We have been talking about the new led sled and the pros and cons. Most here do not like them from the last post but here is what I found to at least fit a gun correctly into the sled.

I have a lead sled that was not doing what was expected. I like to shoot off bags but not when I am working up loads.

I had my LS3 out today in the shop and my two old Remington rifles that I gun smithed back in the early 80's on Chet Brown fiberglass stocks when they first started getting away from wood.

These two rifles fit on the sled and are rock solid from sitting to ready to shoot.

I have what I call the POS (piece of sh--) which is a Savage acutrigger 7mm-08 that I bought for a fun gun that would not hold paper last fall. (I hate to pay for something I expect to be a quality rifle) like my sons similar left handed version from 12 years ago. I bought it and had to send it back to Savage and several months later got the gun back with a new barrel.

Shot 8 rounds thru it from two different brands and it holds paper but 2-3 inch BS 3-4 INCH groups is not anything that I want to own. Never owned and kept a rifle that did not shoot under an inch groups.

I plan to try the gun again since 8 rounds is not enough BUT I did try it out on the sled today and found several problems AND the sled will not hold the gun solid.

Problems I saw were:

The Forearm on the Savage will not fit into the sled forearm like the other rifles as the forearm is too thick and binds. I took a dremel tool and widened the back sides and depth so the forearm fit the sled fore arm holder.

Gun still had too much play on the butt support.

The rifle moved up and down with no solid rest.

Two problems as the cheap butt pad it too soft and pointed to fit into the back rest. I did adjust the soft spongy rubber pad to take the point off the bottom and the high angle.

THE Savage will still not fit solidly in the rest.

Depending on how you hold the gun and let go is a lot of movement across my shop so at 100 Yards lord only knows how much vertical movement.

With the soft pad I could not rig this gun to fit.

To make some rifles work if you use this sled you will have to use a small sand bag or similar material under the bottom last several inches of the stock to get the rifle to be rock solid and take the weight and point of contact off the crappy soft pad. Gun held pretty solid with something under the stock taking pressure off the pad and giving the gun solid support.

Sleds are a misguided solution to a completely non existent problem, for those who do not like to actually shoot rifles. At worst, they will break your rifle. Using one is akin to another time wasting activity, I can think of, like golf.
Can anyone tell I do not like them?

You and a lot of the other on this forum. lol

I like to shoot but after 20 rounds working up loads I like easy too if they give a quick rest.

They do not seem to work for the pos Savage accutrigger that I have but bags do not either but next week end I will give the gun a chance.

May be for my kids that do not shoot a lot and need to check their sights in or working up loads.

Wonder if they shoot better with out all the weights and such like a more simple sand bag type system (if they work at all?).

there are two aspects of the lead sled that present problems. The first is the much publicized feature that the deceleration forces that the rifle endures cause breakage, primarily of optics but also stocks. The second issue that is talked around is that the "battery" of the rifle is different when in the sled and whatever other methods of holding the gun are used. By battery I mean the various forms of resistance the gun meets as it moves in response to the bullet going through the barrel. For example, if you are holding the gun against your shoulder, the trigger is pressed, the ignition is started and the bullet starts moving down the barrel, as it moves, the gun pushes back against your shoulder. Since most sporting guns have the butt a few inches below the line of the bore, the muzzle will rise as it pushes back. The angle of the barrel will point slightly upward compared to its position prior to firing. By keeping the same position and hold on the rifle, the muzzle can respond similarly in each firing, which will result in achieving groups that approach the optimum of the rifles ability. Similar results may be obtained with the lead sled but the aim point will be considerably different than when the rifle is fired without the sled. this is because the rifle won't be moving backward and upward as it would be when just held to your shoulder.

I don't have a hate of lead sleds, and I use them for what they do, which is keep a rifle from beating me half to death while I'm in the process of developing loads for larger rifles such as 458 Win Mag and 404 Jeffery. However the load development is for determining maximum loads, not accuracy loads. Once the maximum loads are determined a standard rest is used. Don't ask the sled to do things it can't do and you may develop a relationship that at least doesn't involve the word hate.