Lead Sled vs bags for Heavy Recoilers?

[mattri]

Looking at building a 300 Win Mag or 338-06AI for a hunting rifle.

In order to work up accurate loads from the bench is it better to use a Lead Sled to dampen recoil and then once an accurate load has been developed go to field shooting positions or work with a front and rear bag configuration from the start?

 

[LHSmith]

Best use of a Lead Sled is for a boat anchor....use front rest and bags and a Past recoil shield if necessary.

 

[mattri]

LOL thanks for the reply- seems most opinions are 100% one way or the other on this topic.

 

[Nomad47]

I wouldn't put any rifle I liked in a lead sled. Maybe one I never cared for... :

 

[kentcroy]

mattri,
I use a lead sled with 75lbs of lead shot, never had a problem. Makes load development real easy as the front rest has windage and elivation knobs. It takes up recoil but it still moves on the bench. I worked up my load for my 280 AI with excellent results. I suppose you could put less weight on it if you were afraid of somehow damaging your rifle, but I haven't had any problems with the afore mentioned setup.
Kent

 

[wboggs]

You can also use a bag of shot between your shoulder and stock. I have used a lead sled for initial loads in heavy recoilers without problems except a heavy scope will sometimes move in the mounts.

 

[hogpatrol]

I've been using one for years with my muzzleloaders, one is a BP sub type and the other is a smokeless custom. I weigh it down with four shot bags full of lead & the sled takes the recoil instead of my shoulder. For these two guns, the POI isn't much different than shooting off a rest or bags. For the heavy recoilers, it will test your scope quality.

 

[wboggs]

My point of impact isn't much different either. Agree with scope stress. Have used in a .458 Lott with Leupold and Zeiss and only problem has been scope moving in mounts but I'm not shooting a lot of rounds.

 

[johnmyers]

Imagine all the stress on action screws and scope mounts if rifle can't move with recoil

 

[mattri]

Why would someone make it so that the rifle couldn't move instead of just using the weight as buffer while rifle slid back?

 

[mr45man]

Why would using a led sled cause the scope
to move in the mounts? ???
John H.

 

[johnmyers]

Why would using a led sled cause the scope
to move in the mounts? ???
John H.

Didn't say it would move just cause stress, when rifle can't move it has to put more stress on any screw holding rifle and scope doesn't it

 

[mattri]

Exactly- so let it move.

Throw some weight in the sled to mitigate the effect but not so much as to impede the natural "slide" of the rifle.

Best of both worlds, the rifle is allowed to move under recoil, no damage to the stock or optics/hardware but the inevitable reaction is controlled to an amount that doesn't unduly disrupt the shooter. No?

 

[savagedasher]

I had one I lent to a friend to sight in his custom Krighoff Drilling with. When he was done he had a hair line crack in the stock. Never again I trashed it. Larry

 

[LHSmith]

Never understood the reasoning for using a led sled. First, remember the bullet is still in the barrel in the early stages of recoil, so any deviation on how one holds the rifle will show different POI. This is very evident when a Benchrest shooter goes from using the free-recoil method to either a "pin" method or a normal hold method. The group sizes achieved by using a led sled are not going to be replicated by using sandbags, or field methods using a bipod, or off-hand shooting.
Secondly, it might reduce the fear of recoil while in the act of using a led sled, but it is false security to think that out in the field you will suddenly forget the punishment that comes from pulling the trigger.
For those that claim a minimum change in POI between the sled and typical hunting positions, my accuracy goals are to a higher standard than just hitting a 9" paper plate at 100 yds.

 

[hogpatrol]

The lead sled is a tool and like any tool, there's a learning curve to knowing how, why and when to use it. Used improperly, it will not provide satisfactory results. It's not made to use with Kreighoffs, cheap scopes, or wood/non-laminated stocks. Expecting benchrest results, improvements in precision shooting or extrapolating scientific data is not its purpose. It's there to provide a platform to alleviate felt recoil. POI and perceived accuracy may change and to a knowledgeable shooter, it is expected, adjusted for and is not a surprise.

 

[elkhunter7x6]

5 or 6 years ago I bought a Gen1 Led Sled to aid in load development for a 300weatherby. I was using 1-2 bags of lead shot for weight. While this setup eliminated all of the recoil on my shoulder, I was unable to get the gun to group with the weighted rest. When shooting off of the weighted rest, the gun would violently surge forward and nearly jump off of the rest. I ended up just folding a towel a couple of times and placing between my shoulder and the butt of the rifle stock and shot off of bipod and rear bag. The extra cushion of the towel greatly reduced the punishment on my shoulder and I was able to develop a sub 1/2" load for the gun.

 

[elkhunter7x6]

Secondly, it might reduce the fear of recoil while in the act of using a led sled, but it is false security to think that out in the field you will suddenly forget the punishment that comes from pulling the trigger.

Personally I never feel the recoil of a rifle when in the field hunting. It just gets lost in the heat of the moment with me I guess.

 

[rudysts]

One option would be a muzzle brake they cost about the same as a sled installed.

 

[searcher]

I have a VERY light .375 H&H Magnum that is truly painful to shoot many rounds off ther bench in extended load development and practice. I find that a simple piece of a 1" thick foam garden kneeling pad cut to about 6" tall and 4" wide and placed between shoulder and butt helps tremendously.