accuracy as a rifle that is shouldered be it off-hand or in a typical benchrest or off sand bags from a bench.
If you are talking about simply hitting a 9" pie plate @ 50 yards.....then it probably doesn't matter.
No truer words was ever written. When I am tuning a gun Bags, Rest my input all changes the point of impact. All my guns take a different bag or location and every one has a different way the like to be touched.
My last 1000 TD shoot I had 8 bullets in a 2 3/4 circle in the 10 ring .I had one go high and one low Both in the 9 ring but score was 98 and 9'' Just from bad gun handling. Larry
 
savagedasher said:
LHSmith said:
sbhooper said:
It is no different as far as results, than using sand bags or any other kind of rest. The only difference is the recoil.
This is blatantly a false statement. What is it you don't understand about the bullet being still in the barrel in the beginning stage of recoil (average of about 1/16" of rearward movement)?
For those who don't shoot a lot, in BR competition ANY deviation in how the rifle is held will result in dropped points or big groups even though the rifle is rested in sand bags that are tightly formed around the stock ( yet slide fore and aft freely). Change your trigger hand thumb pressure or thumb location and it shows up on target-everytime. Like-wise change the shoulder pressure, or even a slight variation in distance from the buttstock to the shoulder in the free-recoil method and you get a shot that moves you out of contention.
So, explain how a rifle whose recoil is drastically restricted will shoot to same POA and with the same degree of accuracy as a rifle that is shouldered be it off-hand or in a typical benchrest or off sand bags from a bench.
If you are talking about simply hitting a 9" pie plate @ 50 yards.....then it probably doesn't matter.
No truer words was ever written. When I am tuning a gun Bags, Rest my input all changes the point of impact. All my guns take a different bag or location and every one has a different way the like to be touched.
My last 1000 TD shoot I had 8 bullets in a 2 3/4 circle in the 10 ring .I had one go high and one low Both in the 9 ring but score was 98 and 9'' Just from bad gun handling. Larry
But aren’t you guys talking about POI whereas the OP is talking about tuning a load. I don’t have any problem with the notion that different rests or ways holding a rifle will affect POI but the question is does it affect where your accuracy node/optimal seating depth is? If it does not then it really comes down to having to re-zero your rifle they way you shoot your competition after finding the accuracy node using the lead sled? I always check zero at the start of a match anyway, and I don't use the lead sled for that.
 

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