Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Okay then, a Lead Sled Poll

Just 2 simple questions.



(1) How many actually have lost a Quality Scope (Leupold or better) due to shooting from a Lead Sled.?

(2) How many have actually broken a Weather Stable Stock (Not Wood) due to shooting from a Lead Sled.?



Answers only need to pertain to the 2 above questions and not turn into comments about your manly ability to shoot 1000 full house rounds out of an Elephant Gun in your Tee Shirt while leisurely passing time on a sunny afternoon

Just the facts, thanks

never..either one..not a problem!

This.

My .243 broke the lead sled....

Actually, I've never used one.

My questions are obviously inspired by responses given to gahuntertom's post about these Lead Sled things


It's a direct question and I'd like to get a feel for the actual scope and stock destruction anyone has experienced due to the use of the Lead Sled.

I'm not talking about the Walmart blister pack scopes or the foolishness of plopping a wood stock in there. Heck,I've broke the wrist on a Winchester 1897 12 gauge by shooting from my shoulder (Wood ain't hard to break). No I am talking about an all weather type of stable stock (either laminated, fiberglass, carbon, etc).

I find it interesting that a few thousand 22 pound F-Class rifles, shooting a couple thousand rounds, don't seem to have the ill effects upon scopes that a similarly weighted Lead Sled is said to have.


So, let's have it guys...

Again...

Who here has actually blown out a "Quality Scope" (Leupold or better) or broke a "Weather Stable" stock (Laminate/Fiberglass/Carbon/Tupperwear) due to shooting in a Lead Sled.?

Just the facts..

Nope and nope.

I have repaired 3 or 4 laminated stocks that were damaged in a Lead Sled. The first had the rear swivel stud completely torn out. The butt support extension on the bottom came close to contacting the stud. When the recoil pad compressed from recoil the stud was torn right out of the stock. Two others developed tang splits, trigger web splits and recoil shoulder splits. These wre heavy recoiling rifles and were not partciularly well bedded before they were brought to me for repair. Two were Lapuas and one 378 WBY. I think there was a fourth but can't recall the specifics. No synthetics that have come to my attention. I have no idea how the users had the sleds weighted. I quit doing public stock work about 3 years ago so that`s the extent of my exposure to their effects.

Stocker,

Thank you for sharing these details.

Pretty obvious that this sloppy handling within the cradle (Butt Extension) of the Sled by the shooter in order to tear a sling stud out.


Okay, still waiting on those reports where synthetic stocks have been broken in the Sled... I've "heard" it's hell on stocks but now I can't get one single testimony where a quality synthetic stock has been broken. Anyone..?

Pics would be awesome


And where are all those guys that have had their good quality scopes broken by this destroyer of scopes..?

Let's hear about it.

I have seen 2 stocks broken on lead sleds. One a Ruger walnut stock and another a Tikka. Ruger was a 338WM and the Tikka a 30/06.

Thank you Scott..!

I have 400 plus rounds through my 500 Jeffery, 100 or so using a lead sled. My standard load is a 570g TSX or A-Frame at 2300 fps, but have gone as low as 2150 and as high as 2510 fps. I've been lucky, my Leupold 1.5-5x scope is still fine as is my pretty wooden stock. I only use the lead sled for load development or initial sight in, but am too wimpy to do those things without it. I started without and got an Epic bruise! If the scope breaks I'll send it back to Leupold. If the stock breaks I'll put in a synthetic and CeraKote the metal. In every cloud there's a silver lining or a lightning bolt waiting to hit you!

Repaired a Weatherby stock damaged by a Lead Sled. I hate the fuggin things.

A synthetic "Weatherby" Swampy..?

Like I said earlier. "wood ain't hard to break... I've broken it shooting from my shoulder.."

[/quote]


I'm a little off topic here but.... THAT is a beauty.!

FWIW,

I use a lead sled with 40 lbs of shot. A conservative estimate, I've probably shot 25 rifles chambered from 17 hebee to 458 lott off this rest, both wood and synthetic in the last two years with nary' a problem.


I usually remove the rear stud before I shoot. Easy and saves problems.

The front support is adujstable front to rear.

Mauser 98, 35 Whelen





A little pipe insulation that you can buy at Lowes, Home Depot or most hardware stores works fine for absorbing recoil.



Another tool, used judiciously, works fine.

Best

GWB

geedubya,

What about the Redfield.. how do you keep the cross-hairs and glass in that optic.?

I hear that the "tool" destroys scopes.

Don't know why splitting wood stocks "doesn't count" in your poll.

Being that most rifles are still stocked using the stuff.

For the record, I've seen a Sako 75 in 300WSM that split at the wrist whilst being shot on one.

Was shown a 700 stock in .300 WM that was split right behind the slot for the recoil lug. They took the rifle apart and discovered this after the groups started opening up.

Pretty much destroyed the laminated stock on a RMC 50 caliber flintlock. 6 pound rifle, 410 grain conical over 100 grains of Swiss FFFg in a lead sled with 2 bags on board. Should have known better, but I really wanted to shoot a bison with that rifle.

John Moses,

I eliminated wood stocks simply because I have split, cracked, and completely broken them while shooting them against my shoulder. (Wood ain't hard to break)
I have not split, cracked, or completely broken synthetic stocks by shooting them against my shoulder.

So, to keep all things equal, I want to see if those things (synth stocks) which have NOT broken against my shoulder are breaking when shot from the Lead Sled.

Hope that helps in the understanding as to why

This rifle was built by a fellow named Wayne Barnett. He was a long time gunsmith in the Pasadena, Texas area. I do believe this rifle was built in the eighties. I've owned it close to 10 years.

It has made at least a dozen trips to the range. Before I started using a lead sled, I used a similar rest and strapped it down to the bench with ratchet straps. I usually take 5 or 6 rifles to the range when I go and make at least a 1/2 day of it.

The old redfield seems to work fine in the field





I took it to the range last Sunday, two groups out of a clean barrel. First is with 225 gr Spitzers


The second is with 225 gr Nosler Accubonds



I'm using the Accubonds.

And a couple of adjustments to get ready for pokin' porkers this weekend.

Shot one, too far left, so back right a touch (no clicks on this scope)
Shot two, good, but up a touch just for grins.

Shot 3 is where I left off



I'm off to the lease tomorrow. See if I can't poke a hill country hoglet or two with it this weekend.

Best

GWB