Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Caldwell Lead Sled

Shooting from a proper standing or sitting field position your body has some flex and give like a spring or hydraulics to help dampen and absorb some of the forces of recoil that are going through the rifle. This sudden acceleration of the barreled action that is transfered into the stock bedding and throughout the entire rifle meets the shooters resistance but is somewhat cushioned as the shooter gives and springs back throughout the recoil.

Increasing this resistance by weighting down the rifle in the sled does not prevent this sudden acceleration of the barreled action that is transfered into the stock bedding and throughout the entire rifle. It does not help cushion this sudden acceleration like the shooter or hydraulics can. It just suddenly stops the sudden acceleration which may be far more brutal on the scope. Given a particular recoil velocity, recoil energy and weight of rifle, someone good at math may be able to corrolate this to a velocity of a rifle striking the ground butt first or to a given distance a rifle is dropped to the ground butt first.

GVA

I used to use a similar set up but found that anything over 338 would literally tear the recoil pads over time. My solution was to remove the "pocket" at the back of my rest and lear to deal with the recoil. BTW, scope failures were common before but have had none since the switch. Food for thought...

I've used mine a lot. I have heard about hard kicking rifles cracking stocks when the shooter tries to completely eliminate recoil with four 25 lb shot bags. The result is "no give" - and so - "something gives" - the stock.

One friend, with far more experience with "big-boomers" than I do has said he's never had a problem - but he admits to tucking a piece of foam into the stock holding part. He also stressed that he never tried to eliminate recoil - only reduce it - and thus, never used more than a single bag of shot.

His advice seems pretty to good, to me anyways.

I am, so far unsuccessfuly, testing an inexpensive Weaver Scope in an attempt to destroy it. It is on my 416 Rigby. Shooting it from my lead sled was something I feared would do it in, but it is holding up just fine.

The sled is great for load development, getting new sights roughly dialed in, and smilar administrative shooting tasks.

I bought one for my Lott on the reccomendation of D'Arcy Echols. I haven't had a problem with my scope (Leupold M8 2.5x) .

It sure helps with working up loads. Before I bought it, it would take several trips to the range to work up a load as my groups would open up after about 15 rnds. Shooting the Lott is a bit of an eye opener on the bench. Good way to get flinchy.

As others have said, just don't load it down too much and you'll be okay.

I have to move it forward after a few rounds as, with the weight that I use (2-3 bags of shot), it creeps back a bit with each shot.

The latest one has windage adjustments. This addresses one of my main gripes with the model that I have.

BTW, I don't shoot off it regularly. Just when sighting in and working up loads. For practice (the majority of my shooting) I don't use the bench at all.

-Steve

Natchez has them for $99 right now

I thought about getting a sled as well but the thought of freight to get 25 lb sacks o' lead shot from the real world to me...scarier than the recoil.

BigUglyMan,
I can well imagine how bad the freight bill would be! My experience is probably less than the others, restricted to using a borrowed one a couple or three times. Come to think of it, I should take it back to it's rightful owner one of these days. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />
Anyway the owners method was to throw a heavy sandbag like are sold at gas-stations for traction weight on the weight tray and call it good. He also sometimes used a rachet strap and belted the whole deal to the bench. Believe it or not he went through all this for a little 7mm Rem Mag. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> He isn't the only guy I ever saw strap a Lead-sled down either.
Anyway, I didn't have bags of shot either, and didn't want to buy, them for the bit of use I had for the Caldwell. All I did was put 3 shotbags of sand that I used to use for bench bags on the tray and went with that. I would estimate that the weight of the sand would be about 20 pounds altogether, plus the weight of the rest and the rifle itself. It was more than enough to reduce the recoil of my CZ .416 Rigby to a joke, plus help make the quenzy feeling that I had about risking breaking the stock abate somewhat. The way it turned out, I got a break in the load development at that point, and didn't need to use it much. I don't mind the kick for up to 35 rounds or so from the bench without the lead-sled, but wanted to save myself some unnecessary beating and time when my first loads weren't working out so well.
The factory pad got chewed up a little, and the little round plugs that covered the screwholes in the pad fell out. I was planning to change the pad anyway, but have come to the conclusion that if I had put my Limbsaver on first I wouldn't have been tempted to use the Lead-sled in the first place. I am convinced that the chances of breaking a stock on a heavy kicker are quite high.
Model70guy

Hey Hogjaws, I have found that the biggest of the big can be tamed with an onerall weight(bags and machine) of around 50 LBS. Remember, you want a wee bit of recoil getting away. No gun was meant to take 100% of the recoil between wood and metal. Heres one I built with scraps cause a 99$ one would tip the scales at over 200 can dollars/pesos. The biggest reason I wanted one was not recoil( I loves recoil) but to get the gun up against a consistant battery. Our club benches are low, and I'm boney shouldered so with the big boys I never knew what they could do..They do great now

I am quite convinced your correct if the gun has enough recoils, and your tamming all,or very close to all of it. My lott with stout loads now recoils like a poorly built 30/06 with heavy loads, so some of the initial(hardest) recoil curve is being released. So far not a prob. But like I said your right, I think if you weight/tie in such manner as like putting the butt of a big boy against an oak tree wont be long till your holding kindling

I have acces to one and have used it several times. It's great product.

Terry

ok now i have to order one know i know for myself what better reason to spend money

Throw that thing in the closet and be a man...shoot it like it was meant to be shot...

Ya know, I just got 17 boxes of .416 bullets in the mail. It must be time to "Cowboy up"! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Yehaw.

AAAAHHH Never mind

I just got one for reasons other than recoil. Don't figure to weight it down none. Will use it obviously for load development as it provides a steadier rest than the one I had welded up and had sewn together a canvas sand bag. Shooting irons would benefit as I cannot see like you can thru a scope @ 100yds. Cracking and splitting stocks sounds pretty spendy-don't need all that weight fellas to tame recoil.

I got it for recoil(Exactly)

A day at the range sighting in a 450,338,375 RUM,300 WM,7mm RM etc...is a whole lot nicer with the sled. That night I can actually sleep instead of rubbing my shoulder. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif" alt="" />

Great for allowing one to continue shooting after suffering a dislocated shoulder. Couldn't give up shooting until the shoulder was fully recovered. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

NEVER, ever, strap them down to the bench! Strapped down they transmit 100% of the recoil to the rifle/scope and that can't be a good thing.

Someone explain to me just how you are supposed to assume a firing position with the rifle tied into that darned contraption? How can you get your proper hold and cheek position in the rifle and to it repeatedly? And if you need to sight in 5 or more potent rifles, better to do it over a few days than all in one day or tie them to that sled thing....Just my opinion...

tightloop, a buddy of mine has one and I found it very uncomfortable to get set up on. I strongly prefer a standard front rest and a bunny ear rear bag to sight a rifle in from the bench. My Past Magnum recoil shield and a Carhartt jacket take the bite out of my guns just fine.