geedubya - Thanks for the extensively illustrate responses. Are you saying that reports of people breaking stocks due to a Lead Sled are inaccurate?
Aboslutley not!
That is not my style.
If you notice, I both prefaced and ended my last post with the caveat's "opinions vary" and "Your Mileage May Vary" (YMMV).
I've always been an iconoclast. (Sacred cows make the best hamburger), but try not to be an azz'hat in the process.
What I have consistently tried to do during the course of this thread is provide empirical evidence of extensive use of a lead sled, which when employed, has not harmed any of the multitude of rifles for which I have developed loads.
I won't bore you with pix but I have done load development and or shot the following off of a sled.
458 Lott, 458 Winchester, 450 Marlin, 45-70 (4), 375 H&H (4) 376 Steyr, 9.3 x 74R, 9.3 x 62(3), 350 Rem Mag, 35 Whelen(2), 358 Winchester(2), 338 Lapua, 338-378 KT, 338 Ultra Mag, 338 Win Mag, 338-06AI, 338-06(2), 338 Federal(2), 325 WSM(3), ,303 Savage, 300 Ultra Mag(2), 300 Weatherby Mag, 300 Win Mag(3), 300 WSM(3) 300 H&H(2), 30-06(6) , 308 Win, 7 STW, 280AI...........
One more example.
Here is a push-feed Winchester Model 70, chambered for the 270 Winchester. I bought in the early 90's.
It has a custom Shilen Barrel, and a sweet trigger. I got it after some wrangling for $350 IIRC.
The reason I got it that cheap was that it had a hair-line crack in the wrist.
BTW, It shoots better than I can........
After load development on lead sled, first shot out of a cold barrel followed by a second shot, before taking it to hunt.
BTW, it remains intact (the picture of the crack in the wrist of the stock was taken about 10 minutes ago).
Anywho, perhaps you get my drift.
BTW,
I mentioned a 475 Turnbull earlier.......
I've loaded up +/- 35 rounds, 20 being jacketed bullets and 15 being cast lead, in six different combos that I'm going to shoot over a chrono to attempt to develop a load that combines the best accuracy/velocity quotient.
I'm willing to bet that if I shoot all 35 of those rounds, I'll be glad I did it using a lead sled.
Will get back with an "un-flinching" report when accomplished.
ya!
GWB