Lead Sled....just don't

[BrownBear]

Best to not fire high recoil rifles from sitting position ever. The big ones are more than capable of breaking both stocks and bones. Sight in shooting from a standing rest instead. Use a tripod or something like that. Best way to reduce recoil is practice more.

There it is. Or if you have to sit, stay VERY upright rather than leaning down and into it like most everyone you see shooting puny calibers. Keep your waist loose and allow your body to rock back.

Best I've seen, or maybe second best, was a "standing" benchrest at our local club here in the land of big boomers. It had the regular U-shaped top of a conventional benchrest, but legs so long you stood behind it. Some bizarro maniac decided to beak it up for an impromptu fire one cold winter, and I've never organized the forces to replace it.

That's cuzz I mostly don't shoot at the range any more, preferring my own company in the hills to the legions of black rifle shooters dominating the range these days. Just don't need to listen to any more talk about "Da Gubmint."

But I've not been going to the range for a bigger reason. That's cuzz I've found an arrangement as good or better for my informal range shooting. I'm still breathing life into a rusting old 1995 4WD Toyota Tacoma because it's zackly the right height for my own standup benchrest. Open the door for a little more knee room, put my sandbags on top of the cab, then shoot across the cab. Slickern snot and highly effective, and that sweet little rust bucket hasn't yet done anything stupid about range safety.

 

[S.Kenton]

Mr. Kenton,
The key to your successful enjoyment of the "Lead Sled" has been your NOT adding lead to weigh it down and thereby reducing the rifles ability to move. It's not only "possible" that people who have cracked stocks used a lot of weight, I can tell you from personal observation that's exactly how it happens. I've never owned one or read the instructions for use so I don't know how the manufacturer addresses the issue. That said, for whatever reason folks I've seen use them have always weighed them down to minimize or even eliminate movement. Those are the folks I've witnessed having a problem.

I normally don’t go over 60-70 grains.. I’m sure that’s a contributing factor. I seen a YouTube video of these fellas purposely trying to blow up a Muzzeloading rifle with black powder... it was a cva Kentucky rifle if I remember right, it took an awful lot to blow it up. It was on a lead sled if I remember right. After all said and done the stock has splintered and the barrel was severely bulged. I’ll see if I can find it again.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I normally don’t go over 60-70 grains.. I’m sure that’s a contributing factor. I seen a YouTube video of these fellas purposely trying to blow up a Muzzeloading rifle with black powder... it was a cva Kentucky rifle if I remember right, it took an awful lot to blow it up. It was on a lead sled if I remember right. After all said and done the stock has splintered and the barrel was severely bulged. I’ll see if I can find it again.

It was smokeless powder that blew it up....after a few attempts at that!

 

[brayhaven]

It’s important to know that shoulder deterioration is an ongoing process with age. Most over 50 have some damage and it gets worse over 60 and up. Some activities aggravate it. It’s cumulative. Did some research while convalescing from torn rotator cuff surgery, mostly from damage of shooting and other abuse. I was probably harder on mine than most. I recall shooting a skeet match once, in a yellow 10X shooting shirt. Was 75 straight after 3 rounds when the referee asked if I wanted to continue. I said sure.. “why not”?. He pointed to my shirt, the whole right side was bloody from a ruptured bruise. Didn’t feel anything due to steroid injection.
Recoil, over time, can be very damaging. 6 months post op and shooting again, but still not fully healed. Probably another 6 for full recovery. Strongly recommend the pads discussed here and good technique, also brought out by several posters. I shoot a 50 hunting and for silhouettes, but shoot the light stuff, 36-40 cal, for everything else.

 

[30coupe]

I've used my son's Lead Sled a few times, sans lead. It is pretty handy for sighting in a scoped rifle, but I find it a waste of time for open sights. Even with optics, I shoot a group or two while holding the rifle and resting the back of my left hand on a bag. I have found that some rifles react much differently once you take them out of the sled, others are just fine either way.

By the way, the Youtube guys who blew up the rifle were NOT using a Lead Sled. They have a homemade wooden contraption anchored to a tire. It broke before the rifle blew...as has been mentioned, with smokeless powder.

 

[azmntman]

I site in off the door frame of the corolla. Sitting on the rocker panel height is just fine. I could probably tighten up the group another inch in a "real" rest. Hunting I am always looking for a tree and will try to simply put my right hand (shoot left handed) against it and have no issues. Also will sit and shoot off knees.

Hey brownbear! I used to site in off the hood too! Buddy flipped a few times and twitched and screamed about the burnt paint on his hood. LOL. I spit on it and wiped it with a cloth I carry and he calmed down. I too thought I scorched his paint but it wipes right off.....

 

[S.Kenton]

I've used my son's Lead Sled a few times, sans lead. It is pretty handy for sighting in a scoped rifle, but I find it a waste of time for open sights. Even with optics, I shoot a group or two while holding the rifle and resting the back of my left hand on a bag. I have found that some rifles react much differently once you take them out of the sled, others are just fine either way.

By the way, the Youtube guys who blew up the rifle were NOT using a Lead Sled. They have a homemade wooden contraption anchored to a tire. It broke before the rifle blew...as has been mentioned, with smokeless powder.

You are correct,I just rewatched the video. That poor cva took a beating anyhow... as did the second one.